Job 22
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answers and says:
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
2 “Is a man profitable to God, Because a wise man is profitable to himself?
“Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to 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 you are righteous? Or does it benefit him that you make your ways perfect?
4 Because of your reverence Does He reason [with] you? He enters with you into judgment:
Is it for your piety that he reproves you, that he enters with you into judgement?
5 Is your wickedness not abundant? And there is no end to your iniquities.
Isn’t your wickedness great? Neither is there any 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 taken pledges from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 You do not cause the weary to drink water, And you withhold bread from the hungry.
You haven’t given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld 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. The honourable man, he lived in it.
9 You have sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless are bruised.
You have 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 around you. Sudden fear troubles you,
11 Or darkness—you do not see, And abundance of waters covers you.
or darkness, so that you can not see, and floods of waters cover you.
12 Is God not high [in] the heavens? And see the summit of the stars, That they are high.
“Isn’t God in the heights of heaven? See 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 doesn’t see. He walks on the vault of the sky.’
15 Do you observe the path of the age, That men of iniquity have trodden,
Will you 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 to 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 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. The innocent ridicule them,
20 Surely our substance has not been cut off, And fire has consumed their excellence.
saying, ‘Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed their remnant.’
21 Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace, Thereby your increase [is] good.
“Acquaint yourself with him now, and be at peace. By it, good will come to you.
22 Please receive a law from His mouth, And set His sayings in your heart.
Please receive instruction from his mouth, and lay 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 away unrighteousness far 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 in the dust, the gold of Ophir amongst the stones of the brooks.
25 And the Mighty has been your defense, And silver [is] strength to you.
The Almighty will be your treasure, and precious silver to you.
26 For then you delight yourself on the Mighty, And lift up your face to God,
For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and 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.
28 And you decree a saying, And it is established to you, And light has shone on your ways.
You will also decree a thing, and it will be established to you. Light will shine on your ways.
29 For they have made low, And you say, Lift up. And He saves the bowed down of eyes.
When they cast down, you will say, ‘be lifted up.’ He will 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 will even deliver him who is not innocent. Yes, he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”
