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 useful to God? Can a wise man be useful to him?
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 if you are righteous? Is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?
4 Because of your reverence Does He reason [with] you? He enters with you into judgment:
Is it because of your reverence for him that he rebukes you and takes you to judgment?
5 Is your wickedness not abundant? And there is no end to your iniquities.
Is not your wickedness great? Is there no end to your iniquities?
6 For you take a pledge of your brother for nothing, And you strip off the garments of the naked.
For you have demanded guarantee of a loan from your brother for no reason, and you have stripped away clothing from the naked.
7 You do not cause the weary to drink water, And you withhold bread from the hungry.
You have not given water to weary people to drink; you have withheld bread from hungry people
8 As for the man of arm—he has the earth, And the accepted of face—he dwells in it.
although you, a mighty man, possessed the earth, although you, an honored man, lived in it.
9 You have sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless are bruised.
You have sent widows away empty; the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Therefore snares [are] all around you, And sudden fear troubles you.
Therefore, snares are all around you, and sudden fear troubles you.
11 Or darkness—you do not see, And abundance of waters covers you.
There is darkness, so that you cannot see; an abundance of waters covers 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 heights of heaven? Look at the height of the stars, how high they are!
13 And you have said, How has God known? Does He judge through thickness?
You say, 'What does 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, so that he does not see us; he walks on the vault of heaven.'
15 Do you observe the path of the age, That men of iniquity have trodden,
Will you keep the old way that wicked men have walked—
16 Who have been cut down unexpectedly? A flood is poured out on their foundation.
those who were snatched away before their time, those whose foundations have washed away like a river,
17 Those saying to God, Turn aside from us, And what does the Mighty One do to them?
those who said to God, 'Depart from us'; those who said, 'What can the Almighty do to us?'
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; the plans of wicked people are far from me.
19 The righteous see and they rejoice, And the innocent mocks at them:
Righteous people see their fate and are glad; innocent people laugh them to scorn.
20 Surely our substance has not been cut off, And fire has consumed their excellence.
They say, 'Surely those who rose up against us are cut off; fire has consumed their possessions.'
21 Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace, Thereby your increase [is] good.
Now agree with God and be at peace with him; in that way, good will come to you.
22 Please receive a law from His mouth, And set His sayings in your heart.
Receive, I beg you, instruction from his mouth; store 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 will be built up, if you put unrighteousness far away from your tents.
24 So as to set a defense on the dust, And a covering on a rock of the valleys.
Lay your treasure down in the dust, 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 will be your treasure, precious silver to you.
26 For then you delight yourself on the Mighty, And lift up your face to God,
For then you will take pleasure in the Almighty; you will lift up your face to God.
27 You make supplication to Him, And He hears you, And you complete your vows.
You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you; you will pay your vows to him.
28 And you decree a saying, And it is established to you, And light has shone on your ways.
You will also decree anything, and it will be confirmed for you; light will shine on your paths.
29 For they have made low, And you say, Lift up. And He saves the bowed down of eyes.
God humbles a proud man, and he saves the one with lowered eyes.
30 He delivers the one [who is] not innocent, Indeed, he has been delivered By the cleanness of your hands.”
He will rescue even the man who is not innocent; who will be rescued through the cleanness of your hands.”
