Job 22
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answers and says:
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 “Is a man profitable to God, Because a wise man is profitable to himself?
Can a man be profitable to God, as he that is wise may be profitable to himself?
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 pleasure to the Almighty, that you are righteous? or is it gain to him, that you make your ways perfect?
4 Because of your reverence Does He reason [with] you? He enters with you into judgment:
Will he reprove you for fear of you? will he enter with you into judgment?
5 Is your wickedness not abundant? And there is no end to your iniquities.
Is not your wickedness great? and your iniquities infinite?
6 For you take a pledge of your brother for nothing, And you strip off the garments of the naked.
For you have taken a pledge from your brother for nothing, and stripped the 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 to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
8 As for the man of arm—he has the earth, And the accepted of face—he dwells in it.
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honorable man dwelled in it.
9 You have sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless are bruised.
You have 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 you, and sudden fear troubles you;
11 Or darkness—you do not see, And abundance of waters covers you.
Or darkness, that you can not see; and abundance of waters cover you.
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 height of the stars, how high they are!
13 And you have said, How has God known? Does He judge through thickness?
And you say, How does 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 sees not; and he walks in the circuit of heaven.
15 Do you observe the path of the age, That men of iniquity have trodden,
Have you marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
16 Who have been cut down unexpectedly? A flood is poured out on their foundation.
Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflowed with a flood:
17 Those saying to God, Turn aside from us, And what does the Mighty One do to them?
Which said to God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for 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 see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.
20 Surely our substance has not been cut off, And fire has consumed their excellence.
Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumes.
21 Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace, Thereby your increase [is] good.
Acquaint now yourself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come to you.
22 Please receive a law from His mouth, And set His sayings in your heart.
Receive, I pray you, the law 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 shall be built up, you shall put away iniquity far from your tabernacles.
24 So as to set a defense on the dust, And a covering on a rock of the valleys.
Then shall you lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.
25 And the Mighty has been your defense, And silver [is] strength to you.
Yes, the Almighty shall be your defense, and you shall have plenty of silver.
26 For then you delight yourself on the Mighty, And lift up your face to God,
For then shall you have your delight in the Almighty, and shall lift up your face to God.
27 You make supplication to Him, And He hears you, And you complete your vows.
You shall make your prayer to him, and he shall hear you, and you shall pay your vows.
28 And you decree a saying, And it is established to you, And light has shone on your ways.
You shall also decree a thing, and it shall be established to you: and the light shall 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 cast down, then you shall say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.
30 He delivers the one [who is] not innocent, Indeed, he has been delivered By the cleanness of your hands.”
He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of your hands.
