Job 22

Eliphaz Accuses and Exhorts Job

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,

2 "Can a strong man be of use to God,

Or a wise one be useful to himself?

3 "Is it any pleasure to *22:3 Heb Shaddaithe Almighty if you are righteous,

Or gain if you make your ways blameless?

4 "Is it because of your *22:4 Or fearreverence that He punishes you,

That He enters into judgment against you?

5 "Is your wickedness not abundant,

And is there no end to your guilty deeds?

6 "For you have seized pledges from your brothers without cause,

And *22:6 Lit stripped clothing of the nakedstripped people naked.

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

And you have withheld bread from the hungry.

8 "But the earth belongs to the powerful man,

And the one who is honorable dwells on it.

9 "You have sent widows away empty,

And the *22:9 Lit armsstrength of orphans has been crushed.

10 "Therefore traps surround you,

And sudden dread terrifies you,

11 Or darkness, so that you cannot see,

And a flood of water covers you.

12 "Is God not in the height of heaven?

Look also at the *22:12 Lit head, top-mosthighest stars, how high they are!

13 "But you say, ‘What does God know?

Can He judge through the thick darkness?

14 ‘Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see;

And He walks on the *22:14 Lit circlevault of heaven.’

15 "Will you keep to the ancient path

Which wicked people have walked,

16 Who were snatched away before their time,

Whose foundations were *22:16 Lit poured outwashed away by a river?

17 "They said to God, ‘Go away from us!’

And ‘What can *22:17 Heb Shaddaithe Almighty do to them?’

18 "Yet He filled their houses with good things;

But the advice of the wicked is far from me.

19 "The righteous see and are glad,

And the innocent mock them, saying,

20 ‘Truly our enemies are eliminated,

And fire has consumed their *22:20 Or excessabundance.’

21 "Be reconciled with Him, and be at peace;

Thereby good will come to you.

22 "Please receive *22:22 Or lawinstruction from His mouth,

And put His words in your heart.

23 "If you return to *22:23 Heb Shaddaithe Almighty, you will be *22:23 Lit built uprestored;

If you remove injustice far from your tent,

24 And put your*22:24 Lit oregold in the dust,

And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,

25 Then *22:25 Heb Shaddaithe Almighty will be your *22:25 Lit oregold

And abundant silver to you.

26 "For then you will take pleasure in *22:26 Heb Shaddaithe Almighty

And lift up your face to God.

27 "You will pray to Him, and He will hear you;

And you will pay your vows.

28 "You will also decide something, and it will be established for you;

And light will shine on your ways.

29 "When *22:29 Lit they cast you downthey have brought you low, you will speak with *22:29 Lit prideconfidence,

And He will save the *22:29 Lit lowly of eyeshumble person.

30 "He will rescue one who is not innocent,

And he will be rescued due to the cleanness of your hands."