Job 22
1 Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: —
Then answered Eliphaz the Themanite, and said,
2 Unto GOD, can a man act as friend? Surely a discreet man befriendeth himself!
Can a man be serviceable unto God? Truly the intelligent is serviceable unto himself.
3 Is it a pleasure to the Almighty, that thou shouldst be righteous? or any profit, that thou shouldst be blameless in thy ways?
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? or is it any gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?
4 Is it, for thy reverence, that he will accuse thee? will enter with thee into judgment?
Is it out of fear of thee that he will reproach thee? or go with thee into judgment?
5 Is not, thy wickedness, great? and, without end, [are not] thine iniquities?
Is not thy evil great? and no end to thy iniquities?
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 thou hast taken a pledge from thy brothers for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 No water—to the weary, hast thou given to drink, and, from the hungry, thou hast withheld bread:
Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and from the hungry thou hast withholden bread.
8 A man of might, to him, pertaineth the land, and, the favorite, dwelleth therein:
But as for the man of a strong arm, he obtained the land, and the highly honored could dwell therein.
9 Widows, thou hast sent away empty, and, the arms of the fatherless, thou dost crush.
Widows hast thou sent away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 For this cause, round about thee, are snares, and a dread startleth thee suddenly;
Therefore are snares round about thee, and sudden dread terrifieth thee.
11 Or darkness—thou canst not see, and, a flood of waters, covereth thee.
Or seest thou not the darkness? and the abundance of water which covereth thee?
12 Is not, GOD, [in] the height of the heavens? Behold, then, the head of the stars, that they are high.
Is not God in the height of heaven? and beholding the highest elevation of the stars, however high they are?
13 Wilt thou say then, What doth GOD know? Out through a thick cloud, can he judge?
But thou sayest, “What doth God know? can he judge behind the darkness?
14 Dark clouds, are a veil to him, and he cannot see, or, the vault of the heavens, doth he walk?
Thick clouds are a covering for him, so that he will not see; and he walketh along on the circle of heaven.”
15 The path of the ancient time, wilt thou mark, which the men of iniquity trod?
Wilt thou [thus] observe the path of ancient times which the men of injustice have trodden?
16 Who were snatched away before the time, and, a stream, washed away their foundation?
Who were shrivelled up before their time, whose foundation was flooded away like a river;
17 Who had been saying unto GOD, Depart from us! and—What can the Almighty do for himself?
Who said unto God, “'Depart from us:” and what wrought the Almighty for them?
18 Yet, he, had filled their houses with good! The counsel of the lawless, then, is far from me:
And yet it was he that filled their houses with good things; but the counsel of the wicked be [still] far from me.
19 The righteous shall see and rejoice, and, the innocent, shall laugh them to scorn:
The righteous will see it, and be glad; and the innocent will laugh them to scorn.
20 If our assailants do not vanish, then, their abundance, a fire consumeth!
“Is not he destroyed that rose up against us, and hath not the fire consumed what they had left?”
21 Shew thyself to be one with him—I pray thee—and prosper, thereby, shall there come on thee blessing.
Do but become acquainted with him, and be at peace: thereby will happiness come unto thee.
22 Accept, I beseech thee, from his mouth—instruction, —and lay up his sayings in thy heart.
Do but accept instruction from his mouth, and lay up his saying in thy heart.
23 If thou return unto the Almighty and submit thyself, if thou far remove perversity from thy tent,
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, so thou wilt but remove wrong-doing far away from thy tents.
24 Then lay up, in the dust, precious ore, and, among the stones of the torrent-beds, fine gold:
And throw down in the dust precious metals, and [the gold of] Ophir to the stones of the brooks:
25 So shall, the Almighty, become, thy precious ores, yea glittering silver unto thee!
Then will the Almighty be thy precious metal, and brightly-shining silver unto thee.
26 For, then, in the Almighty, shalt thou take exquisite delight, and shalt lift up—unto GOD—thy face;
For then wilt thou have in the Almighty thy delight, and thou canst lift up unto God thy face.
27 Thou shalt make entreaty unto him, and he will hear thee, and, thy vows, shalt thou pay;
Thou wilt make entreaty unto him, and he will hear thee, and thy vows wilt thou pay.
28 And thou shalt decree a purpose, and it shall be fulfilled unto thee, and, upon thy ways, shall have shone a light;
And if thou decree a thing, it will be fulfilled unto thee; and upon thy ways the light will shine.
29 When men cast themselves down, then thou shalt say: Up! And, him that is of downcast eyes, shall he save;
For when men are brought low, thou wilt say, Pride [hath done it]; but those of lowly eyes [God] will help.
30 He shall deliver the innocent, and thou shalt escape by the pureness of thy hands.
He will even deliver him who is not guiltless: and thou wilt be delivered by the purity of thy hands.
