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22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

“Can a man be profitable to God?
    Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous?
    Or does it benefit him that you make your ways perfect?
Is it for your piety that he reproves you,
    that he enters with you into judgment?
Isn’t your wickedness great?
    Neither is there any end to your iniquities.
For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing,
    and stripped the naked of their clothing.
You haven’t given water to the weary to drink,
    and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth.
    The honorable man, he lived in it.
You have sent widows away empty,
    and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Therefore snares are around you.
    Sudden fear troubles you,
11 or darkness, so that you can not see,
    and floods of waters cover you.

12 “Isn’t God in the heights of heaven?
    See the height of the stars, how high they are!
13 You say, ‘What does God know?
    Can he judge through the thick darkness?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he doesn’t see.
    He walks on the vault of the sky.’
15 Will you keep the old way,
    which wicked men have trodden,
16 who were snatched away before their time,
    whose foundation was poured out as a stream,
17 who said to God, ‘Depart from us;’
    and, ‘What can the Almighty do for us?’
18 Yet he filled their houses with good things,
    but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 The righteous see it, and are glad.
    The innocent ridicule them,
20 saying, ‘Surely those who rose up against us are cut off.
    The fire has consumed their remnant.’

21 “Acquaint yourself with him, now, and be at peace.
    By it, good will come to you.
22 Please receive instruction from his mouth,
    and lay up his words in your heart.
23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up,
    if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents.
24 Lay your treasure in the dust,
    the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
25 The Almighty will be your treasure,
    and precious silver to you.
26 For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty,
    and will lift up your face to God.
27 You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you.
    You will pay your vows.
28 You will also decree a thing, and it will be established to you.
    Light will shine on your ways.
29 When they cast down, you will say, ‘be lifted up.’
    He will save the humble person.
30 He will even deliver him who is not innocent.
    Yes, he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”

Eliphaz Speaks: Job's Wickedness Is Great

22 Then (A)Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

(B)“Can a man be profitable to God?
    Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are in the right,
    or is it gain to him if you (C)make your ways blameless?
Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you
    and (D)enters into judgment with you?
Is not your evil abundant?
    There is no end to your iniquities.
For you have (E)exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing
    (F)and stripped the naked of their clothing.
You have given no water to the weary to drink,
    and you have (G)withheld bread from the hungry.
(H)The man with power possessed the land,
    and (I)the favored man lived in it.
You have (J)sent widows away empty,
    and (K)the arms of (L)the fatherless were crushed.
10 Therefore (M)snares are all around you,
    and sudden terror overwhelms you,
11 or (N)darkness, so that you cannot see,
    and a (O)flood of (P)water covers you.

12 “Is not God high in the heavens?
    See (Q)the highest stars, how lofty they are!
13 But you say, (R)‘What does God know?
    Can he judge through (S)the deep darkness?
14 (T)Thick clouds veil him, so that he does not see,
    and he walks on the vault of heaven.’
15 Will you keep to the old way
    that wicked men have trod?
16 They were snatched away (U)before their time;
    their foundation was washed away.[a]
17 They said to God, (V)‘Depart from us,’
    and (W)‘What can the Almighty do to us?’[b]
18 Yet he filled their houses with good things—
    but (X)the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 (Y)The righteous see it and are glad;
    the innocent one (Z)mocks at them,
20 saying, ‘Surely our adversaries are cut off,
    and what they left (AA)the fire has consumed.’

21 (AB)“Agree with God, and (AC)be at peace;
    thereby good will come to you.
22 Receive instruction from (AD)his mouth,
    and (AE)lay up his words in your heart.
23 If you (AF)return to the Almighty you will be (AG)built up;
    if you (AH)remove injustice far from your tents,
24 if you lay gold in (AI)the dust,
    and gold of (AJ)Ophir among the stones of the torrent-bed,
25 then the Almighty will be your gold
    and your precious silver.
26 For then you (AK)will delight yourself in the Almighty
    and (AL)lift up your face to God.
27 You will (AM)make your prayer to him, and he will hear you,
    and you will (AN)pay your vows.
28 You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you,
    and (AO)light will shine on your ways.
29 For when they are humbled you say, ‘It is because of pride’;[c]
    but he saves (AP)the lowly.
30 He (AQ)delivers even the one who is not innocent,
    who will be delivered through (AR)the cleanness of your hands.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 22:16 Or their foundation was poured out as a stream (or river)
  2. Job 22:17 Hebrew them
  3. Job 22:29 Or you say, ‘It is exaltation’