Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 Can a man, then, profit God? Behold, the wise man profiteth himself.
Can a man be profitable to God? surely it is unto himself that the wise man is profitable.
3 Is it a pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous; Or a gain to him, that thou walkest uprightly?
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if thou art righteous? And is it gain [to him] that thou makest thy ways perfect?
4 Will he contend with thee because he feareth thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
Will he reason with thee for fear of thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
5 Hath not thy wickedness been great? Have not thine iniquities been numberless?
Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities without end?
6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother unjustly, And stripped the poor of their clothing.
For thou hast taken a pledge of thy brother for nought, and stripped off the clothing of the naked.
7 Thou hast given the weary no water to drink, And withholden bread from the hungry.
Thou hast not given water to the fainting to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
8 But the man of power, his was the land, And the honorable man dwelt in it.
But the powerful man, he had the land; and the man of high rank dwelt in it.
9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, And broken the arms of the fatherless.
Widows hast thou sent empty away, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden fear confoundeth thee;
Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
11 Or darkness, through which thou canst not see, And floods of water cover thee.
Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and floods of waters cover thee.
12 Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the stars, how high they are!
Is not God in the height of the heavens? And behold the summit of the stars: how exalted are they!
13 Hence thou sayest, “What doth God know? Can he govern behind the thick darkness?
And thou sayest, What doth God know? will he judge through the dark cloud?
14 Dark clouds are a veil to him, and he cannot see; And he walketh upon the arch of heaven.”
Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh on the vault of the heavens.
15 Wilt thou take the old way Which wicked men have trodden,
Dost thou mark the ancient path which wicked men have trodden?
16 Who were cut down before their time, And whose foundations were swept away by a flood?
Who were carried off before the time, whose foundation was overflowed with a flood;
17 Who said unto God, “Depart from us!” And, “What can the Almighty do to us?”
Who said unto God, Depart from us! and what could the Almighty do to them?
18 And yet he filled their houses with good things!—Far from me be the counsel of the wicked!
Yet he filled their houses with good. But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 The righteous see their fate, and rejoice; And the innocent hold them in derision.
The righteous see it, and are glad; and the innocent laugh them to scorn:
20 “Truly our adversary is destroyed, And fire hath consumed his abundance!”
Is not he who rose against us destroyed, and doth not the fire consume his residue?
21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thus shall prosperity return to thee.
Reconcile thyself now with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
22 Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, And lay up his words in thy heart.
Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.
23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up; If thou put away iniquity from thy tent.
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up. If thou remove unrighteousness far from thy tents,
24 Cast to the dust thy gold, And the gold of Ophir to the stones of the brook:
And put the precious ore with the dust, and [the gold of] Ophir among the stones of the torrents,
25 Then shall the Almighty be thy gold, Yea, treasures of silver unto thee;
Then the Almighty will be thy precious ore, and silver heaped up unto thee;
26 For then shalt thou have delight in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God.
Yea, then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God:
27 Thou shalt pray to him, and he shall hear thee, And thou shalt perform thy vows.
Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows;
28 The purpose which thou formest shall prosper with thee, And light shall shine upon thy ways.
And thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 When men are cast down, thou shalt say, “There lifting up!” And the humble person he will save.
When they are made low, then thou shalt say, Rise up! and he shall save him that is of downcast eyes.
30 He will deliver even him that is not innocent. The purity of thy hands shall save him.
[Even] him that is not innocent shall he deliver; yea, he shall be delivered by the pureness of thy hands.
