Job 22

1 Then Eliphaz the Themanite answered, and said:

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

2 Can man be compared with God, even though he were of perfect knowledge?

“Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.

3 What doth it profit God if thou be just? or what dost thou give him if thy way be unspotted?

Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or does it benefit him that you make your ways perfect?

4 Shall he reprove thee for fear, and come with thee into judgment:

Is it for your piety that he reproves you, that he enters with you into judgement?

5 And not for thy manifold wickedness, and thy infinite iniquities?

Isn’t your wickedness great? Neither is there any end to your iniquities.

6 For thou hast taken away the pledge of thy brethren without cause, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

7 Thou hast not given water to the weary, thou hast withdrawn bread from the hungry.

You haven’t given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.

8 In the strength of thy arm thou didst possess the land, and being the most mighty thou holdest it.

But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honourable man, he lived in it.

9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless thou hast broken in pieces.

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

10 Therefore art thou surrounded with snares, and sudden fear troubleth thee.

Therefore snares are around you. Sudden fear troubles you,

11 And didst thou think that thou shouldst not see darkness, and that thou shouldst not be covered with the violence of overflowing waters?

or darkness, so that you can not see, and floods of waters cover you.

12 Dost not thou think that God is higher than heaven, and is elevated above the height of the stars?

“Isn’t God in the heights of heaven? See the height of the stars, how high they are!

13 And thou sayst: What doth God know? and he judgeth as it were through a mist.

You say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?

14 The clouds are his covert, and he doth not consider our things, and he walketh about the poles of heaven.

Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he doesn’t see. He walks on the vault of the sky.’

15 Dost thou desire to keep the path of ages, which wicked men have trodden?

Will you keep the old way, which wicked men have trodden,

16 Who were taken away before their time, and a flood hath overthrown their foundation.

who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream,

17 Who said to God: Depart from us: and looked upon the Almighty as if he could do nothing:

who said to God, ‘Depart from us!’ and, ‘What can the Almighty do for us?’

18 Whereas he had filled their houses with good things: whose way of thinking be far from me.

Yet he filled their houses with good things, but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

19 The just shall see, and shall rejoice, and the innocent shall laugh them to scorn.

The righteous see it, and are glad. The innocent ridicule them,

20 Is not their exaltation cut down, and hath not fire devoured the remnants of them?

saying, ‘Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed their remnant.’

21 Submit thyself then to him, and be at peace: and thereby thou shalt have the best fruits.

“Acquaint yourself with him now, and be at peace. By it, good will come to you.

22 Receive the law of his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.

Please receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.

23 If thou wilt return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, and shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacle.

If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up, if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents.

24 He shall give for earth flint, and for flint torrents of gold.

Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir amongst the stones of the brooks.

25 And the Almighty shall be against thy enemies, and silver shall be heaped together for thee.

The Almighty will be your treasure, and precious silver to you.

26 Then shalt thou abound in delights in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face to God.

For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and will lift up your face to God.

27 Thou shalt pray to him, and he will hear thee, and thou shalt pay vows.

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

28 Thou shalt decree a thing, and it I shall come to thee, and light shall shine in thy ways.

You will also decree a thing, and it will be established to you. Light will shine on your ways.

29 For he that hath been humbled, shall be in glory: and he that shall bow down his eyes, he shall be saved.

When they cast down, you will say, ‘be lifted up.’ He will save the humble person.

30 The innocent shall be saved, and he shall be saved by the cleanness of his hands.

He will even deliver him who is not innocent. Yes, he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”