Job 22

1And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: --

1Then Eliphaz the Themanite answered, and said:

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

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:

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.

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 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.

7Thou hast not given water to the weary, thou hast withdrawn bread from the hungry.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

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.

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.

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

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

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 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,

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?

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 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: 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.)

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 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.'

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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,

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.

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.

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 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.

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