Job, 22

1. Eliphaz of Teman spoke next. He said:

1. Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

2. Can a human being contribute anything to God, when even someone intelligent can benefit only himself?

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

3. Does Shaddai derive any benefit from your uprightness, or profit from your blameless conduct?

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. Do you think he is punishing you for your piety and bringing you to justice for that?

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

5. No, for your great wickedness, more likely, for your unlimited sins!

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

6. You have exacted unearned pledges from your brothers, stripped people naked of their clothes,

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

7. failed to give water to the thirsty and refused bread to the hungry;

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

8. handed the land over to a strong man, for some favoured person to move in,

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

9. sent widows away empty-handed and crushed the arms of orphans.

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

10. No wonder, then, if snares are all around you, and sudden terrors make you afraid;

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

11. if light has turned to darkness, so that you cannot see, and you have been submerged in the flood.

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

12. Does not God live high in the heavens, does he not see the zenith of the stars?

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

13. And because he is up there, you have said, 'What does God know? Can he judge through the dark cloud?

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

14. The clouds, to him, are an impenetrable veil, as he goes his way on the rim of the heavens.'

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

15. And will you still follow the ancient trail trodden by the wicked,

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

16. those who were borne off before their time, whose foundations were swamped by a flood,

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

17. for having said to God, 'Go away! What can Shaddai do to us?'

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

18. Yet he himself had filled their houses with good things, although excluded from the plans of the wicked!

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

19. At such a spectacle, the upright rejoice, and the innocent deride them:

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

20. 'See how our enemies have been destroyed! See how their wealth has perished in the flames!'

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

21. Well then! Make peace with him, be reconciled, and all your happiness will be restored to you.

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

22. Welcome the teaching from his lips, and keep his words close to your heart.

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

23. If you return, humbled, to Shaddai and drive wickedness far from your tent,

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

24. if you lay your gold down on the dust, Ophir down among the pebbles of the torrent,

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

25. Shaddai will be bars of gold to you and silver piled in heaps.

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

26. Then Shaddai will be all your delight, and you will lift your face to God.

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

27. You will pray, and he will hear; and you will be able to fulfil your vows.

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

28. Whatever you undertake will go well, and light will shine on your path;

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

29. for he casts down the pride of the arrogant, but he saves those of downcast eyes.

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

30. He rescues anyone who is innocent; have your hands clean, and you will be saved.

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