Job 22
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answers and says:
Then Eliphaz the Themanite answered, and said:
2 “Is a man profitable to God, Because a wise man is profitable to himself?
Can man be compared with God, even though he were of perfect knowledge?
3 Is it a delight to the Mighty One That you are righteous? Is it gain, That you make your ways perfect?
What doth it profit God if thou be just? or what dost thou give him if thy way be unspotted?
4 Because of your reverence Does He reason [with] you? He enters with you into judgment:
Shall he reprove thee for fear, and come with thee into judgment:
5 Is your wickedness not abundant? And there is no end to your iniquities.
And not for thy manifold wickedness, and thy infinite iniquities?
6 For you take a pledge of your brother for nothing, And you strip off the garments of the naked.
For thou hast taken away the pledge of thy brethren without cause, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 You do not cause the weary to drink water, And you withhold bread from the hungry.
Thou hast not given water to the weary, thou hast withdrawn bread from the hungry.
8 As for the man of arm—he has the earth, And the accepted of face—he dwells in it.
In the strength of thy arm thou didst possess the land, and being the most mighty thou holdest it.
9 You have sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless are bruised.
Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless thou hast broken in pieces.
10 Therefore snares [are] all around you, And sudden fear troubles you.
Therefore art thou surrounded with snares, and sudden fear troubleth thee.
11 Or darkness—you do not see, And abundance of waters covers you.
And didst thou think that thou shouldst not see darkness, and that thou shouldst not be covered with the violence of overflowing waters?
12 Is God not high [in] the heavens? And see the summit of the stars, That they are high.
Dost not thou think that God is higher than heaven, and is elevated above the height of the stars?
13 And you have said, How has God known? Does He judge through thickness?
And thou sayst: What doth God know? and he judgeth as it were through a mist.
14 Thick clouds [are] a secret place to Him, And He does not see, And He habitually walks [above] the circle of the heavens.
The clouds are his covert, and he doth not consider our things, and he walketh about the poles of heaven.
15 Do you observe the path of the age, That men of iniquity have trodden,
Dost thou desire to keep the path of ages, which wicked men have trodden?
16 Who have been cut down unexpectedly? A flood is poured out on their foundation.
Who were taken away before their time, and a flood hath overthrown their foundation.
17 Those saying to God, Turn aside from us, And what does the Mighty One do to them?
Who said to God: Depart from us: and looked upon 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).
Whereas he had filled their houses with good things: whose way of thinking be far from me.
19 The righteous see and they rejoice, And the innocent mocks at them:
The just shall see, and shall rejoice, and the innocent shall laugh them to scorn.
20 Surely our substance has not been cut off, And fire has consumed their excellence.
Is not their exaltation cut down, and hath not fire devoured the remnants of them?
21 Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace, Thereby your increase [is] good.
Submit thyself then to him, and be at peace: and thereby thou shalt have the best fruits.
22 Please receive a law from His mouth, And set His sayings in your heart.
Receive the law of his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.
23 If you return to the Mighty you are built up, You put iniquity far from your tents.
If thou wilt return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, and shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacle.
24 So as to set a defense on the dust, And a covering on a rock of the valleys.
He shall give for earth flint, and for flint torrents of gold.
25 And the Mighty has been your defense, And silver [is] strength to you.
And the Almighty shall be against thy enemies, and silver shall be heaped together for thee.
26 For then you delight yourself on the Mighty, And lift up your face to God,
Then shalt thou abound in delights in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face to God.
27 You make supplication to Him, And He hears you, And you complete your vows.
Thou shalt pray to him, and he will hear thee, and thou shalt pay vows.
28 And you decree a saying, And it is established to you, And light has shone on your ways.
Thou shalt decree a thing, and it I shall come to thee, and light shall shine in thy ways.
29 For they have made low, And you say, Lift up. And He saves the bowed down of eyes.
For he that hath been humbled, shall be in glory: and he that shall bow down his eyes, he shall be saved.
30 He delivers the one [who is] not innocent, Indeed, he has been delivered By the cleanness of your hands.”
The innocent shall be saved, and he shall be saved by the cleanness of his hands.
