Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded and said,
2 “Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
“How can anyone be of help to God? Even wise people are only helpful to themselves.
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or does it benefit him that you make your ways perfect?
Is it any benefit to the Almighty if you're a good person? What does he gain if you do what's right?
4 Is it for your piety that he reproves you, that he enters with you into judgement?
Does he correct you and bring charges against you because of your reverence?
5 Isn’t your wickedness great? Neither is there any end to your iniquities.
No: it's because you're so wicked! Your sins are never-ending!
6 For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
For no reason at all you took your brother's clothing as a security for a debt, and left them stripped naked.
7 You haven’t given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
You refused water to the thirsty; you denied food to the hungry.
8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honourable man, he lived in it.
Is it because the land belongs to the powerful, and only the privileged have a right to live there?
9 You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
You have sent widows away empty-handed; you have crushed the outstretched arms of orphans, begging for help.
10 Therefore snares are around you. Sudden fear troubles you,
That's why you're surrounded by traps to catch you, and why you suddenly panic in terror.
11 or darkness, so that you can not see, and floods of waters cover you.
That's why it's so dark you cannot see, and why you feel like you're drowning.
12 “Isn’t God in the heights of heaven? See the height of the stars, how high they are!
Doesn't God live in highest heaven and looks down on even the highest stars?
13 You say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?
But you ask, ‘What does God know? How can he see and judge what happens in down here in darkness?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he doesn’t see. He walks on the vault of the sky.’
Thick clouds cover him so he can't see anything as he walks around in heaven.’
15 Will you keep the old way, which wicked men have trodden,
Why do you insist on following the traditional thinking of the wicked?
16 who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream,
They were taken before their time; all they had built was washed away.
17 who said to God, ‘Depart from us!’ and, ‘What can the Almighty do for us?’
They had told God, ‘Get lost! What can the Almighty do to us?’
18 Yet he filled their houses with good things, but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
And yet he was the one who had filled their homes with good things—but I don't accept their way of thinking.
19 The righteous see it, and are glad. The innocent ridicule them,
Those who do right rejoice when they see the destruction of the wicked, and the innocent mock them,
20 saying, ‘Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed their remnant.’
saying, ‘Our enemies are destroyed, and fire has burned up all that's left of them.’
21 “Acquaint yourself with him now, and be at peace. By it, good will come to you.
Come back to God and be reconciled to him, and you'll be prosperous again.
22 Please receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.
Listen to what he tells you and keep his words in mind.
23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up, if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents.
If you return to God you will be restored. If you renounce your sinful life
24 Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir amongst the stones of the brooks.
and give up your love of money and desire for possessions,
25 The Almighty will be your treasure, and precious silver to you.
then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver.
26 For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and will lift up your face to God.
Then you will find delight in the Almighty, and be able to face him without feeling ashamed.
27 You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You will pay your vows.
You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will keep your promises to him.
28 You will also decree a thing, and it will be established to you. Light will shine on your ways.
Whatever you decide to do will be successful, and wherever you go, light will shine on you.
29 When they cast down, you will say, ‘be lifted up.’ He will save the humble person.
When others are humbled, and you say, ‘please help them,’ God will save them.
30 He will even deliver him who is not innocent. Yes, he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”
God saves those who are innocent, and you will be saved if you do what is right.”
