Job 22

Eliphaz Speaks: Job’s Wickedness Is Great

1 Then *ch. 2:11Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

2 *See ch. 35:7"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 *See Ps. 18:32make your ways blameless?

4 Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you

and *ch. 14:3;[Ps. 143:2]enters into judgment with you?

5 Is not your evil abundant?

There is no end to your iniquities.

6 For you have *ch. 24:3,9;Ex. 22:26;Deut. 24:6,17;Ezek. 18:12,16exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing

*[ch. 31:16]and stripped the naked of their clothing.

7 You have given no water to the weary to drink,

and you have *[ch. 31:17;Isa. 58:7;Ezek. 18:7,16;Matt. 25:42]withheld bread from the hungry.

8 *[ch. 35:9] The man with power possessed the land,

and *2 Kgs. 5:1;Isa. 9:15the favored man lived in it.

9 You have *[Luke 1:53] sent widows away empty,

and *[ch. 38:15] the arms of *ch. 31:21;Isa. 10:2;Ezek. 22:7the fatherless were crushed.

10 Therefore *ch. 18:8-10snares are all around you,

and sudden terror overwhelms you,

11 or *[Ex. 10:22,23] darkness, so that you cannot see,

and a *ch. 38:34flood of *[ch. 27:20;Ps. 69:1,2,14,15;124:5;Lam. 3:54;Jonah 2:3,5]water covers you.

12 "Is not God high in the heavens?

See *[ch. 11:8]the highest stars, how lofty they are!

13 But you say, *Ps. 73:11;[Ps. 10:11;59:7;64:5;94:7;Isa. 29:15;Ezek. 8:12;9:9] ‘What does God know?

Can he judge through *ch. 38:9the deep darkness?

14 *[Ps. 139:11,12]; [Prov. 8:27;Isa. 40:22]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 *See ch. 15:32before their time;

their foundation was washed away.*22:16 Or their foundation was poured out as a stream (or river)

17 They said to God, *ch. 21:14‘Depart from us,’

and *[Ps. 4:6]‘What can the Almighty do to us?’*22:17 Hebrew them

18 Yet he filled their houses with good things—

but *ch. 21:16the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

19 *Ps. 52:6;58:10;107:42;[Ps. 64:10] The righteous see it and are glad;

the innocent one *Ps. 2:4mocks at them,

20 saying, ‘Surely our adversaries are cut off,

and what they left *ch. 1:16the fire has consumed.’

21 *See Ps. 119:45"Agree with God, and *[Prov. 3:2]be at peace;

thereby good will come to you.

22 Receive instruction from *Prov. 2:6;[Mal. 2:7] his mouth,

and *Ps. 119:11lay up his words in your heart.

23 If you *[ch. 8:5,6;11:13,14;Mal. 3:7] return to the Almighty you will be *Jer. 24:6;33:7built up;

if you *ch. 11:14remove injustice far from your tents,

24 if you lay gold in *ch. 20:11;21:26the dust,

and gold of *See 1 Kgs. 9:28Ophir among the stones of the torrent-bed,

25 then the Almighty will be your gold

and your precious silver.

26 For then you *ch. 27:10;Ps. 37:4;Isa. 58:14will delight yourself in the Almighty

and *See ch. 11:15lift up your face to God.

27 You will *ch. 33:26;Ps. 50:14,15;Isa. 58:9make your prayer to him, and he will hear you,

and you will *Ps. 50:14pay your vows.

28 You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you,

and *Prov. 4:18light will shine on your ways.

29 For when they are humbled you say, ‘It is because of pride’;*22:29 Or you say, ‘It is exaltation’

but he saves *Ps. 138:6;Prov. 3:34;29:23;Matt. 23:12;Luke 1:52;James 4:6;1 Pet. 5:5the lowly.

30 He *[Gen. 18:26] delivers even the one who is not innocent,

who will be delivered through *ch. 17:9;Ps. 18:20,24;24:4;26:6;[ch. 9:30]the cleanness of your hands."