Job 22
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answers and says:
Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
2 “Is a man profitable to God, Because a wise man is profitable to himself?
“Can a man be of use to God? Can even a wise man benefit Him?
3 Is it a delight to the Mighty One That you are righteous? Is it gain, That you make your ways perfect?
Does it delight the Almighty that you are righteous? Does He profit if your ways are blameless?
4 Because of your reverence Does He reason [with] you? He enters with you into judgment:
Is it for your reverence that He rebukes you and enters into judgment against you?
5 Is your wickedness not abundant? And there is no end to your iniquities.
Is not your wickedness great? Are not your iniquities endless?
6 For you take a pledge of your brother for nothing, And you strip off the garments of the naked.
For you needlessly demanded security from your brothers and deprived the naked of their clothing.
7 You do not cause the weary to drink water, And you withhold bread from the hungry.
You gave no water to the weary and withheld food from the famished,
8 As for the man of arm—he has the earth, And the accepted of face—he dwells in it.
while the land belonged to a mighty man, and a man of honor lived on it.
9 You have sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless are bruised.
You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.
10 Therefore snares [are] all around you, And sudden fear troubles you.
Therefore snares surround you, and sudden peril terrifies you;
11 Or darkness—you do not see, And abundance of waters covers you.
it is so dark you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.
12 Is God not high [in] the heavens? And see the summit of the stars, That they are high.
Is not God as high as the heavens? Look at the highest stars, how lofty they are!
13 And you have said, How has God known? Does He judge through thickness?
Yet you say: ‘What does God know? Does He judge through thick darkness?
14 Thick clouds [are] a secret place to Him, And He does not see, And He habitually walks [above] the circle of the heavens.
Thick clouds veil Him so He does not see us as He traverses the vault of heaven.’
15 Do you observe the path of the age, That men of iniquity have trodden,
Will you stay on the ancient path that wicked men have trod?
16 Who have been cut down unexpectedly? A flood is poured out on their foundation.
They were snatched away before their time, and their foundations were swept away by a flood.
17 Those saying to God, Turn aside from us, And what does the Mighty One do to them?
They said to God, ‘Depart from us. What can the Almighty do to us?’
18 And He has filled their houses [with] good (And the counsel of the wicked Has been far from me).
But it was He who filled their houses with good things; so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked.
19 The righteous see and they rejoice, And the innocent mocks at them:
The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent mock them:
20 Surely our substance has not been cut off, And fire has consumed their excellence.
‘Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire has consumed their excess.’
21 Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace, Thereby your increase [is] good.
Reconcile now and be at peace with Him; thereby good will come to you.
22 Please receive a law from His mouth, And set His sayings in your heart.
Receive instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart.
23 If you return to the Mighty you are built up, You put iniquity far from your tents.
If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored. If you remove injustice from your tents
24 So as to set a defense on the dust, And a covering on a rock of the valleys.
and consign your gold to the dust and the gold of Ophir to the stones of the ravines,
25 And the Mighty has been your defense, And silver [is] strength to you.
then the Almighty will be your gold and the finest silver for you.
26 For then you delight yourself on the Mighty, And lift up your face to God,
Surely then you will delight in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.
27 You make supplication to Him, And He hears you, And you complete your vows.
You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.
28 And you decree a saying, And it is established to you, And light has shone on your ways.
Your decisions will be carried out, and light will shine on your ways.
29 For they have made low, And you say, Lift up. And He saves the bowed down of eyes.
When men are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’ then He will save the lowly.
30 He delivers the one [who is] not innocent, Indeed, he has been delivered By the cleanness of your hands.”
He will deliver even one who is not innocent, rescuing him through the cleanness of your hands.”
