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? surely he that is wise is 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:
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? neither is there any end to thine 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 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.
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man, he 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, What doth God know? can he judge through the thick 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 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 can the Almighty do for us?
18 And He has filled their houses [with] good (And the counsel of the wicked Has been far from me).
Yet he fired 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.
[Saying], Surely they that did rise up against us are cut off, and the remnant of them 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 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; 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 thou [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 shall be thy treasure, and precious silver unto thee.
26 For then you delight yourself on the Mighty, And lift up your face to God,
For then shalt thou delight thyself 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 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; and the humble person he shall save.
30 He delivers the one [who is] not innocent, Indeed, he has been delivered By the cleanness of your hands.”
He shall deliver [even] him that is not innocent: yea, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thine hands.
