Job 22
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answers and says:
Then answered Eliphaz the Themanite, and said,
2 “Is a man profitable to God, Because a wise man is profitable to himself?
Can a man be serviceable unto God? Truly the intelligent is serviceable 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 any 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:
Is it out of fear of thee that he will reproach thee? or go with thee into judgment?
5 Is your wickedness not abundant? And there is no end to your iniquities.
Is not thy evil great? and no end to thy 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 a pledge from thy brothers 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 from the hungry thou hast withholden bread.
8 As for the man of arm—he has the earth, And the accepted of face—he dwells in it.
But as for the man of a strong arm, he obtained the land, and the highly honored could dwell therein.
9 You have sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless are bruised.
Widows hast thou sent away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Therefore snares [are] all around you, And sudden fear troubles you.
Therefore are snares round about thee, and sudden dread terrifieth thee.
11 Or darkness—you do not see, And abundance of waters covers you.
Or seest thou not the darkness? and the abundance of water which covereth 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 beholding the highest elevation of the stars, however high they are?
13 And you have said, How has God known? Does He judge through thickness?
But thou sayest, “What doth God know? can he judge behind the darkness?
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 for him, so that he will not see; and he walketh along on the circle of heaven.”
15 Do you observe the path of the age, That men of iniquity have trodden,
Wilt thou [thus] observe the path of ancient times which the men of injustice have trodden?
16 Who have been cut down unexpectedly? A flood is poured out on their foundation.
Who were shrivelled up before their time, whose foundation was flooded away like a river;
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 wrought the Almighty for them?
18 And He has filled their houses [with] good (And the counsel of the wicked Has been far from me).
And yet it was he that filled their houses with good things; but the counsel of the wicked be [still] far from me.
19 The righteous see and they rejoice, And the innocent mocks at them:
The righteous will see it, and be glad; and the innocent will laugh them to scorn.
20 Surely our substance has not been cut off, And fire has consumed their excellence.
“Is not he destroyed that rose up against us, and hath not the fire consumed what they had left?”
21 Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace, Thereby your increase [is] good.
Do but become acquainted with him, and be at peace: thereby will happiness come unto thee.
22 Please receive a law from His mouth, And set His sayings in your heart.
Do but accept instruction from his mouth, and lay up his saying 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, so thou wilt but remove wrong-doing far away from thy tents.
24 So as to set a defense on the dust, And a covering on a rock of the valleys.
And throw down in the dust precious metals, and [the gold of] Ophir to the stones of the brooks:
25 And the Mighty has been your defense, And silver [is] strength to you.
Then will the Almighty be thy precious metal, and brightly-shining silver unto thee.
26 For then you delight yourself on the Mighty, And lift up your face to God,
For then wilt thou have in the Almighty thy delight, and thou canst lift up unto God thy face.
27 You make supplication to Him, And He hears you, And you complete your vows.
Thou wilt make entreaty unto him, and he will hear thee, and thy vows wilt thou pay.
28 And you decree a saying, And it is established to you, And light has shone on your ways.
And if thou decree a thing, it will be fulfilled unto thee; and upon thy ways the light will shine.
29 For they have made low, And you say, Lift up. And He saves the bowed down of eyes.
For when men are brought low, thou wilt say, Pride [hath done it]; but those of lowly eyes [God] will help.
30 He delivers the one [who is] not innocent, Indeed, he has been delivered By the cleanness of your hands.”
He will even deliver him who is not guiltless: and thou wilt be delivered by the purity of thy hands.
