Job 22

1 Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: —

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

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

"Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise 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 any pleasure to Shaddai, that you are righteous? Or does it benefit him, that you make your ways perfect?

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

Is it for your piety that he reproves you, that he enters with you into judgment?

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

Isn't your wickedness great? Neither is there any 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 have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, 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:

You haven't given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.

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

But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honorable man, he lived 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 have been broken.

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

Therefore snares are around you. Sudden fear troubles you,

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

or darkness, so that you can not see, and floods of waters cover you.

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

"Isn't God in the heights of heaven? See the height of the stars, how high they are.

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

You say, 'What does God know? Can he judge through the 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 are a covering to him, so that he doesn't see. He walks on the vault of the sky.'

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

Will you keep the old way, which wicked men have trodden,

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

who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream,

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

who said to God, 'Depart from us;' and, 'What can Shaddai do for us?'

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

Yet he filled their houses with good things, but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

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

The righteous see it, and are glad. The innocent ridicule them,

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

saying, 'Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed the remnant of them.'

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

"Acquaint yourself with him, now, and be at peace. Thereby good shall come to you.

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

Please 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 Shaddai, you shall be built up, if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents.

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

Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.

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

Shaddai will be your treasure, and precious silver to you.

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

For then you will delight yourself in Shaddai, and shall 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 shall make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You shall pay 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 will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you, 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 they cast down, you shall say, 'be lifted up.' And he will save the humble.

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

He will even deliver him who is not innocent. Yes, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."