Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Thaemanite answered and said,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 Is it not the Lord that teaches understanding and knowledge?
Can a man, then, profit God? Behold, the wise man profiteth himself.
3 For what matters it to the Lord, if you were blameless in [your] works? or is it profitable that you should perfect your way?
Is it a pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous; Or a gain to him, that thou walkest uprightly?
4 Will you maintain and plead your own cause? and will he enter into judgment with you?
Will he contend with thee because he feareth thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
5 Is not your wickedness abundant, and your sins innumerable?
Hath not thy wickedness been great? Have not thine iniquities been numberless?
6 And you have taken security of your brethren for nothing, and have taken away the clothing of the naked.
For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother unjustly, And stripped the poor of their clothing.
7 Neither have you given water to the thirsty to drink, but have taken away the morsel of the hungry.
Thou hast given the weary no water to drink, And withholden bread from the hungry.
8 And you have accepted the persons of some; and you have established those [that were already settled] on the earth.
But the man of power, his was the land, And the honorable man dwelt in it.
9 But you have sent widows away empty, and has afflicted orphans.
Thou hast sent widows away empty, And broken the arms of the fatherless.
10 Therefore snares have compassed you, and disastrous war has troubled you.
Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden fear confoundeth thee;
11 The light has proved darkness to you, and water has covered you on your lying down.
Or darkness, through which thou canst not see, And floods of water cover thee.
12 Does not he that dwells in the high places observe? and has he not brought down the proud?
Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the stars, how high they are!
13 And you has said, What does the Mighty One know? does he judge in the dark?
Hence thou sayest, “What doth God know? Can he govern behind the thick darkness?
14 A cloud is his hiding-place, and he shall not be seen; and he passes through the circle of heaven.
Dark clouds are a veil to him, and he cannot see; And he walketh upon the arch of heaven.”
15 Will you [not] mark the old way, which righteous men have trodden?
Wilt thou take the old way Which wicked men have trodden,
16 who were seized before their time: their foundations [are as] an overflowing stream.
Who were cut down before their time, And whose foundations were swept away by a flood?
17 Who say, What will the Lord do to us? or what will the Almighty bring upon us?
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 for the wicked is far from him.
And yet he filled their houses with good things!—Far from me be the counsel of the wicked!
19 The righteous have seen [it], and laughed, and the blameless one has derided [them].
The righteous see their fate, and rejoice; And the innocent hold them in derision.
20 Verily their substance has been utterly destroyed, and the fire shall devour what is left of their [property].
“Truly our adversary is destroyed, And fire hath consumed his abundance!”
21 Be firm, I pray you, if you can endure; then your fruit shall prosper.
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thus shall prosperity return to thee.
22 And receive a declaration from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.
Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, And lay up his words in thy heart.
23 And if you shall turn and humble yourself before the Lord, you have [thus] removed unrighteousness far from your habitation.
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up; If thou put away iniquity from thy tent.
24 You shall lay up for yourself [treasure] in a heap on the rock; and Sophir [shall be] as the rock of the torrent.
Cast to the dust thy gold, And the gold of Ophir to the stones of the brook:
25 So the Almighty shall be your helper from enemies, and he shall bring you forth pure as silver that has been tried by fire.
Then shall the Almighty be thy gold, Yea, treasures of silver unto thee;
26 Then shall you have boldness before the Lord, looking up cheerfully to heaven.
For then shalt thou have delight in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God.
27 And he shall hear you when you pray to him, and he shall grant you [power] to pay your vows.
Thou shalt pray to him, and he shall hear thee, And thou shalt perform thy vows.
28 And he shall establish to you again a habitation of righteousness and there shall be light upon your paths.
The purpose which thou formest shall prosper with thee, And light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 Because you have humbled yourself; and you shall say, [Man] has behaved proudly, but he shall save him that is of lowly eyes.
When men are cast down, thou shalt say, “There lifting up!” And the humble person he will save.
30 He shall deliver the innocent, and do you save yourself by your pure hands.
He will deliver even him that is not innocent. The purity of thy hands shall save him.
