Job 22

1 Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: —

Then Eliphaz the Themanite responded by saying:

2 Unto GOD, can a man act as friend? Surely a discreet man befriendeth himself!

Can man be compared with God, even if he were perfect in knowledge?

3 Is it a pleasure to the Almighty, that thou shouldst be righteous? or any profit, that thou shouldst be blameless in thy ways?

What advantage is it to God, if you were just? Or what do you provide for him, if your way should be immaculate?

4 Is it, for thy reverence, that he will accuse thee? will enter with thee into judgment?

Will he reprove you and take you to judgment for being afraid,

5 Is not, thy wickedness, great? and, without end, [are not] thine iniquities?

and not because of your many evil deeds and your infinite unfairness?

6 Surely then hast been wont to put thy brother in pledge, for nothing, and, the garments of the ill-clad, hast thou stripped off:

For you have taken away the collateral of your brothers without cause, and stripped them naked of their clothing.

7 No water—to the weary, hast thou given to drink, and, from the hungry, thou hast withheld bread:

You have not given water to the weary; you have taken bread away from the hungry.

8 A man of might, to him, pertaineth the land, and, the favorite, dwelleth therein:

By the strength of your arm, you took possession of the land, and you retain it by being the strongest.

9 Widows, thou hast sent away empty, and, the arms of the fatherless, thou dost crush.

You have sent widows away empty, and you have crushed the shoulders of orphans.

10 For this cause, round about thee, are snares, and a dread startleth thee suddenly;

Because of this, you are surrounded by traps, and unexpected fears will disturb you.

11 Or darkness—thou canst not see, and, a flood of waters, covereth thee.

And did you think that you would not see darkness and that you were not to be overwhelmed by the onrush of overflowing waters?

12 Is not, GOD, [in] the height of the heavens? Behold, then, the head of the stars, that they are high.

Have you not considered that God is higher than the heavens and is lifted above the height of the stars?

13 Wilt thou say then, What doth GOD know? Out through a thick cloud, can he judge?

And you say: “Well, what does God know?” and, “He judges, as if through a fog,”

14 Dark clouds, are a veil to him, and he cannot see, or, the vault of the heavens, doth he walk?

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.”

15 The path of the ancient time, wilt thou mark, which the men of iniquity trod?

Do you not want to tend the path of the ages, which wicked men have spurned?

16 Who were snatched away before the time, and, a stream, washed away their foundation?

These were taken away before their time, and a flood overthrew their foundation.

17 Who had been saying unto GOD, Depart from us! and—What can the Almighty do for himself?

They said to God, “Withdraw from us,” and they treated the Almighty as if he could do nothing,

18 Yet, he, had filled their houses with good! The counsel of the lawless, then, is far from me:

though he had filled their houses with good things. May their way of thinking be far from me.

19 The righteous shall see and rejoice, and, the innocent, shall laugh them to scorn:

The just will see and will rejoice, and the innocent will mock them.

20 If our assailants do not vanish, then, their abundance, a fire consumeth!

Has not their haughtiness been cut down, and has not fire devoured the remnants of them?

21 Shew thyself to be one with him—I pray thee—and prosper, thereby, shall there come on thee blessing.

So, repose yourself with him and be at peace, and, in this way, you will have the best fruits.

22 Accept, I beseech thee, from his mouth—instruction, —and lay up his sayings in thy heart.

Accept the law from his mouth, and place his words in your heart.

23 If thou return unto the Almighty and submit thyself, if thou far remove perversity from thy tent,

If you will return to the Almighty, you will be rebuilt, and you will put sinfulness far from your tabernacle.

24 Then lay up, in the dust, precious ore, and, among the stones of the torrent-beds, fine gold:

He will give you stone in place of dirt, and torrents of gold in place of stone.

25 So shall, the Almighty, become, thy precious ores, yea glittering silver unto thee!

And the Almighty will be against your enemies, and silver will be gathered together for you.

26 For, then, in the Almighty, shalt thou take exquisite delight, and shalt lift up—unto GOD—thy face;

Then will you flock together in delight over the Almighty, and you will lift up your face to God.

27 Thou shalt make entreaty unto him, and he will hear thee, and, thy vows, shalt thou pay;

You will plead with him, and he will listen to you, and you will pay your vows.

28 And thou shalt decree a purpose, and it shall be fulfilled unto thee, and, upon thy ways, shall have shone a light;

You will decide on something, and it will come to you, and the light will shine in your ways.

29 When men cast themselves down, then thou shalt say: Up! And, him that is of downcast eyes, shall he save;

For he who had been humbled, will be in glory; and he who will lower his eyes, will be the one saved.

30 He shall deliver the innocent, and thou shalt escape by the pureness of thy hands.

The innocent will be saved, and he will be saved with purity in his hands.