Job 22
1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 Can a man be profitable unto God? surely he that is wise is profitable unto himself.
Can a man, then, profit God? Behold, the wise man profiteth himself.
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain [to him], that thou makest thy ways perfect?
Is it a pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous; Or a gain to him, that thou walkest uprightly?
4 Is it for thy fear [of him] that he reproveth thee, that he entereth with thee into judgment?
Will he contend with thee because he feareth thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
5 Is not thy wickedness great? neither is there any end to thine iniquities.
Hath not thy wickedness been great? Have not thine iniquities been numberless?
6 For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother unjustly, And stripped the poor of their clothing.
7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
Thou hast given the weary no water to drink, And withholden bread from the hungry.
8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man, he dwelt in it.
But the man of power, his was the land, And the honorable man dwelt in it.
9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
Thou hast sent widows away empty, And broken the arms of the fatherless.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee,
Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden fear confoundeth thee;
11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and abundance of waters cover thee.
Or darkness, through which thou canst not see, And floods of water cover thee.
12 Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the stars, how high they are!
13 And thou sayest, What doth God know? can he judge through the thick darkness?
Hence thou sayest, “What doth God know? Can he govern behind the thick darkness?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.
Dark clouds are a veil to him, and he cannot see; And he walketh upon the arch of heaven.”
15 Wilt thou keep the old way which wicked men have trodden?
Wilt thou take the old way Which wicked men have trodden,
16 Who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream:
Who were cut down before their time, And whose foundations were swept away by a flood?
17 Who said unto God, Depart from us; and, What can the Almighty do for us?
Who said unto God, “Depart from us!” And, “What can the Almighty do to us?”
18 Yet he fired their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
And yet he filled their houses with good things!—Far from me be the counsel of the wicked!
19 The righteous see it, and are glad; and the innocent laugh them to scorn:
The righteous see their fate, and rejoice; And the innocent hold them in derision.
20 [Saying], Surely they that did rise up against us are cut off, and the remnant of them the fire hath consumed.
“Truly our adversary is destroyed, And fire hath consumed his abundance!”
21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thus shall prosperity return to thee.
22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine 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 unrighteousness far from thy tents.
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up; If thou put away iniquity from thy tent.
24 And lay thou [thy] treasure in the dust, and [the gold of] Ophir among the stones of the brooks;
Cast to the dust thy gold, And the gold of Ophir to the stones of the brook:
25 And the Almighty shall be thy treasure, and precious silver unto thee.
Then shall the Almighty be thy gold, Yea, treasures of silver unto thee;
26 For then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.
For then shalt thou have delight in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God.
27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee; and thou shalt pay thy vows.
Thou shalt pray to him, and he shall hear thee, And thou shalt perform thy vows.
28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and light shall shine upon thy ways.
The purpose which thou formest shall prosper with thee, And light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 When they cast [thee] down, thou shalt say, [There is] lifting up; and the humble person he shall save.
When men are cast down, thou shalt say, “There lifting up!” And the humble person he will save.
30 He shall deliver [even] him that is not innocent: yea, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thine hands.
He will deliver even him that is not innocent. The purity of thy hands shall save him.
