Job 22

CHAPTER 22

Eliphaz Says Job Must Repent

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

²“Can a mighty ^aman be of use to God,

Or an insightful man be useful to himself?

³“Is there any pleasure to ¹the Almighty if you are righteous,

Or profit if you make your ways perfect?

⁴“Is it because of your reverent fear that He reproves you,

That He ^aenters into judgment against you?

⁵“Is not ^ayour evil great,

And your iniquities without end?

⁶“For you have ^ataken pledges of your brothers without cause,

And ^bstripped the clothing of the naked.

⁷“To the weary you have ^agiven no water to drink,

And from the hungry you have ^bwithheld bread.

⁸“But the earth ^abelongs to the ^bmighty man,

And ^cthe ¹highly respected man inhabits it.

⁹“You have sent ^awidows away empty,

And the ¹might of the ^borphans has been crushed.

¹⁰“Therefore ^asnares surround you,

And sudden ^bdread terrifies you,

¹¹Or ^adarkness, so that you cannot see,

And an ^babundance of water covers you.

¹²“Is not God ^ain the height of heaven?

Look also at the ¹distant stars, how high they are!

¹³“You say, ‘^aWhat does God know?

Can He judge through the dense gloom?

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

And He walks on the ¹vault of heaven.’

¹⁵“Will you keep to the ancient path

Which ^awicked men have trod,

¹⁶Who were snatched away ^abefore their time,

Whose ^bfoundations were ¹washed away by a river?

¹⁷“They ^asaid to God, ‘Depart from us!’

And ‘What can ¹the Almighty do to them?’

¹⁸“Yet He ^afilled their houses with good things,

But ^bthe counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁹“The ^arighteous see and are glad,

And the innocent mock them,

²⁰Saying, ‘Truly those who rise against us are wiped out,

And their ¹abundance ^athe fire has consumed.’

²¹“^1aYield now and be at peace with Him;

Thereby good will come to you.

²²“Please receive ^1ainstruction from His mouth

And set His words in your heart.

²³“If you ^areturn to ¹the Almighty, you will be ²restored;

If you ^bremove unrighteousness far from your tent,

²⁴And ^aput your ¹gold in the dust,

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

²⁵Then ¹the Almighty will be your ²gold

And choice silver to you.

²⁶“For then you will ^adelight in ¹the Almighty

And lift up your face to God.

²⁷“You will ^aentreat Him, and ^bHe will hear you;

And you will pay your vows.

²⁸“You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you;

And ^alight will shine on your ways.

²⁹“When ¹some are cast down, you will speak with ²confidence,

And the ^3ahumble person He will save.

³⁰“He will provide escape for one who is not innocent,

And he will ^aescape through the cleanness of your hands.”