22:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,
22:2 “Can a strong man be of use to God,
Or a wise one be useful to himself?
22:3 Is it any pleasure to ①the Almighty if you are righteous,
Or gain if you make your ways blameless?
▷ ①Heb Shaddai
22:4 Is it because of your ①reverence that He punishes you,
That He enters into judgment against you?
▷ ①Or fear
22:5 Is your wickedness not abundant,
And is there no end to your guilty deeds?
22:6 For you have seized pledges from your brothers without cause,
And ①stripped people naked.
▷ ①Lit stripped clothing of the naked
22:7 You have given the weary no water to drink,
And you have withheld bread from the hungry.
22:8 But the earth belongs to the powerful man,
And the one who is honorable dwells on it.
22:9 You have sent widows away empty,
And the ①strength of orphans has been crushed.
▷ ①Lit arms
22:10 Therefore traps surround you,
And sudden dread terrifies you,
22:11 Or darkness, so that you cannot see,
And a flood of water covers you.
22:12 “Is God not in the height of heaven?
Look also at the ①highest stars, how high they are!
▷ ①Lit head, top-most
22:13 But you say, ‘What does God know?
Can He judge through the thick darkness?
22:14 Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see;
And He walks on the ①vault of heaven.’
▷ ①Lit circle
22:15 Will you keep to the ancient path
Which wicked people have walked,
22:16 Who were snatched away before their time,
Whose foundations were ①washed away by a river?
▷ ①Lit poured out
22:17 They said to God, ‘Go away from us!’
And ‘What can ①the Almighty do to them?’
▷ ①Heb Shaddai
22:18 Yet He filled their houses with good things;
But the advice of the wicked is far from me.
22:19 The righteous see and are glad,
And the innocent mock them, saying,
22:20 ‘Truly our enemies are eliminated,
And fire has consumed their ①abundance.’
▷ ①Or excess
22:21 “Be reconciled with Him, and be at peace;
Thereby good will come to you.
22:22 Please receive ①instruction from His mouth,
And put His words in your heart.
▷ ①Or law
22:23 If you return to ①the Almighty, you will be ②restored;
If you remove injustice far from your tent,
▷ ①Heb Shaddai ②Lit built up
22:24 And put your ①gold in the dust,
And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,
▷ ①Lit ore
22:25 Then ①the Almighty will be your ②gold
And abundant silver to you.
▷ ①Heb Shaddai ②Lit ore
22:26 For then you will take pleasure in ①the Almighty
And lift up your face to God.
▷ ①Heb Shaddai
22:27 You will pray to Him, and He will hear you;
And you will pay your vows.
22:28 You will also decide something, and it will be established for you;
And light will shine on your ways.
22:29 When ①they have brought you low, you will speak with ②confidence,
And He will save the ③humble person.
▷ ①Lit they cast you down ②Lit pride ③Lit lowly of eyes
22:30 He will rescue one who is not innocent,
And he will be rescued due to the cleanness of your hands.”