Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?
Can a man, then, profit God? Behold, the wise man profiteth himself.
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 pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous; Or a gain to him, that thou walkest uprightly?
4 Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?
Will he contend with thee because he feareth thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
5 [Is] not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?
Hath not thy wickedness been great? Have not thine iniquities been numberless?
6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother unjustly, And stripped the poor of their clothing.
7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
Thou hast given the weary no water to drink, And withholden bread from the hungry.
8 But [as for] the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.
But the man of power, his was the land, And the honorable man dwelt in it.
9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
Thou hast sent widows away empty, And broken the arms of the fatherless.
10 Therefore snares [are] round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden fear confoundeth thee;
11 Or darkness, [that] thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.
Or darkness, through which thou canst not see, And floods of water 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 in the height of heaven? And behold the stars, how high they are!
13 And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?
Hence thou sayest, “What doth God know? Can he govern behind the thick darkness?
14 Thick clouds [are] a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.
Dark clouds are a veil to him, and he cannot see; And he walketh upon the arch of heaven.”
15 Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
Wilt thou take the old way Which wicked men have trodden,
16 Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:
Who were cut down before their time, And whose foundations were swept away by a flood?
17 Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?
Who said unto God, “Depart from us!” And, “What can the Almighty do to us?”
18 Yet he filled their houses with good [things: ] but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
And yet he filled their houses with good things!—Far from me be the counsel of the wicked!
19 The righteous see [it], and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.
The righteous see their fate, and rejoice; And the innocent hold them in derision.
20 Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.
“Truly our adversary is destroyed, And fire hath consumed his abundance!”
21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thus shall prosperity return to thee.
22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.
Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, And lay up his words 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 return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up; If thou put away iniquity from thy tent.
24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the [gold] of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.
Cast to the dust thy gold, And the gold of Ophir to the stones of the brook:
25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.
Then shall the Almighty be thy gold, Yea, treasures of silver unto thee;
26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.
For then shalt thou have delight in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God.
27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.
Thou shalt pray to him, and he shall hear thee, And thou shalt perform thy vows.
28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.
The purpose which thou formest shall prosper with thee, And light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 When [men] are cast down, then thou shalt say, [There is] lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.
When men are cast down, thou shalt say, “There lifting up!” And the humble person he will save.
30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.
He will deliver even him that is not innocent. The purity of thy hands shall save him.
