Job 22

1And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: --

1Then Eliphaz the Temanite made answer and said,

1And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

1Then Eliphaz the Themanite answered, and said:

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

2Is it possible for a man to be of profit to God? No, for a man's wisdom is only of profit to himself.

2Can a man be profitable toGod? surely it is unto himself that the wise man is profitable.

2Can man be compared with God, even though he were of perfect knowledge?

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

3Is it of any interest to the Ruler of all that you are upright? or is it of use to him that your ways are without sin?

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

3What doth it profit God if thou be just? or what dost thou give him if thy way be unspotted?

4Because of thy reverence Doth He reason <FI>with<Fi> thee? He entereth with thee into judgment:

4Is it because you give him honour that he is sending punishment on you and is judging you?

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

4Shall he reprove thee for fear, and come with thee into judgment:

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

5Is not your evil-doing great? and there is no end to your sins.

5Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities without end?

5And not for thy manifold wickedness and thy infinite iniquities?

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

6For you have taken your brother's goods when he was not in your debt, and have taken away the clothing of those who have need of it.

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

6For thou hast taken away the pledge of thy brethren without cause, and stripped them naked of their clothing.

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

7You do not give water to the tired traveller, and from him who has no food you keep back bread.

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

7Thou hast not given water to the weary, thou hast withdrawn bread from the hungry.

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

8For it was the man with power who had the land, and the man with an honoured name who was living in it.

8But the powerful man, he had the land; and the man of high rank dwelt in it.

8In the strength of thy arm thou didst possess the land, and being the most mighty thou holdest it.

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

9You have sent widows away without hearing their cause, and you have taken away the support of the child who has no father.

9Widows hast thou sent empty away, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

9Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless thou hast broken in pieces.

10Therefore round about thee <FI>are<Fi> snares, And trouble thee doth fear suddenly.

10For this cause nets are round your feet, and you are overcome with sudden fear.

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

10Therefore art thou surrounded with snares, and sudden fear troubleth thee.

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

11Your light is made dark so that you are unable to see, and you are covered by a mass of waters.

11Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and floods of waters cover thee.

11And didst thou think that thou shouldst not see darkness, and that thou shouldst not be covered with the violence of overflowing waters?

12Is not God high <FI>in<Fi> heaven? And see the summit of the stars, That they are high.

12Is not God as high as heaven? and see the stars, how high they are!

12Is notGod in the height of the heavens? And behold the summit of the stars: how exalted are they!

12Dost not thou think that God is higher than heaven, and is elevated above the height of the stars?

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

13And you say, What knowledge has God? is he able to give decisions through the deep dark?

13And thou sayest, What dothGod know? will he judge through the dark cloud?

13And thou sayst: What doth God know? and he judgeth as it were through a mist.

14Thick clouds <FI>are<Fi> a secret place to Him, And He doth not see;' And the circle of the heavens He walketh habitually,

14Thick clouds are covering him, so that he is unable to see; and he is walking on the arch of heaven.

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

14The clouds are his covert, and he doth not consider our things, and he walketh about the poles of heaven.

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

15Will you keep the old way by which evil men went?

15Dost thou mark the ancient path which wicked men have trodden?

15Dost thou desire to keep the path of ages, which wicked men have spurned?

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

16Who were violently taken away before their time, who were overcome by the rush of waters:

16Who were carried off before the time, whose foundation was overflowed with a flood;

16Who were taken away before their time, and a flood hath overthrown their foundation.

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

17Who said to God, Go away from us; and, What is the Ruler of all able to do to us?

17Who said untoGod, Depart from us! and what could the Almighty do to them?

17Who said to God: Depart from us: and looked upon the Almighty as if he could do nothing:

18And he hath filled their houses <FI>with<Fi> good: (And the counsel of the wicked Hath been far from me.)

18Though he made their houses full of good things: but the purpose of the evil-doers is far from me!

18Yet he filled their houses with good. But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

18Whereas he had filled their houses with good things: whose way of thinking be far from me.

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

19The upright saw it and were glad: and those who had done no wrong made sport of them,

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

19The just shall see, and shall rejoice, and the innocent shall laugh them to scorn.

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

20Saying, Truly, their substance is cut off, and their wealth is food for the fire.

20Is not he who rose against us destroyed, and doth not the fire consume his residue?

20Is not their exaltation cut down, and hath not fire devoured the remnants of them?

21Acquaint thyself, I pray thee, with Him, And be at peace, Thereby thine increase <FI>is<Fi> good.

21Put yourself now in a right relation with him and be at peace: so will you do well in your undertakings.

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

21Submit thyself then to him, and be at peace: and thereby thou shalt have the best fruits.

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

22Be pleased to take teaching from his mouth, and let his words be stored up in your heart.

22Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.

22Receive the law of his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.

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

23If you come back to the Ruler of all, making yourself low before him; if you put evil far away from your tents;

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

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

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

24And put your gold in the dust, even your gold of Ophir among the rocks of the valleys;

24And put the precious ore with the dust, and [the gold of] Ophir among the stones of the torrents,

24He shall give for earth flint, and for flint torrents of gold.

25And the Mighty hath been thy defence, And silver <FI>is<Fi> strength to thee.

25Then the Ruler of all will be your gold, and his teaching will be your silver;

25Then the Almighty will be thy precious ore, and silver heaped up unto thee;

25And the Almighty shall be against thy enemies, and silver shall be heaped together for thee.

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

26For then you will have delight in the Ruler of all, and your face will be lifted up to God.

26Yea, then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face untoGod:

26Then shalt thou abound in delights in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face to God.

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

27You will make your prayer to him, and be answered; and you will give effect to your oaths.

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

27Thou shalt pray to him, and he will hear thee, and thou shalt pay vows.

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

28Your purposes will come about, and light will be shining on your ways.

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

28Thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall come to thee, and light shall shine in thy ways.

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

29For God makes low those whose hearts are lifted up, but he is a saviour to the poor in spirit.

29When they are made low, then thou shalt say, Rise up! and he shall save him that is of downcast eyes.

29For he that hath been humbled, shall be in glory: and he that shall bow down his eyes, he shall be saved.

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

30He makes safe the man who is free from sin, and if your hands are clean, salvation will be yours.

30[Even] him that is not innocent shall he deliver; yea, he shall be delivered by the pureness of thy hands.

30The innocent shall be saved, and he shall be saved by the cleanness of his hands.