Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 “Can a man be useful to God? Can a wise man be useful to him?
Can a man, then, profit God? Behold, the wise man profiteth himself.
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous? Is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?
Is it a pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous; Or a gain to him, that thou walkest uprightly?
4 Is it because of your reverence for him that he rebukes you and takes you to judgment?
Will he contend with thee because he feareth thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
5 Is not your wickedness great? Is there no end to your iniquities?
Hath not thy wickedness been great? Have not thine iniquities been numberless?
6 For you have demanded guarantee of a loan from your brother for no reason, and you have stripped away clothing from the naked.
For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother unjustly, And stripped the poor of their clothing.
7 You have not given water to weary people to drink; you have withheld bread from hungry people
Thou hast given the weary no water to drink, And withholden bread from the hungry.
8 although you, a mighty man, possessed the earth, although you, an honored man, lived in it.
But the man of power, his was the land, And the honorable man dwelt in it.
9 You have sent widows away empty; the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
Thou hast sent widows away empty, And broken the arms of the fatherless.
10 Therefore, snares are all around you, and sudden fear troubles you.
Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden fear confoundeth thee;
11 There is darkness, so that you cannot see; an abundance of waters covers you.
Or darkness, through which thou canst not see, And floods of water cover thee.
12 Is not God in the heights of heaven? Look at the height of the stars, how high they are!
Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the stars, how high they are!
13 You say, 'What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?
Hence thou sayest, “What doth God know? Can he govern behind the thick darkness?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he does not see us; he walks on the vault of heaven.'
Dark clouds are a veil to him, and he cannot see; And he walketh upon the arch of heaven.”
15 Will you keep the old way that wicked men have walked—
Wilt thou take the old way Which wicked men have trodden,
16 those who were snatched away before their time, those whose foundations have washed away like a river,
Who were cut down before their time, And whose foundations were swept away by a flood?
17 those who said to God, 'Depart from us'; those who said, 'What can the Almighty do to us?'
Who said unto God, “Depart from us!” And, “What can the Almighty do to us?”
18 Yet he filled their houses with good things; the plans of wicked people are far from me.
And yet he filled their houses with good things!—Far from me be the counsel of the wicked!
19 Righteous people see their fate and are glad; innocent people laugh them to scorn.
The righteous see their fate, and rejoice; And the innocent hold them in derision.
20 They say, 'Surely those who rose up against us are cut off; fire has consumed their possessions.'
“Truly our adversary is destroyed, And fire hath consumed his abundance!”
21 Now agree with God and be at peace with him; in that way, good will come to you.
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thus shall prosperity return to thee.
22 Receive, I beg you, instruction from his mouth; store up his words in your heart.
Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, And lay up his words in thy heart.
23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up, if you put unrighteousness far away from your tents.
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up; If thou put away iniquity from thy tent.
24 Lay your treasure down in the dust, the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,
Cast to the dust thy gold, And the gold of Ophir to the stones of the brook:
25 and the Almighty will be your treasure, precious silver to you.
Then shall the Almighty be thy gold, Yea, treasures of silver unto thee;
26 For then you will take pleasure in the Almighty; you will lift up your face to God.
For then shalt thou have delight in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God.
27 You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you; you will pay your vows to him.
Thou shalt pray to him, and he shall hear thee, And thou shalt perform thy vows.
28 You will also decree anything, and it will be confirmed for you; light will shine on your paths.
The purpose which thou formest shall prosper with thee, And light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 God humbles a proud man, and he saves the one with lowered eyes.
When men are cast down, thou shalt say, “There lifting up!” And the humble person he will save.
30 He will rescue even the man who is not innocent; who will be rescued through the cleanness of your hands.”
He will deliver even him that is not innocent. The purity of thy hands shall save him.
