Job 22

1 Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: —

Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,

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

Can a man be profitable unto God? surely he that is wise is profitable unto himself.

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

Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain [to him], that thou makest thy ways perfect?

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

Is it for thy fear [of him] that he reproveth thee, that he entereth with thee into judgment?

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

Is not thy wickedness great? neither is there any end to thine iniquities.

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 thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

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

Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.

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

But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man, he dwelt in it.

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

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

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

Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee,

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

Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and abundance of waters cover thee.

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

Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!

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

And thou sayest, What doth God know? can he judge through the thick darkness?

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

Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.

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

Wilt thou keep the old way which wicked men have trodden?

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

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

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

Who said unto God, Depart from us; and, What can the Almighty do for us?

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

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

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

The righteous see it, and are glad; and the innocent laugh them to scorn:

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

[Saying], Surely they that did rise up against us are cut off, and the remnant of them the fire hath consumed.

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

Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.

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

Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.

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

If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up; if thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents.

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

And lay thou [thy] treasure in the dust, and [the gold of] Ophir among the stones of the brooks;

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

And the Almighty shall be thy treasure, and precious silver unto thee.

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

For then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.

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

Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee; and thou shalt pay thy vows.

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

Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and light shall shine upon thy ways.

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

When they cast [thee] down, thou shalt say, [There is] lifting up; and the humble person he shall save.

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

He shall deliver [even] him that is not innocent: yea, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thine hands.