Job 22
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answers and says:
Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
2 “Is a man profitable to God, Because a wise man is profitable to himself?
Can a man be profitable unto God? Or can he that is wise be profitable unto Him?
3 Is it a delight to the Mighty One That you are righteous? Is it gain, That you make your ways perfect?
Is it any advantage to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? Or is it gain to Him, that thou makest thy ways blameless?
4 Because of your reverence Does He reason [with] you? He enters with you into judgment:
Is it for thy fear of Him that He reproveth thee, that He entereth with thee into judgment?
5 Is your wickedness not abundant? And there is no end to your iniquities.
Is not thy wickedness great? And are not thine iniquities without end?
6 For you take a pledge of your brother for nothing, And you strip off the garments of the naked.
For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought, 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 to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
8 As for the man of arm—he has the earth, And the accepted of face—he dwells in it.
And as a mighty man, who hath the earth, and as a man of rank, who dwelleth in 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 have been broken.
10 Therefore snares [are] all around you, And sudden fear troubles you.
Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden dread affrighted thee,
11 Or darkness—you do not see, And abundance of waters covers you.
Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and abundance of waters cover thee.
12 Is God not high [in] the heavens? And see the summit of the stars, That they are high.
Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the topmost of the stars, how high they are!
13 And you have said, How has God known? Does He judge through thickness?
And thou sayest: 'What doth God know? Can He judge through the dark cloud?
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 are a covering to Him, that He seeth not; and He walketh in the circuit of heaven.'
15 Do you observe the path of the age, That men of iniquity have trodden,
Wilt thou keep the old way which wicked men have trodden?
16 Who have been cut down unexpectedly? A flood is poured out on their foundation.
Who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream;
17 Those saying to God, Turn aside from us, And what does the Mighty One do to them?
Who said unto God: 'Depart from us'; and what could the Almighty do unto them?
18 And He has filled their houses [with] good (And the counsel of the wicked Has been far from me).
Yet He filled their houses with good things — but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 The righteous see and they rejoice, And the innocent mocks at them:
The righteous saw it, and were glad, and the innocent laugh them to scorn:
20 Surely our substance has not been cut off, And fire has consumed their excellence.
'Surely their substance is cut off, and their abundance the fire hath consumed.'
21 Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace, Thereby your increase [is] good.
Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace; thereby shall thine increase be good.
22 Please receive a law from His mouth, And set His sayings in your heart.
Receive, I pray thee, instruction from 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 return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up — if thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents,
24 So as to set a defense on the dust, And a covering on a rock of the valleys.
And lay thy treasure in the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks;
25 And the Mighty has been your defense, And silver [is] strength to you.
And the Almighty be thy treasure, and precious silver unto thee;
26 For then you delight yourself on the Mighty, And lift up your face to God,
Then surely shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.
27 You make supplication to Him, And He hears you, And you complete your vows.
Thou shalt make thy prayer unto Him, and He will hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows;
28 And you decree a saying, And it is established to you, And light has shone on your ways.
Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee, and light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 For they have made low, And you say, Lift up. And He saves the bowed down of eyes.
When they cast thee down, thou shalt say: 'There is lifting up'; for the humble person He saveth.
30 He delivers the one [who is] not innocent, Indeed, he has been delivered By the cleanness of your hands.”
He delivereth him that is innocent, yea, thou shalt be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands.
