Job 22
1UPON this, Eliphaz the Thaimanite answered, and said:
2Is it not the Lord Who teacheth wisdom and understanding?
3What! Is it any advantage to the Lord, if thou, in works, art irreprehensible? or any profit, that thou shouldst keep a straight course?
4Or will He, instituting a suit against thee, argue and come to a trial with thee?
5Is not thy wickedness great, and thy sins innumerable?
6Thou hast taken pledges of thy brethren for nought, and hast stripped the naked of their clothing.
7Thou hast not given drink to the thirsty: but hast robbed the hungry of their morsel.
8Thou hast respected the persons of some and settled them in the land;
9but hast sent widows away empty, and done injustice to orphans.
10Therefore snares have beset thee, and an unexpected war hath made thee shudder.
11The light hath become darkness to thee, and water hath overwhelmed thee when asleep.
12Doth not He who dwelleth on high, observe; hath He not humbled the haughty?
13Yes, thou hast said, How can the Almighty know? Can He judge in darkness?
14A cloud is His covering, so that He cannot be seen, though He traverse the circuit of heaven.
15Thou wilt not keep the ancient way, which righteous men trod,
16who were borne aloft, and whose foundations were the surging stream. As for them
17who said, What can the Lord do to us, or what can the Almighty bring upon us?
18(He, who had indeed filled their houses with good things, though the counsel of the wicked is far from Him),
19when the righteous saw them, they smiled; and he who was blameless laughed them to scorn.
20Had not the whole of them disappeared, a fire would have consumed the residue.
21Become firm now, if thou so remain thou shalt be rewarded with good things.
22Receive, I pray thee, from His mouth, the terms of deliverance, and lay up His words in thy heart.
23If thou wilt return and humble thyself before the Lord, having removed iniquity far from thy dwelling,
24thou shalt be placed on a mount, founded on a rock, and be like the rock of the torrent Sophir.
25Then will the Almighty be thy defence from enemies; and He will make thee pure as silver tried by fire.
26Then indeed thou shalt have confidence before the Lord; and mayst look up to heaven with cheerfulness.
27And when thou prayest to Him, He will hearken to thee, and will enable thee to pay thy vows;
28and He will assign thee an habitation of righteousness, and light shall shine upon thy ways.
29Because thou hast humbled thyself, thou wilt say, Such a one was insolent—but He will save him whose eyes are lowly.
30He indeed will save the innocent. Save thyself, therefore, with clean hands.