Job 22

Eliphaz

Then Eliphaz the Temanite^a replied:

“Can a human being be of benefit to God?^b

Can even the wise 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

That is why snares^u are all around you,^v

why sudden peril terrifies you,^w

why it is so dark^x you cannot see,

and why a flood of water covers you.^y

“Is not God in the heights of heaven?^z

And see how lofty are the highest stars!

Yet you say, ‘What does God know?^a

Does he judge through such darkness?^b

Thick clouds^c veil him, so he does not see us^d

as he goes about in the vaulted heavens.’^e

Will you keep to the old path

that the wicked^f have trod?^g

They were carried off before their time,^h

their foundationsⁱ washed away by a flood.^j

They said to God, ‘Leave us alone!

What can the Almighty do to us?’^k

Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things,^l

so I stand aloof from the counsel of the wicked.^m

The righteous see their ruin and rejoice;ⁿ

the innocent mock^o them, saying,

‘Surely our foes are destroyed,^p

and fire^q devours their wealth.’

“Submit to God and be at peace^r with him;^s

in this way prosperity will come to you.^t

Accept instruction from his mouth^u

and lay up his words^v in your heart.^w

If you return^x to the Almighty, you will be restored:^y

If you remove wickedness far from your tent^z

and assign your nuggets^a to the dust,

your gold^b of Ophir^c to the rocks in the ravines,^d

then the Almighty will be your gold,^e

the choicest silver for you.^f

Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty^g

and will lift up your face^h to God.ⁱ

You will pray to him,^j and he will hear you,^k

and you will fulfill your vows.^l

What you decide on will be done,^m

and lightⁿ will shine on your ways.^o

When people are brought low^p and you say, ‘Lift them up!’

then he will save the downcast.^q

He will deliver even one who is not innocent,^r

who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”^s