Job 22
1 Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: —
And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —
2 Unto GOD, can a man act as friend? Surely a discreet man befriendeth himself!
To God is a man profitable, Because a wise man to himself is profitable?
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 thou art righteous? is it gain, That thou makest perfect thy ways?
4 Is it, for thy reverence, that he will accuse thee? will enter with thee into judgment?
Because of thy reverence Doth He reason [with] thee? He entereth with thee into judgment:
5 Is not, thy wickedness, great? and, without end, [are not] thine iniquities?
Is not thy wickedness abundant? And there is no end to thine 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 takest a pledge of thy brother for nought, And the garments of the naked Thou dost strip off.
7 No water—to the weary, hast thou given to drink, and, from the hungry, thou hast withheld bread:
Thou causest not the weary to drink water, And from the hungry thou withholdest bread.
8 A man of might, to him, pertaineth the land, and, the favorite, dwelleth therein:
As to the man of arm — he hath the earth, And the accepted of face — he dwelleth in it.
9 Widows, thou hast sent away empty, and, the arms of the fatherless, thou dost crush.
Widows thou hast sent 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 round about thee [are] snares, And trouble thee doth fear suddenly.
11 Or darkness—thou canst not see, and, a flood of waters, covereth thee.
Or darkness — thou dost not see, And abundance of waters doth cover 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 high [in] heaven? 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 thou hast said, 'What — hath God known? Through thickness doth He judge?
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 doth not see;' And the circle of the heavens He walketh habitually,
15 The path of the ancient time, wilt thou mark, which the men of iniquity trod?
The path of the age dost thou observe, 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 doth the Mighty One to them?
18 Yet, he, had filled their houses with good! The counsel of the lawless, then, is far from me:
And he hath filled their houses [with] good: (And the counsel of the wicked Hath been far from me.)
19 The righteous shall see and rejoice, and, the innocent, shall laugh them to scorn:
See do the righteous and they rejoice, And the innocent mocketh at them,
20 If our assailants do not vanish, then, their abundance, a fire consumeth!
'Surely our substance hath not been cut off, And their excellency hath fire consumed.'
21 Shew thyself to be one with him—I pray thee—and prosper, thereby, shall there come on thee blessing.
Acquaint thyself, I pray thee, with Him, And be at peace, Thereby thine increase [is] good.
22 Accept, I beseech thee, from his mouth—instruction, —and lay up his sayings in thy heart.
Receive, I pray thee, from His mouth a law, And set His sayings in thy heart.
23 If thou return unto the Almighty and submit thyself, if thou far remove perversity from thy tent,
If thou dost return unto the Mighty Thou art built up, Thou puttest iniquity far from thy tents.
24 Then lay up, in the dust, precious ore, and, among the stones of the torrent-beds, fine gold:
So as to set on the dust a defence, And on a rock of the valleys a covering.
25 So shall, the Almighty, become, thy precious ores, yea glittering silver unto thee!
And the Mighty hath been thy defence, And silver [is] strength to thee.
26 For, then, in the Almighty, shalt thou take exquisite delight, and shalt lift up—unto GOD—thy face;
For then on the Mighty thou delightest thyself, And dost 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 dost make supplication unto Him, And He doth hear thee, And thy vows thou completest.
28 And thou shalt decree a purpose, and it shall be fulfilled unto thee, and, upon thy ways, shall have shone a light;
And thou decreest a saying, And it is established to thee, And on thy ways hath light shone.
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 thou sayest, 'Lift up.' And the bowed down of eyes he saveth.
30 He shall deliver the innocent, and thou shalt escape by the pureness of thy hands.
He delivereth the not innocent, Yea, he hath been delivered By the cleanness of thy hands.
