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 profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?
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, that you are righteous? or is it gain to him, that you make your ways perfect?
4 Because of thy reverence Doth He reason [with] thee? He entereth with thee into judgment:
Will he reprove you for fear of you? will he enter with you into judgment?
5 Is not thy wickedness abundant? And there is no end to thine iniquities.
Is not your wickedness great? and your iniquities infinite?
6 For thou takest a pledge of thy brother for nought, And the garments of the naked Thou dost strip off.
For you have taken a pledge from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 Thou causest not the weary to drink water, And from the hungry thou withholdest bread.
You have not given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
8 As to the man of arm — he hath the earth, And the accepted of face — he dwelleth in it.
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.
9 Widows thou hast sent away empty, And the arms of the fatherless are bruised.
You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Therefore round about thee [are] snares, And trouble thee doth fear suddenly.
Therefore snares are round about you, and sudden fear troubles you;
11 Or darkness — thou dost not see, And abundance of waters doth cover thee.
Or darkness, that you can not see; and abundance of waters cover you.
12 Is not God high [in] heaven? And see the summit 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 And thou hast said, 'What — hath God known? Through thickness doth He judge?
And you say, How does God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?
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, that he sees not; and he walks in the circuit of heaven.
15 The path of the age dost thou observe, That men of iniquity have trodden?
Have you marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
16 Who have been cut down unexpectedly, A flood is poured out on their foundation.
Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflowed with a flood:
17 Those saying to God, 'Turn aside from us,' And what doth the Mighty One to them?
Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?
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: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 See do the righteous and they rejoice, And the innocent mocketh at them,
The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.
20 'Surely our substance hath not been cut off, And their excellency hath fire consumed.'
Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumes.
21 Acquaint thyself, I pray thee, with Him, And be at peace, Thereby thine increase [is] good.
Acquaint now yourself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto you.
22 Receive, I pray thee, from His mouth a law, And set His sayings in thy heart.
Receive, I pray you, the law from his mouth, and lay 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 shall be built up, you shall put away iniquity far from your tabernacles.
24 So as to set on the dust a defence, And on a rock of the valleys a covering.
Then shall you lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.
25 And the Mighty hath been thy defence, And silver [is] strength to thee.
Yea, the Almighty shall be your defence, and you shall have plenty of silver.
26 For then on the Mighty thou delightest thyself, And dost lift up unto God thy face,
For then shall you have your delight in the Almighty, and shall lift up your face unto God.
27 Thou dost make supplication unto Him, And He doth hear thee, And thy vows thou completest.
You shall make your prayer unto him, and he shall hear you, and you shall pay your vows.
28 And thou decreest a saying, And it is established to thee, And on thy ways hath light shone.
You shall also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto you: and the light shall shine upon your ways.
29 For they have made low, And thou sayest, 'Lift up.' And the bowed down of eyes he saveth.
When men are cast down, then you shall say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.
30 He delivereth the not innocent, Yea, he hath been delivered By the cleanness of thy hands.
He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of your hands.
