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 unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto 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 thou art righteous? or [is it] gain [to him], that thou makest thy ways perfect?
4 Because of your reverence Does He reason [with] you? He enters with you into judgment:
Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?
5 Is your wickedness not abundant? And there is no end to your iniquities.
[Is] not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?
6 For you take a pledge of your brother for nothing, And you strip off the garments of the naked.
For thou hast taken a pledge from 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.
But [as for] the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt 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 fear troubleth 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 height of the stars, how high they are!
13 And you have said, How has God known? Does He judge through thickness?
And thou sayest, How 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,
Hast thou 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 overflown with a flood:
17 Those saying to God, Turn aside from us, And what does the Mighty One do to them?
Which said unto 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 consumeth.
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 good shall come unto thee.
22 Please receive a law from His mouth, And set His sayings in your heart.
Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine 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, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.
24 So as to set a defense on the dust, And a covering on a rock of the valleys.
Then shalt thou 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.
Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.
26 For then you delight yourself on the Mighty, And lift up your face to God,
For then 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 shall 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 the 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 [men] are cast down, then thou shalt 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 thine hands.
