Job 22
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answers and says:
Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: —
2 “Is a man profitable to God, Because a wise man is profitable to himself?
Unto GOD, can a man act as friend? Surely a discreet man befriendeth 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 a pleasure to the Almighty, that thou shouldst be righteous? or any profit, that thou shouldst be blameless in thy ways?
4 Because of your reverence Does He reason [with] you? He enters with you into judgment:
Is it, for thy reverence, that he will accuse thee? will 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, without end, [are not] thine iniquities?
6 For you take a pledge of your brother for nothing, And you strip off the garments of the naked.
Surely then hast been wont to put thy brother in pledge, for nothing, and, the garments of the ill-clad, hast thou stripped off:
7 You do not cause the weary to drink water, And you withhold bread from the hungry.
No water—to the weary, hast thou given to drink, and, from the hungry, thou hast withheld bread:
8 As for the man of arm—he has the earth, And the accepted of face—he dwells in it.
A man of might, to him, pertaineth the land, and, the favorite, dwelleth therein:
9 You have sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless are bruised.
Widows, thou hast sent away empty, and, the arms of the fatherless, thou dost crush.
10 Therefore snares [are] all around you, And sudden fear troubles you.
For this cause, round about thee, are snares, and a dread startleth thee suddenly;
11 Or darkness—you do not see, And abundance of waters covers you.
Or darkness—thou canst not see, and, a flood of waters, 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 the heavens? Behold, then, the head of the stars, that they are high.
13 And you have said, How has God known? Does He judge through thickness?
Wilt thou say then, What doth GOD know? Out through a thick cloud, can he judge?
14 Thick clouds [are] a secret place to Him, And He does not see, And He habitually walks [above] the circle of the heavens.
Dark clouds, are a veil to him, and he cannot see, or, the vault of the heavens, doth he walk?
15 Do you observe the path of the age, That men of iniquity have trodden,
The path of the ancient time, wilt thou mark, which the men of iniquity trod?
16 Who have been cut down unexpectedly? A flood is poured out on their foundation.
Who were snatched away before the time, and, a stream, washed away their foundation?
17 Those saying to God, Turn aside from us, And what does the Mighty One do to them?
Who had been saying unto GOD, Depart from us! and—What can the Almighty do for himself?
18 And He has filled their houses [with] good (And the counsel of the wicked Has been far from me).
Yet, he, had filled their houses with good! The counsel of the lawless, then, is far from me:
19 The righteous see and they rejoice, And the innocent mocks at them:
The righteous shall see and rejoice, and, the innocent, shall laugh them to scorn:
20 Surely our substance has not been cut off, And fire has consumed their excellence.
If our assailants do not vanish, then, their abundance, a fire consumeth!
21 Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace, Thereby your increase [is] good.
Shew thyself to be one with him—I pray thee—and prosper, thereby, shall there come on thee blessing.
22 Please receive a law from His mouth, And set His sayings in your heart.
Accept, I beseech thee, from his mouth—instruction, —and lay up his sayings in thy heart.
23 If you return to the Mighty you are built up, You put iniquity far from your tents.
If thou return unto the Almighty and submit thyself, if thou far remove perversity from thy tent,
24 So as to set a defense on the dust, And a covering on a rock of the valleys.
Then lay up, in the dust, precious ore, and, among the stones of the torrent-beds, fine gold:
25 And the Mighty has been your defense, And silver [is] strength to you.
So shall, the Almighty, become, thy precious ores, yea glittering silver unto thee!
26 For then you delight yourself on the Mighty, And lift up your face to God,
For, then, in the Almighty, shalt thou take exquisite delight, and shalt lift up—unto GOD—thy face;
27 You make supplication to Him, And He hears you, And you complete your vows.
Thou shalt make entreaty unto him, and he will hear thee, and, thy vows, shalt thou pay;
28 And you decree a saying, And it is established to you, And light has shone on your ways.
And thou shalt decree a purpose, and it shall be fulfilled unto thee, and, upon thy ways, shall have shone a light;
29 For they have made low, And you say, Lift up. And He saves the bowed down of eyes.
When men cast themselves down, then thou shalt say: Up! And, him that is of downcast eyes, shall he save;
30 He delivers the one [who is] not innocent, Indeed, he has been delivered By the cleanness of your hands.”
He shall deliver the innocent, and thou shalt escape by the pureness of thy hands.
