Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —
2 Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?
To God is a man profitable, Because a wise man to himself is profitable?
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?
Is it a delight to the Mighty One That thou art righteous? is it gain, That thou makest perfect thy ways?
4 Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?
Because of thy reverence Doth He reason [with] thee? He entereth with thee into judgment:
5 Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?
Is not thy wickedness abundant? And there is no end to thine iniquities.
6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
For thou takest a pledge of thy brother for nought, And the garments of the naked Thou dost strip off.
7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
Thou causest not the weary to drink water, And from the hungry thou withholdest bread.
8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.
As to the man of arm — he hath the earth, And the accepted of face — he dwelleth in it.
9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
Widows thou hast sent away empty, And the arms of the fatherless are bruised.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
Therefore round about thee [are] snares, And trouble thee doth fear suddenly.
11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.
Or darkness — thou dost not see, And abundance of waters doth cover thee.
12 Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
Is not God high [in] heaven? And see the summit of the stars, That they are high.
13 And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?
And thou hast said, 'What — hath God known? Through thickness doth He judge?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.
Thick clouds [are] a secret place to Him, And He doth not see;' And the circle of the heavens He walketh habitually,
15 Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
The path of the age dost thou observe, That men of iniquity have trodden?
16 Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:
Who have been cut down unexpectedly, A flood is poured out on their foundation.
17 Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?
Those saying to God, 'Turn aside from us,' And what doth the Mighty One to them?
18 Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
And he hath filled their houses [with] good: (And the counsel of the wicked Hath been far from me.)
19 The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.
See do the righteous and they rejoice, And the innocent mocketh at them,
20 Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.
'Surely our substance hath not been cut off, And their excellency hath fire consumed.'
21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
Acquaint thyself, I pray thee, with Him, And be at peace, Thereby thine increase [is] good.
22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.
Receive, I pray thee, from His mouth a law, And set His sayings in thy heart.
23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.
If thou dost return unto the Mighty Thou art built up, Thou puttest iniquity far from thy tents.
24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.
So as to set on the dust a defence, And on a rock of the valleys a covering.
25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.
And the Mighty hath been thy defence, And silver [is] strength to thee.
26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.
For then on the Mighty thou delightest thyself, And dost lift up unto God thy face,
27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.
Thou dost make supplication unto Him, And He doth hear thee, And thy vows thou completest.
28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.
And thou decreest a saying, And it is established to thee, And on thy ways hath light shone.
29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.
For they have made low, And thou sayest, 'Lift up.' And the bowed down of eyes he saveth.
30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.
He delivereth the not innocent, Yea, he hath been delivered By the cleanness of thy hands.
