Job 22

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:

²“Is it to God that a strong man is of benefit?Is it to him that even a wise man is profitable?

³Is it of any special benefit to the Almightythat you should be righteous,or is it any gain to himthat you make your ways blameless?

⁴Is it because of your piety that he rebukes youand goes to judgment with you?

⁵Is not your wickedness greatand is there no end to your iniquity?

⁶“For you took pledges from your brothersfor no reason,and you stripped the clothing from the naked.

⁷You gave the weary no water to drinkand from the hungry you withheld food.

⁸Although you were a powerful man, owning land,an honored man living on it,

⁹you sent widows away empty-handed,and the arms of the orphans you crushed.

¹⁰That is why snares surround you,and why sudden fear terrifies you,

¹¹why it is so dark you cannot see,and why a flood of water covers you.

¹²“Is not God on high in heaven?And see the lofty stars, how high they are!

¹³But you have said, ‘What does God know?Does he judge through such deep darkness?

¹⁴Thick clouds are a veil for him, so he does not see us,as he goes back and forthin the vault of heaven.’

¹⁵Will you keep to the old paththat evil men have walked –

¹⁶men who were carried off before their time,when the flood was poured outon their foundations?

¹⁷They were saying to God, ‘Turn away from us,’and ‘What can the Almighty do to us?’

¹⁸But it was he who filled their houseswith good things –yet the counsel of the wickedwas far from me.

¹⁹The righteous see their destruction and rejoice;the innocent mock them scornfully, saying,

²⁰‘Surely our enemies are destroyed,and fire consumes their wealth.’

²¹“Reconcile yourself with God,and be at peace with him;in this way your prosperity will be good.

²²Accept instruction from his mouthand store up his words in your heart.

²³If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up;if you remove wicked behavior far from your tent,

²⁴and throw your gold in the dust –your gold of Ophiramong the rocks in the ravines –

²⁵then the Almighty himself will be your gold,and the choicest silver for you.

²⁶Surely then you will delight yourself in the Almighty,and will lift up your face toward God.

²⁷You will pray to him and he will hear you,and you will fulfill your vows to him.

²⁸Whatever you decide on a matter,it will be established for you,and light will shine on your ways.

²⁹When people are brought low and you say‘Lift them up!’then he will save the downcast;

³⁰he will deliver even someone who is not innocent,who will escape through the cleanness of your hands.”