Job 22
1 Then Eliphaz the Themanite responded by saying:
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 Can man be compared with God, even if he were perfect in knowledge?
Can a man, then, profit God? Behold, the wise man profiteth himself.
3 What advantage is it to God, if you were just? Or what do you provide for him, if your way should be immaculate?
Is it a pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous; Or a gain to him, that thou walkest uprightly?
4 Will he reprove you and take you to judgment for being afraid,
Will he contend with thee because he feareth thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
5 and not because of your many evil deeds and your infinite unfairness?
Hath not thy wickedness been great? Have not thine iniquities been numberless?
6 For you have taken away the collateral of your brothers without cause, and stripped them naked of their clothing.
For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother unjustly, And stripped the poor of their clothing.
7 You have not given water to the weary; you have taken bread away from the hungry.
Thou hast given the weary no water to drink, And withholden bread from the hungry.
8 By the strength of your arm, you took possession of the land, and you retain it by being the strongest.
But the man of power, his was the land, And the honorable man dwelt in it.
9 You have sent widows away empty, and you have crushed the shoulders of orphans.
Thou hast sent widows away empty, And broken the arms of the fatherless.
10 Because of this, you are surrounded by traps, and unexpected fears will disturb you.
Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden fear confoundeth thee;
11 And did you think that you would not see darkness and that you were not to be overwhelmed by the onrush of overflowing waters?
Or darkness, through which thou canst not see, And floods of water cover thee.
12 Have you not considered that God is higher than the heavens and is lifted above the height of the stars?
Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the stars, how high they are!
13 And you say: “Well, what does God know?” and, “He judges, as if through a fog,”
Hence thou sayest, “What doth God know? Can he govern behind the thick darkness?
14 and, “The clouds are his hiding-place,” and, “He does not examine us closely,” and, “He makes his rounds at the limits of the heavens.”
Dark clouds are a veil to him, and he cannot see; And he walketh upon the arch of heaven.”
15 Do you not want to tend the path of the ages, which wicked men have spurned?
Wilt thou take the old way Which wicked men have trodden,
16 These were taken away before their time, and a flood overthrew their foundation.
Who were cut down before their time, And whose foundations were swept away by a flood?
17 They said to God, “Withdraw from us,” and they treated the Almighty as if he could do nothing,
Who said unto God, “Depart from us!” And, “What can the Almighty do to us?”
18 though he had filled their houses with good things. May their way of thinking be far from me.
And yet he filled their houses with good things!—Far from me be the counsel of the wicked!
19 The just will see and will rejoice, and the innocent will mock them.
The righteous see their fate, and rejoice; And the innocent hold them in derision.
20 Has not their haughtiness been cut down, and has not fire devoured the remnants of them?
“Truly our adversary is destroyed, And fire hath consumed his abundance!”
21 So, repose yourself with him and be at peace, and, in this way, you will have the best fruits.
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thus shall prosperity return to thee.
22 Accept the law from his mouth, and place his words in your heart.
Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, And lay up his words in thy heart.
23 If you will return to the Almighty, you will be rebuilt, and you will put sinfulness far from your tabernacle.
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up; If thou put away iniquity from thy tent.
24 He will give you stone in place of dirt, and torrents of gold in place of stone.
Cast to the dust thy gold, And the gold of Ophir to the stones of the brook:
25 And the Almighty will be against your enemies, and silver will be gathered together for you.
Then shall the Almighty be thy gold, Yea, treasures of silver unto thee;
26 Then will you flock together in delight over the Almighty, and 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 plead with him, and he will listen to you, and you will pay your vows.
Thou shalt pray to him, and he shall hear thee, And thou shalt perform thy vows.
28 You will decide on something, and it will come to you, and the light will shine in your ways.
The purpose which thou formest shall prosper with thee, And light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 For he who had been humbled, will be in glory; and he who will lower his eyes, will be the one saved.
When men are cast down, thou shalt say, “There lifting up!” And the humble person he will save.
30 The innocent will be saved, and he will be saved with purity in his hands.
He will deliver even him that is not innocent. The purity of thy hands shall save him.
