Job 22

¹Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said, ²Can a man be profitable unto God? surely he that is wise is profitable unto himself. ³Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect? ⁴Is it for thy fear of himthat he reproveth thee, that he entereth with thee into judgment? ⁵Is not thy wickedness great? neither is there any end to thine iniquities. ⁶For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing. ⁷Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry. ⁸But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man, he dwelt in it. ⁹Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken. ¹⁰Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee, ¹¹Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and abundance of waters cover thee. ¹²Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are! ¹³And thou sayest, What doth God know? can he judge through the thick darkness? ¹⁴Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven. ¹⁵Wilt thou keep the old way which wicked men have trodden? ¹⁶Who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream: ¹⁷Who said unto God, Depart from us; and, What can the Almighty do for us? ¹⁸Yet he fired their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me. ¹⁹The righteous see it, and are glad; and the innocent laugh them to scorn: ²⁰Saying, Surely they that did rise up against us are cut off, and the remnant of them the fire hath consumed. ²¹Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. ²²Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. ²³If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up; if thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents. ²⁴And lay thou thytreasure in the dust, and the gold ofOphir among the stones of the brooks; ²⁵And the Almighty shall be thy treasure, and precious silver unto thee. ²⁶For then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. ²⁷Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee; and thou shalt pay thy vows. ²⁸Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and light shall shine upon thy ways. ²⁹When they cast theedown, thou shalt say, There islifting up; and the humble person he shall save. ³⁰He shall deliver evenhim that is not innocent: yea, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thine hands.