Job 22
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answers and says:
Then Eliphaz the Themanite responded by saying:
2 “Is a man profitable to God, Because a wise man is profitable to himself?
Can man be compared with God, even if he were perfect in knowledge?
3 Is it a delight to the Mighty One That you are righteous? Is it gain, That you make your ways perfect?
What advantage is it to God, if you were just? Or what do you provide for him, if your way should be immaculate?
4 Because of your reverence Does He reason [with] you? He enters with you into judgment:
Will he reprove you and take you to judgment for being afraid,
5 Is your wickedness not abundant? And there is no end to your iniquities.
and not because of your many evil deeds and your infinite unfairness?
6 For you take a pledge of your brother for nothing, And you strip off the garments of the naked.
For you have taken away the collateral of your brothers without cause, and stripped them naked of their clothing.
7 You do not cause the weary to drink water, And you withhold bread from the hungry.
You have not given water to the weary; you have taken bread away from the hungry.
8 As for the man of arm—he has the earth, And the accepted of face—he dwells in it.
By the strength of your arm, you took possession of the land, and you retain it by being the strongest.
9 You have sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless are bruised.
You have sent widows away empty, and you have crushed the shoulders of orphans.
10 Therefore snares [are] all around you, And sudden fear troubles you.
Because of this, you are surrounded by traps, and unexpected fears will disturb you.
11 Or darkness—you do not see, And abundance of waters covers you.
And did you think that you would not see darkness and that you were not to be overwhelmed by the onrush of overflowing waters?
12 Is God not high [in] the heavens? And see the summit of the stars, That they are high.
Have you not considered that God is higher than the heavens and is lifted above the height of the stars?
13 And you have said, How has God known? Does He judge through thickness?
And you say: “Well, what does God know?” and, “He judges, as if through a fog,”
14 Thick clouds [are] a secret place to Him, And He does not see, And He habitually walks [above] the circle of the heavens.
and, “The clouds are his hiding-place,” and, “He does not examine us closely,” and, “He makes his rounds at the limits of the heavens.”
15 Do you observe the path of the age, That men of iniquity have trodden,
Do you not want to tend the path of the ages, which wicked men have spurned?
16 Who have been cut down unexpectedly? A flood is poured out on their foundation.
These were taken away before their time, and a flood overthrew their foundation.
17 Those saying to God, Turn aside from us, And what does the Mighty One do to them?
They said to God, “Withdraw from us,” and they treated the Almighty as if he could do nothing,
18 And He has filled their houses [with] good (And the counsel of the wicked Has been far from me).
though he had filled their houses with good things. May their way of thinking be far from me.
19 The righteous see and they rejoice, And the innocent mocks at them:
The just will see and will rejoice, and the innocent will mock them.
20 Surely our substance has not been cut off, And fire has consumed their excellence.
Has not their haughtiness been cut down, and has not fire devoured the remnants of them?
21 Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace, Thereby your increase [is] good.
So, repose yourself with him and be at peace, and, in this way, you will have the best fruits.
22 Please receive a law from His mouth, And set His sayings in your heart.
Accept the law from his mouth, and place 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 will return to the Almighty, you will be rebuilt, and you will put sinfulness far from your tabernacle.
24 So as to set a defense on the dust, And a covering on a rock of the valleys.
He will give you stone in place of dirt, and torrents of gold in place of stone.
25 And the Mighty has been your defense, And silver [is] strength to you.
And the Almighty will be against your enemies, and silver will be gathered together for you.
26 For then you delight yourself on the Mighty, And lift up your face to God,
Then will you flock together in delight over the Almighty, and you will lift up your face to God.
27 You make supplication to Him, And He hears you, And you complete your vows.
You will plead with him, and he will listen to you, and you will pay your vows.
28 And you decree a saying, And it is established to you, And light has shone on your ways.
You will decide on something, and it will come to you, and the light will shine in your ways.
29 For they have made low, And you say, Lift up. And He saves the bowed down of eyes.
For he who had been humbled, will be in glory; and he who will lower his eyes, will be the one saved.
30 He delivers the one [who is] not innocent, Indeed, he has been delivered By the cleanness of your hands.”
The innocent will be saved, and he will be saved with purity in his hands.
