Job 22

1 Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: —

And Eliphaz the Temanite answers and says:

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

“Is a man profitable to God, Because a wise man is profitable to 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 a delight to the Mighty One That you are righteous? Is it gain, That you make your ways perfect?

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

Because of your reverence Does He reason [with] you? He enters with you into judgment:

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

Is your wickedness not abundant? And there is no end to your 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 you take a pledge of your brother for nothing, And you strip off the garments of the naked.

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

You do not cause the weary to drink water, And you withhold bread from the hungry.

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

As for the man of arm—he has the earth, And the accepted of face—he dwells in it.

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

You have sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless are bruised.

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

Therefore snares [are] all around you, And sudden fear troubles you.

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

Or darkness—you do not see, And abundance of waters covers you.

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

Is God not high [in] the heavens? And see the summit of the stars, That they are high.

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

And you have said, How has God known? Does He judge through thickness?

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 secret place to Him, And He does not see, And He habitually walks [above] the circle of the heavens.

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

Do you observe the path of the age, That men of iniquity have trodden,

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

Who have been cut down unexpectedly? A flood is poured out on their foundation.

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

Those saying to God, Turn aside from us, And what does the Mighty One do to them?

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

And He has filled their houses [with] good (And the counsel of the wicked Has been far from me).

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

The righteous see and they rejoice, And the innocent mocks at them:

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

Surely our substance has not been cut off, And fire has consumed their excellence.

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

Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace, Thereby your increase [is] good.

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

Please receive a law from His mouth, And set His sayings 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 Mighty you are built up, You put iniquity far from your tents.

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

So as to set a defense on the dust, And a covering on a rock of the valleys.

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

And the Mighty has been your defense, And silver [is] strength to you.

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

For then you delight yourself on the Mighty, 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 make supplication to Him, And He hears you, And you complete 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;

And you decree a saying, And it is established to you, And light has shone on your ways.

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

For they have made low, And you say, Lift up. And He saves the bowed down of eyes.

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

He delivers the one [who is] not innocent, Indeed, he has been delivered By the cleanness of your hands.”