Job 22

1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

2 To God is a man profitable, Because a wise man to himself is profitable?

“Can a man be useful to God? Can a wise man be useful to him?

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 the Almighty if you are righteous? Is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?

4 Because of thy reverence Doth He reason [with] thee? He entereth with thee into judgment:

Is it because of your reverence for him that he rebukes you and takes you to judgment?

5 Is not thy wickedness abundant? And there is no end to thine iniquities.

Is not your wickedness great? Is there no 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 demanded guarantee of a loan from your brother for no reason, and you have stripped away clothing from the naked.

7 Thou causest not the weary to drink water, And from the hungry thou withholdest bread.

You have not given water to weary people to drink; you have withheld bread from hungry people

8 As to the man of arm — he hath the earth, And the accepted of face — he dwelleth in it.

although you, a mighty man, possessed the earth, although you, an honored man, lived in it.

9 Widows thou hast sent away empty, And the arms of the fatherless are bruised.

You have sent widows away empty; the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

10 Therefore round about thee [are] snares, And trouble thee doth fear suddenly.

Therefore, snares are all around you, and sudden fear troubles you.

11 Or darkness — thou dost not see, And abundance of waters doth cover thee.

There is darkness, so that you cannot see; an abundance of waters covers you.

12 Is not God high [in] heaven? And see the summit of the stars, That they are high.

Is not God in the heights of heaven? Look at 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 does not see us; he walks on the vault of heaven.'

15 The path of the age dost thou observe, That men of iniquity have trodden?

Will you keep the old way that wicked men have walked—

16 Who have been cut down unexpectedly, A flood is poured out on their foundation.

those who were snatched away before their time, those whose foundations have washed away like a river,

17 Those saying to God, 'Turn aside from us,' And what doth the Mighty One to them?

those who said to God, 'Depart from us'; those who said, 'What can the Almighty do to 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; the plans of wicked people are far from me.

19 See do the righteous and they rejoice, And the innocent mocketh at them,

Righteous people see their fate and are glad; innocent people laugh them to scorn.

20 'Surely our substance hath not been cut off, And their excellency hath fire consumed.'

They say, 'Surely those who rose up against us are cut off; fire has consumed their possessions.'

21 Acquaint thyself, I pray thee, with Him, And be at peace, Thereby thine increase [is] good.

Now agree with God and be at peace with him; in that way, good will come to you.

22 Receive, I pray thee, from His mouth a law, And set His sayings in thy heart.

Receive, I beg you, instruction from his mouth; store 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 the Almighty, you will be built up, if you put unrighteousness far away 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 down 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.

and the Almighty will be your treasure, 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 take pleasure in the Almighty; you will lift up your face to God.

27 Thou dost make supplication unto Him, And He doth hear thee, And thy vows thou completest.

You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you; you will pay your vows to him.

28 And thou decreest a saying, And it is established to thee, And on thy ways hath light shone.

You will also decree anything, and it will be confirmed for you; light will shine on your paths.

29 For they have made low, And thou sayest, 'Lift up.' And the bowed down of eyes he saveth.

God humbles a proud man, and he saves the one with lowered eyes.

30 He delivereth the not innocent, Yea, he hath been delivered By the cleanness of thy hands.

He will rescue even the man who is not innocent; who will be rescued through the cleanness of your hands.”