Job 22

1 Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: —

Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

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

“Can a man be of use to God? Can even a wise man benefit Him?

3 Is it a pleasure to the Almighty, that thou shouldst be righteous? or any profit, that thou shouldst be blameless in thy ways?

Does it delight the Almighty that you are righteous? Does He profit if your ways are blameless?

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

Is it for your reverence that He rebukes you and enters into judgment against you?

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

Is not your wickedness great? Are not your iniquities endless?

6 Surely then hast been wont to put thy brother in pledge, for nothing, and, the garments of the ill-clad, hast thou stripped off:

For you needlessly demanded security from your brothers and deprived the naked of their clothing.

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

You gave no water to the weary and withheld food from the famished,

8 A man of might, to him, pertaineth the land, and, the favorite, dwelleth therein:

while the land belonged to a mighty man, and a man of honor lived on it.

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

You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.

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

Therefore snares surround you, and sudden peril terrifies you;

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

it is so dark you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.

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

Is not God as high as the heavens? Look at the highest stars, how lofty they are!

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

Yet you say: ‘What does God know? Does He judge through thick darkness?

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

Thick clouds veil Him so He does not see us as He traverses the vault of heaven.’

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

Will you stay on the ancient path that wicked men have trod?

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

They were snatched away before their time, and their foundations were swept away by a flood.

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

They said to God, ‘Depart from us. What can the Almighty do to us?’

18 Yet, he, had filled their houses with good! The counsel of the lawless, then, is far from me:

But it was He who filled their houses with good things; so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked.

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

The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent mock them:

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

‘Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire has consumed their excess.’

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

Reconcile now and be at peace with Him; thereby good will come to you.

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

Receive instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart.

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

If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored. If you remove injustice from your tents

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

and consign your gold to the dust and the gold of Ophir to the stones of the ravines,

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

then the Almighty will be your gold and the finest silver for you.

26 For, then, in the Almighty, shalt thou take exquisite delight, and shalt lift up—unto GOD—thy face;

Surely then you will delight in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.

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

You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.

28 And thou shalt decree a purpose, and it shall be fulfilled unto thee, and, upon thy ways, shall have shone a light;

Your decisions will be carried out, and light will shine on your ways.

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

When men are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’ then He will save the lowly.

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

He will deliver even one who is not innocent, rescuing him through the cleanness of your hands.”