Job 22

¹ Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,

² Can a man be profitable unto God? Surely he that is wise is 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 Is it for thy fear of him that he reproveth thee, That he entereth with thee into judgment?

⁵ Is not thy wickedness great? Neither is there any end to thine iniquities.

⁶ For thou hast taken pledges of 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 honorable man, he 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, so 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, What doth God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?

¹⁴ Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he seeth not; And he walketh on the vault of heaven.

¹⁵ Wilt thou keep the old way Which wicked men have trodden?

¹⁶ Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundation was poured out as a stream,

¹⁷ Who said unto God, Depart from us; And, What can the Almighty do for us?

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

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 thy heart.

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

²⁴ And lay thou thy treasure in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks;

²⁵ And the Almighty will be thy treasure, And precious silver unto thee.

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

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

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

²⁹ When they cast thee down, thou shalt say, There is lifting up; And the humble person he will save.

³⁰ He will deliver even him that is not innocent: Yea, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands.