Job 22
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
2 To God is a man profitable, Because a wise man to himself is profitable?
"Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
3 Is it a delight to the Mighty One That thou art righteous? is it gain, That thou makest perfect thy ways?
Is it any pleasure to Shaddai, that you are righteous? Or does it benefit him, that you make your ways perfect?
4 Because of thy reverence Doth He reason [with] thee? He entereth 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 abundant? And there is no end to thine iniquities.
Isn't your wickedness great? Neither is there any end to your iniquities.
6 For thou takest a pledge of thy brother for nought, And the garments of the naked Thou dost strip off.
For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 Thou causest not the weary to drink water, And from the hungry thou withholdest bread.
You haven't given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
8 As to the man of arm — he hath the earth, And the accepted of face — he dwelleth in it.
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 are bruised.
You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Therefore round about thee [are] snares, And trouble thee doth fear suddenly.
Therefore snares are around you. Sudden fear troubles you,
11 Or darkness — thou dost not see, And abundance of waters doth cover thee.
or darkness, so that you can not see, and floods of waters cover you.
12 Is not God high [in] heaven? And see the summit 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 And thou hast said, 'What — hath God known? Through thickness doth He judge?
You say, 'What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?
14 Thick clouds [are] a secret place to Him, And He doth not see;' And the circle of the heavens He walketh habitually,
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 age dost thou observe, That men of iniquity have trodden?
Will you keep the old way, which wicked men have trodden,
16 Who have been cut down unexpectedly, A flood is poured out on their foundation.
who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream,
17 Those saying to God, 'Turn aside from us,' And what doth the Mighty One to them?
who said to God, 'Depart from us;' and, 'What can Shaddai do for us?'
18 And he hath filled their houses [with] good: (And the counsel of the wicked Hath been far from me.)
Yet he filled their houses with good things, but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 See do the righteous and they rejoice, And the innocent mocketh at them,
The righteous see it, and are glad. The innocent ridicule them,
20 'Surely our substance hath not been cut off, And their excellency hath fire consumed.'
saying, 'Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed the remnant of them.'
21 Acquaint thyself, I pray thee, with Him, And be at peace, Thereby thine increase [is] good.
"Acquaint yourself with him, now, and be at peace. Thereby good shall come to you.
22 Receive, I pray thee, from His mouth a law, And set His sayings in thy heart.
Please receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.
23 If thou dost return unto the Mighty Thou art built up, Thou puttest iniquity far from thy tents.
If you return to Shaddai, you shall be built up, if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents.
24 So as to set on the dust a defence, And on a rock of the valleys a covering.
Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
25 And the Mighty hath been thy defence, And silver [is] strength to thee.
Shaddai will be your treasure, and precious silver to you.
26 For then on the Mighty thou delightest thyself, And dost lift up unto God thy face,
For then you will delight yourself in Shaddai, and shall lift up your face to God.
27 Thou dost make supplication unto Him, And He doth hear thee, And thy vows thou completest.
You shall make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You shall pay your vows.
28 And thou decreest a saying, And it is established to thee, And on thy ways hath light shone.
And you will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways.
29 For they have made low, And thou sayest, 'Lift up.' And the bowed down of eyes he saveth.
When they cast down, you shall say, 'be lifted up.' And he will save the humble.
30 He delivereth the not innocent, Yea, he hath been delivered By the cleanness of thy hands.
He will even deliver him who is not innocent. Yes, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."
