Job 22
Eliphaz’s Third Speech1
22:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:
22:2 “Is it to God that a strong man is of benefit?
Is it to him that even a wise man is profitable?2
22:3 Is it of any special benefit3 to the Almighty
that you should be righteous,
or is it any gain to him
that you make your ways blameless?4
22:4 Is it because of your piety5 that he rebukes you
and goes to judgment with you?6
22:5 Is not your wickedness great7
and is there no end to your iniquity?
22:6 “For you took pledges8 from your brothers
for no reason,
and you stripped the clothing from the naked.9
22:7 You gave the weary10 no water to drink
and from the hungry you withheld food.
22:8 Although you were a powerful man,11 owning land,12
an honored man13 living on it,14
22:9 you sent widows away empty-handed,
and the arms15 of the orphans you crushed.16
22:10 That is why snares surround you,
and why sudden fear terrifies you,
22:11 why it is so dark you cannot see,17
and why a flood18 of water covers you.
22:12 “Is not God on high in heaven?19
And see20 the lofty stars,21 how high they are!
22:13 But you have said, ‘What does God know?
Does he judge through such deep darkness?22
22:14 Thick clouds are a veil for him, so he does not see us,23
as he goes back and forth
22:15 Will you keep to the old path26
that evil men have walked –
22:16 men27 who were carried off28 before their time,29
when the flood30 was poured out31
on their foundations?32
22:17 They were saying to God, ‘Turn away from us,’
and ‘What can the Almighty do to us?’33
22:18 But it was he34 who filled their houses
with good things –
yet the counsel of the wicked35
was far from me.36
22:19 The righteous see their destruction37 and rejoice;
the innocent mock them scornfully,38 saying,
22:20 ‘Surely our enemies39 are destroyed,
and fire consumes their wealth.’
22:21 “Reconcile yourself40 with God,41
and be at peace42 with him;
in this way your prosperity will be good.
22:22 Accept instruction43 from his mouth
and store up his words44 in your heart.
22:23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up;45
if you remove wicked behavior far from your tent,
22:24 and throw46 your gold47 in the dust –
your gold48 of Ophir
among the rocks in the ravines –
22:25 then the Almighty himself will be your gold,49
and the choicest50 silver for you.
22:26 Surely then you will delight yourself51 in the Almighty,
and will lift up your face toward God.
22:27 You will pray to him and he will hear you,
and you will fulfill your vows to him.52
22:28 Whatever you decide53 on a matter,
it will be established for you,
and light will shine on your ways.
22:29 When people are brought low54 and you say
‘Lift them up!’55
then he will save the downcast;56
22:30 he will deliver even someone who is not innocent,57
who will escape58 through the cleanness of your hands.”