Job 22

Eliphaz Accuses and Exhorts Job

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite ^{▼▼ Lit answered and said}responded, 2 “Can a vigorous ^bman be of use to God,
Or a wise man be useful to himself?
3 “Is there any pleasure to ^{▼▼ Heb Shaddai}the Almighty if you are righteous,
Or profit if you make your ways perfect?
4 “Is it because of your ^{▼▼ Or fear}reverence that He reproves you,
That He ^eenters into judgment against you?
5 “Is not ^fyour wickedness great,
And your iniquities without end?
6 “For you have ^gtaken pledges of your brothers without cause,
And ^hstripped ^{▼▼ Lit clothing of the naked}men naked.
7 “To the weary you have ^jgiven no water to drink,
And from the hungry you have ^kwithheld bread.
8 “But the earth ^lbelongs to the ^mmighty man,
And ⁿthe honorable man dwells in it.
9 “You have sent ^owidows away empty,
And the ^{▼▼ Lit arms}strength of the ^qorphans has been crushed.
10 “Therefore ^rsnares surround you,
And sudden ^sdread terrifies you,
11 Or ^tdarkness, so that you cannot see,
And an ^uabundance of water covers you.

12 “Is not God ^v in the height of heaven?
Look also at the ^{▼▼ Lit head, top-most}distant stars, how high they are!
13 “You say, ‘ ^xWhat does God know?
Can He judge through the thick darkness?
14 ‘ ^yClouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see;
And He walks on the ^{▼▼ Lit circle}vault of heaven.’
15 “Will you keep to the ancient path
Which ^aawicked men have trod,
16 Who were snatched away ^abbefore their time,
Whose ^acfoundations were ^{▼▼ Lit poured out}washed away by a river?
17 “They ^aesaid to God, ‘Depart from us!’
And ‘What can ^{▼▼ Heb Shaddai}the Almighty do to them?’
18 “Yet He ^agfilled their houses with good things;
But ^ahthe counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 “The ^airighteous see and are glad,
And the innocent mock them,
20 Saying, ‘Truly our adversaries are cut off,
And their ^{▼▼ Or excess}abundance ^akthe fire has consumed.’

21 ^{▼▼ Or Know intimately
,} ^am“Yield now and be at peace with Him;
Thereby good will come to you.
22 “Please receive ^{▼▼ Or law
,} ^aoinstruction from His mouth
And establish His words in your heart.
23 “If you ^apreturn to ^{▼▼ Heb Shaddai}the Almighty, you will be ^{▼▼ Lit built up}restored;
If you ^asremove unrighteousness far from your tent,
24 And ^atplace your ^{▼▼ Lit ore}gold in the dust,
And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,
25 Then ^{▼▼ Heb Shaddai}the Almighty will be your ^{▼▼ Lit ore}gold
And choice silver to you.
26 “For then you will ^axdelight in ^{▼▼ Heb Shaddai}the Almighty
And lift up your face to God.
27 “You will ^azpray to Him, and ^baHe will hear you;
And you will pay your vows.
28 “You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you;
And ^bblight will shine on your ways.
29 “When ^{▼▼ Lit they cast you down}you are cast down, you will speak with ^{▼▼ Lit pride}confidence,
And the ^{▼▼ Lit lowly of eyes
,} ^bfhumble person He will save.
30 “He will deliver one who is not innocent,
And he will be ^bgdelivered through the cleanness of your hands.”