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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 Says Job Must Repent

22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

“Can a mighty (A)man be of use to God,
Or an insightful man be useful to himself?
Is there any pleasure to [a]the Almighty if you are righteous,
Or profit if you make your ways perfect?
Is it because of your reverent fear that He reproves you,
That He (B)enters into judgment against you?
Is not (C)your evil great,
And your iniquities without end?
For you have (D)taken pledges of your brothers without cause,
And (E)stripped the clothing of the naked.
To the weary you have (F)given no water to drink,
And from the hungry you have (G)withheld bread.
But the earth (H)belongs to the (I)mighty man,
And (J)the [b]highly respected man inhabits it.
You have sent (K)widows away empty,
And the [c]might of the (L)orphans has been crushed.
10 Therefore (M)snares surround you,
And sudden (N)dread terrifies you,
11 Or (O)darkness, so that you cannot see,
And an (P)abundance of water covers you.

12 “Is not God (Q)in the height of heaven?
Look also at the [d]distant stars, how high they are!
13 You say, ‘(R)What does God know?
Can He judge through the dense gloom?
14 (S)Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see;
And He walks on the [e]vault of heaven.’
15 Will you keep to the ancient path
Which (T)wicked men have trod,
16 Who were snatched away (U)before their time,
Whose (V)foundations were [f]washed away by a river?
17 They (W)said to God, ‘Depart from us!’
And ‘What can [g]the Almighty do to them?’
18 Yet He (X)filled their houses with good things,
But (Y)the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 The (Z)righteous see and are glad,
And the innocent mock them,
20 Saying, ‘Truly those who rise against us are wiped out,
And their [h]abundance (AA)the fire has consumed.’

21 [i](AB)Yield now and be at peace with Him;
Thereby good will come to you.
22 Please receive [j](AC)instruction from His mouth
And set His words in your heart.
23 If you (AD)return to [k]the Almighty, you will be [l]restored;
If you (AE)remove unrighteousness far from your tent,
24 And (AF)put your [m]gold in the dust,
And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,
25 Then [n]the Almighty will be your [o]gold
And choice silver to you.
26 For then you will (AG)delight in [p]the Almighty
And lift up your face to God.
27 You will (AH)entreat Him, and (AI)He will hear you;
And you will pay your vows.
28 You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you;
And (AJ)light will shine on your ways.
29 When [q]some are cast down, you will speak with [r]confidence,
And the [s](AK)humble person He will save.
30 He will provide escape for one who is not innocent,
And he will (AL)escape through the cleanness of your hands.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 22:3 Heb Shaddai
  2. Job 22:8 Lit the one whose face is lifted up
  3. Job 22:9 Lit arms
  4. Job 22:12 Lit head, top-most
  5. Job 22:14 Lit circle
  6. Job 22:16 Lit poured out
  7. Job 22:17 Heb Shaddai
  8. Job 22:20 Or excess
  9. Job 22:21 Or Make yourself useful, cf. Job 22:2
  10. Job 22:22 Or law
  11. Job 22:23 Heb Shaddai
  12. Job 22:23 Lit built up
  13. Job 22:24 Lit ore
  14. Job 22:25 Heb Shaddai
  15. Job 22:25 Lit ore
  16. Job 22:26 Heb Shaddai
  17. Job 22:29 Lit they cast you down
  18. Job 22:29 Lit pride
  19. Job 22:29 Lit lowly of eyes

Eliphaz

22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite(A) replied:

“Can a man be of benefit to God?(B)
    Can even a wise person benefit him?(C)
What pleasure(D) would it give the Almighty if you were righteous?(E)
    What would he gain if your ways were blameless?(F)

“Is it for your piety that he rebukes you
    and brings charges against you?(G)
Is not your wickedness great?
    Are not your sins(H) endless?(I)
You demanded security(J) from your relatives for no reason;(K)
    you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked.(L)
You gave no water(M) to the weary
    and you withheld food from the hungry,(N)
though you were a powerful man, owning land(O)
    an honored man,(P) living on it.(Q)
And you sent widows(R) away empty-handed(S)
    and broke the strength of the fatherless.(T)
10 That is why snares(U) are all around you,(V)
    why sudden peril terrifies you,(W)
11 why it is so dark(X) you cannot see,
    and why a flood of water covers you.(Y)

12 “Is not God in the heights of heaven?(Z)
    And see how lofty are the highest stars!
13 Yet you say, ‘What does God know?(AA)
    Does he judge through such darkness?(AB)
14 Thick clouds(AC) veil him, so he does not see us(AD)
    as he goes about in the vaulted heavens.’(AE)
15 Will you keep to the old path
    that the wicked(AF) have trod?(AG)
16 They were carried off before their time,(AH)
    their foundations(AI) washed away by a flood.(AJ)
17 They said to God, ‘Leave us alone!
    What can the Almighty do to us?’(AK)
18 Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things,(AL)
    so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.(AM)
19 The righteous see their ruin and rejoice;(AN)
    the innocent mock(AO) them, saying,
20 ‘Surely our foes are destroyed,(AP)
    and fire(AQ) devours their wealth.’

21 “Submit to God and be at peace(AR) with him;(AS)
    in this way prosperity will come to you.(AT)
22 Accept instruction from his mouth(AU)
    and lay up his words(AV) in your heart.(AW)
23 If you return(AX) to the Almighty, you will be restored:(AY)
    If you remove wickedness far from your tent(AZ)
24 and assign your nuggets(BA) to the dust,
    your gold(BB) of Ophir(BC) to the rocks in the ravines,(BD)
25 then the Almighty will be your gold,(BE)
    the choicest silver for you.(BF)
26 Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty(BG)
    and will lift up your face(BH) to God.(BI)
27 You will pray to him,(BJ) and he will hear you,(BK)
    and you will fulfill your vows.(BL)
28 What you decide on will be done,(BM)
    and light(BN) will shine on your ways.(BO)
29 When people are brought low(BP) and you say, ‘Lift them up!’
    then he will save the downcast.(BQ)
30 He will deliver even one who is not innocent,(BR)
    who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”(BS)

22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?

Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?

Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?

Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?

For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.

But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.

Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;

11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.

12 Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!

13 And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?

14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.

15 Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?

16 Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:

17 Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?

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: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.

20 Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.

21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.

22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.

23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.

24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.

25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.

26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.

27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.

28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.

29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.

30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.