Job 22

¹ And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: —

² To God is a man profitable, Because a wise man to himself is profitable?

³ Is it a delight to the Mighty One That thou art righteous? is it gain, That thou makest perfect thy ways?

⁴ Because of thy reverence Doth He reason [with] thee? He entereth with thee into judgment:

⁵ Is not thy wickedness abundant? And there is no end to thine iniquities.

⁶ For thou takest a pledge of thy brother for nought, And the garments of the naked Thou dost strip off.

⁷ Thou causest not the weary to drink water, And from the hungry thou withholdest bread.

⁸ As to the man of arm — he hath the earth, And the accepted of face — he dwelleth in it.

⁹ Widows thou hast sent away empty, And the arms of the fatherless are bruised.

¹⁰ Therefore round about thee [are] snares, And trouble thee doth fear suddenly.

¹¹ Or darkness — thou dost not see, And abundance of waters doth cover thee.

¹² Is not God high [in] heaven? And see the summit of the stars, That they are high.

¹³ And thou hast said, ‘What — hath God known? Through thickness doth He judge?

¹⁴ Thick clouds [are] a secret place to Him, And He doth not see;’ And the circle of the heavens He walketh habitually,

¹⁵ The path of the age dost thou observe, That men of iniquity have trodden?

¹⁶ Who have been cut down unexpectedly, A flood is poured out on their foundation.

¹⁷ Those saying to God, ‘Turn aside from us,’ And what doth the Mighty One to them?

¹⁸ And he hath filled their houses [with] good: (And the counsel of the wicked Hath been far from me.)

¹⁹ See do the righteous and they rejoice, And the innocent mocketh at them,

²⁰ ‘Surely our substance hath not been cut off, And their excellency hath fire consumed.’

²¹ Acquaint thyself, I pray thee, with Him, And be at peace, Thereby thine increase [is] good.

²² Receive, I pray thee, from His mouth a law, And set His sayings in thy heart.

²³ If thou dost return unto the Mighty Thou art built up, Thou puttest iniquity far from thy tents.

²⁴ So as to set on the dust a defence, And on a rock of the valleys a covering.

²⁵ And the Mighty hath been thy defence, And silver [is] strength to thee.

²⁶ For then on the Mighty thou delightest thyself, And dost lift up unto God thy face,

²⁷ Thou dost make supplication unto Him, And He doth hear thee, And thy vows thou completest.

²⁸ And thou decreest a saying, And it is established to thee, And on thy ways hath light shone.

²⁹ For they have made low, And thou sayest, ‘Lift up.’ And the bowed down of eyes he saveth.

³⁰ He delivereth the not innocent, Yea, he hath been delivered By the cleanness of thy hands.