Job 22
1 Then answered Eliphaz the Themanite, and said,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered, and said,
2 Can a man be serviceable unto God? Truly the intelligent is serviceable unto himself.
Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? or is it any gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou are righteous? Or is it gain to him that thou make thy ways perfect?
4 Is it out of fear of thee that he will reproach thee? or go with thee into judgment?
Is it for thy fear of him that he reproves thee, that he enters with thee into judgment?
5 Is not thy evil great? and no end to thy iniquities?
Is not thy wickedness great? Neither is there any end to thine iniquities.
6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brothers for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
For thou have taken pledges from thy brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and from the hungry thou hast withholden bread.
Thou have not given water to the weary to drink, and thou have withheld bread from the hungry.
8 But as for the man of a strong arm, he obtained the land, and the highly honored could dwell therein.
But as for the mighty man, he had the land. And the honorable man, he dwelt in it.
9 Widows hast thou sent away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
Thou have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Therefore are snares round about thee, and sudden dread terrifieth thee.
Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubles thee,
11 Or seest thou not the darkness? and the abundance of water which covereth thee?
or darkness, so that thou cannot see, and abundance of waters cover thee.
12 Is not God in the height of heaven? and beholding the highest elevation of the stars, however high they are?
Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
13 But thou sayest, “What doth God know? can he judge behind the darkness?
And thou say, What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?
14 Thick clouds are a covering for him, so that he will not see; and he walketh along on the circle of heaven.”
Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he does not see, and he walks on the vault of heaven.
15 Wilt thou [thus] observe the path of ancient times which the men of injustice have trodden?
Will thou keep the old way which wicked men have trodden?
16 Who were shrivelled up before their time, whose foundation was flooded away like a river;
Who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream,
17 Who said unto God, “'Depart from us:” and what wrought the Almighty for them?
who said to God, Depart from us, and, What can the Almighty do for us?
18 And yet it was he that filled their houses with good things; but the counsel of the wicked be [still] far from me.
Yet he filled their houses with good things. But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 The righteous will see it, and be glad; and the innocent will laugh them to scorn.
The righteous see it, and are glad. And the innocent laugh them to scorn,
20 “Is not he destroyed that rose up against us, and hath not the fire consumed what they had left?”
Saying, Surely those who rose up against us are cut off, and the remnant of them, the fire has consumed.
21 Do but become acquainted with him, and be at peace: thereby will happiness come unto thee.
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace. By this good shall come to thee.
22 Do but accept instruction from his mouth, and lay up his saying in thy heart.
Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.
23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, so thou wilt but remove wrong-doing far away from thy tents.
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shall be built up, thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents.
24 And throw down in the dust precious metals, and [the gold of] Ophir to the stones of the brooks:
Then thou shall lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.
25 Then will the Almighty be thy precious metal, and brightly-shining silver unto thee.
Yea, the Almighty will be thy treasure, and precious silver to thee.
26 For then wilt thou have in the Almighty thy delight, and thou canst lift up unto God thy face.
For then shall thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shall lift up thy face to God.
27 Thou wilt make entreaty unto him, and he will hear thee, and thy vows wilt thou pay.
Thou shall make thy prayer to him, and he will hear thee, and thou shall pay thy vows.
28 And if thou decree a thing, it will be fulfilled unto thee; and upon thy ways the light will shine.
Thou shall also decree a thing, and it shall be established to thee. And light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 For when men are brought low, thou wilt say, Pride [hath done it]; but those of lowly eyes [God] will help.
When they cast thee down, thou shall say, There is lifting up, and he will save the humble man.
30 He will even deliver him who is not guiltless: and thou wilt be delivered by the purity of thy hands.
He will deliver even him who is not innocent. Yea, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands.
