Job 22

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

2 “Can a man be of use to God? Can even a wise man benefit Him?

3 Does it delight the Almighty that you are righteous? Does He profit if your ways are blameless?

4 Is it for your reverence that He rebukes you and enters into judgment against you?

5 Is not your wickedness great? Are not your iniquities endless?

6 For you needlessly demanded security from your brothers and deprived the naked of their clothing.

7 You gave no water to the weary and withheld food from the famished,

8 while the land belonged to a mighty man, and a man of honor lived on it.

9 You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.

10 Therefore snares surround you, and sudden peril terrifies you;

11 it is so dark you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.

12 Is not God as high as the heavens? Look at the highest stars, how lofty they are!

13 Yet you say: ‘What does God know? Does He judge through thick darkness?

14 Thick clouds veil Him so He does not see us as He traverses the vault of heaven.’

15 Will you stay on the ancient path that wicked men have trod?

16 They were snatched away before their time, and their foundations were swept away by a flood.

17 They said to God, ‘Depart from us. What can the Almighty do to us?’

18 But it was He who filled their houses with good things; so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked.

19 The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent mock them:

20 ‘Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire has consumed their excess.’

21 Reconcile now and be at peace with Him; thereby good will come to you.

22 Receive instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart.

23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored. If you remove injustice from your tents

24 and consign your gold to the dust and the gold of Ophir to the stones of the ravines,

25 then the Almighty will be your gold and the finest silver for you.

26 Surely then you will delight in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.

27 You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.

28 Your decisions will be carried out, and light will shine on your ways.

29 When men are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’ then He will save the lowly.

30 He will deliver even one who is not innocent, rescuing him through the cleanness of your hands.”

1 ¶ Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

2 Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?

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

4 Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?

5 ¶ [Is] not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?

6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

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

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

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

10 Therefore snares [are] round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;

11 Or darkness, [that] thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.

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

13 And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?

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

15 ¶ Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?

16 Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:

17 Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?

18 Yet he filled their houses with good [things]: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

19 The righteous see [it], and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.

20 Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.

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

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

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

24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the [gold] of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.

25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.

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

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

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

29 When [men] are cast down, then thou shalt say, [There is] lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.

30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.

1 Then Eliphaz of Theman answered and said:

2 what may GOD of a strong man, and what profit is he to a wise man?

3 Thinkest thou that it pleaseeth the Almighty that thou shouldest be so godly? Or what doth it profit him, though thou regard thy ways without change?

4 Thinkest thou that he will be afraid to punish thee, and will stand in judgment with thee?

5 Yea, thy wickedness is too great, and there is no end to thine iniquity.

6 Thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother without a cause; thou hast stripped the naked of their garments;

7 thou hast not watered the weary with water, and hast denied thy bread to the hungry;

8 Thou hast wrought violence in the land, and hast sat magnificently in it;

9 the widows thou hast let go empty, and the arms of the fatherless thou hast broken.

10 Wherefore thou art compassed about with cords, and fear hath suddenly terrified thee.

11 Shouldest thou not see the darkness, and the flood of waters not cover thee?

12 Behold, God is high in the heavens, and behold the stars on high.

13 . And thou sayest, What doth God know? Shall He be able to judge that which is in darkness?

14 The clouds are his covering, and he seeth not, and walketh in the company of the heavens.

15 Wilt thou respect the course of the world, wherein the unrighteous have walked?

16 Which were passed away before the time, and the waters washed away the bottom thereof,

17 Who said to GOD: Remove thyself from us, what shall the Almighty be able to do unto them?

18 If he fill her house with goods? But let the counsel of the wicked be far from me!

19 The righteous shall see, and rejoice; and the innocent shall mock at them.

20 What matter, their essence shall vanish, and their rest shall consume the fire!

21 Now therefore make thy peace with him, and be at peace: from it much good shall come unto thee.

22 Hear the law from his mouth, and lay hold on his words in thine heart.

23 If thou turn unto the Almighty, thou shalt be built, and shalt do iniquity far from thy tabernacle,

24 Then shalt thou give gold for the earth, and streams of gold for the rocks;

25 And the Almighty shall be thy gold, and silver shall be heaped unto thee.

26 Then you will delight in the Almighty and lift up your face to GOD.

27 So shalt thou entreat him, and he shall hear thee: and thou shalt pay thy vows.

28 What thou shalt undertake, he shall make thee prosper: and the light shall shine in thy path.

29 For he that humbleth himself exalteth them: and he that putteth down his eyes shall recover.

30 And the innocent shall be saved: but he shall be saved because of the cleanness of his hands.