XXII. Then aEliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

2  bCan a man be profitable unto God,

* As he cthat is wise may be profitable unto himself?

3  Is it any dpleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous?

Or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?

4  Will he reprove thee for fear of thee?

Will he eenter with thee into judgment?

5  Is not thy wickedness great?

And thine iniquities infinite?

6  For thou hast ftaken a pledge from thy brother for nought,

And * stripped the gnaked of their clothing.

7  Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink,

And thou hhast withholden bread from the hungry.

8  But as for * the mighty man, ihe had the earth;

And the * honourable man dwelt in it.

9  Thou hast ksent widows away empty,

And lthe arms of mthe fatherless have been broken.

10  Therefore nsnares are round about thee,

And sudden fear troubleth thee;

11  Or darkness, that thou canst not see;

And oabundance of pwaters cover thee.

12  Is not God in qthe height of heaven?

And behold * the height of the stars, how high they are.

13  And thou sayest, * rHow doth God know?

Can he judge through the sdark cloud?

14  tThick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not;

And he walketh in the ucircuit of heaven.

15  Hast thou xmarked the old way

Which wicked men have trodden?

16  Which were ycut down zout of time,

* Whose foundation was overflown with a flood:

17  aWhich said unto God, Depart from us:

And bwhat can the Almighty do * cfor them?

18  Yet he filled their houses with good things:

But dthe counsel of the wicked is far from me.

19  eThe righteous see it, and are glad:

And the innocent flaugh them to scorn.

20  Whereas our * substance is not cut down,

But * the remnant of them gthe fire consumeth.

21  hAcquaint now thyself * with him, and ibe at peace:

Thereby good shall come unto thee.

22  Receive, I pray thee, the law from jhis mouth,

And lay up his words in thine heart.

23  kIf thou return to the Almighty, lthou shalt be built up,

Thou shalt put away miniquity far from thy ntabernacles.

24  Then shalt thou lay up gold * as dust,

And the gold of oOphir 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 phave thy delight in the Almighty,

And qshalt lift up thy face unto God.

27  Thou shalt rmake thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee,

And thou shalt spay thy vows.

28  Thou shalt also tdecree a thing, and uit shall be established unto thee:

And xthe light shall shine upon thy ways.

29  When men yare cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up;

And zhe shall save * the humble person.

30  * He shall deliver the island of the innocent:

And it is delivered by athe pureness of thine hands.