Job 22

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: —

2 "Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.

Unto GOD, can a man act as friend? Surely a discreet man befriendeth himself!

3 Is it any pleasure to Shaddai, that you are righteous? Or does it benefit him, 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 Is it for your piety that he reproves you, that he enters with you into judgment?

Is it, for thy reverence, that he will accuse thee? will enter with thee into judgment?

5 Isn't your wickedness great? Neither is there any end to your iniquities.

Is not, thy wickedness, great? and, without end, [are not] thine iniquities?

6 For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

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 haven't given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.

No water—to the weary, hast thou given to drink, and, from the hungry, thou hast withheld bread:

8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honorable man, he lived 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 have been broken.

Widows, thou hast sent away empty, and, the arms of the fatherless, thou dost crush.

10 Therefore snares are around you. Sudden fear troubles you,

For this cause, round about thee, are snares, and a dread startleth thee suddenly;

11 or darkness, so that you can not see, and floods of waters cover you.

Or darkness—thou canst not see, and, a flood of waters, covereth thee.

12 "Isn't God in the heights of heaven? See the height of the stars, how high they are.

Is not, GOD, [in] the height of the heavens? Behold, then, the head of the stars, that they are high.

13 You say, 'What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?

Wilt thou say then, What doth GOD know? Out through a thick cloud, can he judge?

14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he doesn't see. He walks on the vault of the sky.'

Dark clouds, are a veil to him, and he cannot see, or, the vault of the heavens, doth he walk?

15 Will you keep the old way, which wicked men have trodden,

The path of the ancient time, wilt thou mark, which the men of iniquity trod?

16 who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream,

Who were snatched away before the time, and, a stream, washed away their foundation?

17 who said to God, 'Depart from us;' and, 'What can Shaddai do for us?'

Who had been saying unto GOD, Depart from us! and—What can the Almighty do for himself?

18 Yet he filled their houses with good things, but the counsel of the wicked is 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 it, and are glad. The innocent ridicule them,

The righteous shall see and rejoice, and, the innocent, shall laugh them to scorn:

20 saying, 'Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed the remnant of them.'

If our assailants do not vanish, then, their abundance, a fire consumeth!

21 "Acquaint yourself with him, now, and be at peace. Thereby good shall come to you.

Shew thyself to be one with him—I pray thee—and prosper, thereby, shall there come on thee blessing.

22 Please receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.

Accept, I beseech thee, from his mouth—instruction, —and lay up his sayings in thy heart.

23 If you return to Shaddai, you shall be built up, if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents.

If thou return unto the Almighty and submit thyself, if thou far remove perversity from thy tent,

24 Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.

Then lay up, in the dust, precious ore, and, among the stones of the torrent-beds, fine gold:

25 Shaddai will be your treasure, and precious silver to you.

So shall, the Almighty, become, thy precious ores, yea glittering silver unto thee!

26 For then you will delight yourself in Shaddai, and shall 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 shall make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You shall pay your vows.

Thou shalt make entreaty unto him, and he will hear thee, and, thy vows, shalt thou pay;

28 And you will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you, and light will shine 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 When they cast down, you shall say, 'be lifted up.' And he will save the humble.

When men cast themselves down, then thou shalt say: Up! And, him that is of downcast eyes, shall he save;

30 He will even deliver him who is not innocent. Yes, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."

He shall deliver the innocent, and thou shalt escape by the pureness of thy hands.