Eliphaz’s Third Speech78
22:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
22:2 Is it to God that a man is God?
Is it to him that even a wise man is profitable?1
22:3 Is it of any special benefit2
to the Almighty
that you should be righteous,
or is it any gain to him
that you make your ways blameless?3
22:4 Is it because of your piety4
that he rebukes you?
and goes to judgment with you?5
22:5 Is not your wickedness great?
and is there no end to your iniquity?6
22:6 For you took pledges7
from your brothers
for no reason;
and you stripped the clothing from the naked.8
22:7 You gave no water to the weary,9
and from the hungry you withheld food.
22:8 Although you were a powerful man,10
owning land,11
an honored man12
living on it;13
22:9 you sent widows away empty handed,
and the arms14
of the orphans are crushed.15
22:10 That is why snares are all around you,
and why sudden fear terrifies you;
22:11 why it is so dark you cannot see,16
and why a flood17
of water covers you.
22:12 Is not God on high in heaven?18
And see19
the lofty stars,20
how high they are!
22:13 But you have said, “What does God know?
Does he judge through such darkness?21
22:14 Thick clouds are a veil for him, so he does not see us,
as he goes to and fro
in the vault22
of heaven.”23
22:15 Will you keep to the old path24
that evil men have trod,
22:16 Men25
who were carried off26
before their time,27
when the flood28
was poured out29
on their foundations.30
22:17 They were saying to God, “Turn away from us,”
and “What can the Almighty do to us?”31
22:18 But it was he32
who filled their houses
with good things,
but the counsel of the wicked33
was far from me.34
22:19 The righteous see their ruin35
and rejoice;
the innocent mock them,36
saying,
22:20 “Surely our foes37
are destroyed,
and fire devours their wealth.”
22:21 Reconcile yourself38
with him,
and be at peace39
with him;
in this way your prosperity will be good.
22:22 Accept instruction from his mouth
and lay up his words40
in your heart
22:23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be
built up;41
If you remove wickedness far from your tent.
22:24 And lay42
your gold43
in the dust,
your gold44
of Ophir
among the rocks in the ravines;
22:25 then the Almighty will be your gold,45
and the choicest46
silver for you.
22:26 Surely then you will delight yourself47
in the Almighty,
and you will lift up your face to God,
22:27 You will pray to him and he will hear you,
and you will fulfill your vows.
22:28 What you decide48
on a matter,
it will be established for you,
and light will shine on your ways.
22:29 When men are brought low49
and you say
“Lift them up!”50
then he will save the downcast;
22:30 he will deliver even one who is not innocent,51
who will escape52
through the cleanness of your hands.