22:1 Then Eli'phaz the Te'manite answered:
22:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:
22:2 "Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
22:2 "Can a mortal be of use to God? Can even the wisest be of service to him?
22:3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous, or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?
22:3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous, or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?
22:4 Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you, and enters into judgment with you?
22:4 Is it for your piety that he reproves you, and enters into judgment with you?
22:5 Is not your wickedness great? There is no end to your iniquities.
22:5 Is not your wickedness great? There is no end to your iniquities.
22:6 For you have exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
22:6 For you have exacted pledges from your family for no reason, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
22:7 You have given no water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
22:7 You have given no water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
22:8 The man with power possessed the land, and the favored man dwelt in it.
22:8 The powerful possess the land, and the favored live in it.
22:9 You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless were crushed.
22:9 You have sent widows away empty-handed, and the arms of the orphans you have crushed.
22:10 Therefore snares are round about you, and sudden terror overwhelms you;
22:10 Therefore snares are around you, and sudden terror overwhelms you,
22:11 your light is darkened, so that you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.
22:11 or darkness so that you cannot see; a flood of water covers you.
22:12 "Is not God high in the heavens? See the highest stars, how lofty they are!
22:12 "Is not God high in the heavens? See the highest stars, how lofty they are!
22:13 Therefore you say, `What does God know? Can he judge through the deep darkness?
22:13 Therefore you say, 'What does God know? Can he judge through the deep darkness?
22:14 Thick clouds enwrap him, so that he does not see, and he walks on the vault of heaven.'
22:14 Thick clouds enwrap him, so that he does not see, and he walks on the dome of heaven.'
22:15 Will you keep to the old way which wicked men have trod?
22:15 Will you keep to the old way that the wicked have trod?
22:16 They were snatched away before their time; their foundation was washed away.
22:16 They were snatched away before their time; their foundation was washed away by a flood.
22:17 They said to God, `Depart from us,' and `What can the Almighty do to us?'
22:17 They said to God, 'Leave us alone,' and 'What can the Almighty do to us?'
22:18 Yet he filled their houses with good things -- but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
22:18 Yet he filled their houses with good things--but the plans of the wicked are repugnant to me.
22:19 The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent laugh them to scorn,
22:19 The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent laugh them to scorn,
22:20 saying, `Surely our adversaries are cut off, and what they left the fire has consumed.'
22:20 saying, 'Surely our adversaries are cut off, and what they left, the fire has consumed.'
22:21 "Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you.
22:21 "Agree with God, and be at peace; in this way good will come to you.
22:22 Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.
22:22 Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.
22:23 If you return to the Almighty and humble yourself, if you remove unrighteousness far from your tents,
22:23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored, if you remove unrighteousness from your tents,
22:24 if you lay gold in the dust, and gold of Ophir among the stones of the torrent bed,
22:24 if you treat gold like dust, and gold of Ophir like the stones of the torrent-bed,
22:25 and if the Almighty is your gold, and your precious silver;
22:25 and if the Almighty is your gold and your precious silver,
22:26 then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and lift up your face to God.
22:26 then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and lift up your face to God.
22:27 You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you; and you will pay your vows.
22:27 You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will pay your vows.
22:28 You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways.
22:28 You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways.
22:29 For God abases the proud, but he saves the lowly.
22:29 When others are humiliated, you say it is pride; for he saves the humble.
22:30 He delivers the innocent man; you will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."
22:30 He will deliver even those who are guilty; they will escape because of the cleanness of your hands."
22:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:
22:2 "Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
22:2 "Can a mortal be of use to God? Can even the wisest be of service to him?
22:3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous, or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?
22:3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous, or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?
22:4 Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you, and enters into judgment with you?
22:4 Is it for your piety that he reproves you, and enters into judgment with you?
22:5 Is not your wickedness great? There is no end to your iniquities.
22:5 Is not your wickedness great? There is no end to your iniquities.
22:6 For you have exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
22:6 For you have exacted pledges from your family for no reason, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
22:7 You have given no water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
22:7 You have given no water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
22:8 The man with power possessed the land, and the favored man dwelt in it.
22:8 The powerful possess the land, and the favored live in it.
22:9 You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless were crushed.
22:9 You have sent widows away empty-handed, and the arms of the orphans you have crushed.
22:10 Therefore snares are round about you, and sudden terror overwhelms you;
22:10 Therefore snares are around you, and sudden terror overwhelms you,
22:11 your light is darkened, so that you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.
22:11 or darkness so that you cannot see; a flood of water covers you.
22:12 "Is not God high in the heavens? See the highest stars, how lofty they are!
22:12 "Is not God high in the heavens? See the highest stars, how lofty they are!
22:13 Therefore you say, `What does God know? Can he judge through the deep darkness?
22:13 Therefore you say, 'What does God know? Can he judge through the deep darkness?
22:14 Thick clouds enwrap him, so that he does not see, and he walks on the vault of heaven.'
22:14 Thick clouds enwrap him, so that he does not see, and he walks on the dome of heaven.'
22:15 Will you keep to the old way which wicked men have trod?
22:15 Will you keep to the old way that the wicked have trod?
22:16 They were snatched away before their time; their foundation was washed away.
22:16 They were snatched away before their time; their foundation was washed away by a flood.
22:17 They said to God, `Depart from us,' and `What can the Almighty do to us?'
22:17 They said to God, 'Leave us alone,' and 'What can the Almighty do to us?'
22:18 Yet he filled their houses with good things -- but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
22:18 Yet he filled their houses with good things--but the plans of the wicked are repugnant to me.
22:19 The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent laugh them to scorn,
22:19 The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent laugh them to scorn,
22:20 saying, `Surely our adversaries are cut off, and what they left the fire has consumed.'
22:20 saying, 'Surely our adversaries are cut off, and what they left, the fire has consumed.'
22:21 "Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you.
22:21 "Agree with God, and be at peace; in this way good will come to you.
22:22 Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.
22:22 Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.
22:23 If you return to the Almighty and humble yourself, if you remove unrighteousness far from your tents,
22:23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored, if you remove unrighteousness from your tents,
22:24 if you lay gold in the dust, and gold of Ophir among the stones of the torrent bed,
22:24 if you treat gold like dust, and gold of Ophir like the stones of the torrent-bed,
22:25 and if the Almighty is your gold, and your precious silver;
22:25 and if the Almighty is your gold and your precious silver,
22:26 then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and lift up your face to God.
22:26 then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and lift up your face to God.
22:27 You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you; and you will pay your vows.
22:27 You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will pay your vows.
22:28 You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways.
22:28 You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways.
22:29 For God abases the proud, but he saves the lowly.
22:29 When others are humiliated, you say it is pride; for he saves the humble.
22:30 He delivers the innocent man; you will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."
22:30 He will deliver even those who are guilty; they will escape because of the cleanness of your hands."