Job 22
Tree of Life Version
Eliphaz Keeps Pointing at Sin
22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded saying:
2 “Can a man be useful to God?
Can even a wise man benefit Him?
3 What pleasure is it to Shaddai if you are righteous?
Or what gain if your ways are blameless?
4 Is it because of your reverence that He corrects you
and He brings judgment against you?
5 Is not your wickedness great,
and is there no end to your iniquity?
6 For you took pledges from your brothers for no reason;
you stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 You gave the weary no water to drink
and from the hungry you withhold bread,
8 Though you were a mighty man, owning land—
an honored man living on it.
9 You sent widows away empty-handed
and crushed the arms of orphans.
10 “That is why snares surround you,
and why sudden fear terrifies you,
11 or why it is so dark that you cannot see.
and why a flood of water covers you.
12 “Is not God in the heights of heaven?
And see the lofty stars how high they are?
13 Yet you say, ‘What does God know?
Does He judge through such thick darkness?
14 Thick clouds veil Him so He does not see,
as He walks in the vault of heaven.’
15 Will you keep to the old way
that wicked men have trod?
16 They were snatched away before their time,
their foundations washed away by a river.
17 They said to God, ‘Leave us alone!
What can Shaddai do to us?’
18 Yet He filled their houses with good things—
but the counsel of the wicked is far from me!
19 The righteous see and rejoice;
the innocent mock them, saying,
20 ‘Surely our foes are cut off,
and fire consumes their abundance.’
21 “Reconcile now with Him and have shalom—
in this way prosperity will come to you.
22 Accept instruction from His mouth
and store up His words in your heart.
23 If you return to Shaddai, you will be restored;
if you remove iniquity far from your tent
24 and throw your gold in the dust,
and the gold of Ophir to the rocks in the wadis,
25 then Shaddai will be your gold
and your precious silver.
26 Surely then Shaddai will be your delight
and you will lift up your face to God.
27 You will pray to Him and He will hear you,
and you will fulfill your vows.
28 What you decide will be done,
and light will shine on your ways.
29 When people are brought low, and you say, ‘Lift them up!’
then He will save the downcast.
30 He will deliver even one who is not innocent,
who will be delivered by the cleanness of your hands.”
Job 22
English Standard Version
Eliphaz Speaks: Job's Wickedness Is Great
22 Then (A)Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 (B)“Can a man be profitable to God?
Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
3 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?
4 Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you
and (D)enters into judgment with you?
5 Is not your evil abundant?
There is no end to your iniquities.
6 For you have (E)exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing
(F)and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 You have given no water to the weary to drink,
and you have (G)withheld bread from the hungry.
8 (H)The man with power possessed the land,
and (I)the favored man lived in it.
9 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.”
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
