Job 22
Eliphaz: Is Not Your Wickedness Great?
← Job 21 · Job: all chapters · Job 23 →
The Third Speech of Eliphaz
22:1Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
22:2“Is it not the Lord who teaches understanding and knowledge?
22:3For what does it matter to the Lord
if you were blameless in your works?
Or what benefit is there if you make your way sincere?
22:4Will He reprove you out of consideration for you
and enter together with you into judgment?
22:5Is not your wickedness great,
and are not your sins countless?
22:6You took pledges from your brothers for nothing
and removed the clothing of the naked.
22:7You did not even give the thirsty water to drink,
but deprived the hungry of a morsel.
22:8You showed partiality to certain people
and settled those upon the land.
22:9You sent widows away empty
and mistreated orphans.
22:10Therefore traps encircled you,
and a terrible war threw you into turmoil;
22:11light became darkness for you,
and water covered you as you slept.
22:12Does not the One dwelling on high observe?
He humbled those carried away by insolence.
22:13And you said, ‘What has the Strong One known?
Will He judge down through the gloom?
22:14Clouds are His concealment, and He will not be seen;
He will pass around the circle of heaven.’
22:15Will you guard the age-old path
that unjust men trod,
22:16who were seized before their time?
Their foundations are a river flowing over,
22:17those who say, ‘What will the Lord do to us?
Or what will the Almighty bring upon us?’
22:18Yet He is the One who filled their houses with good things,
and the counsel of the ungodly is far from Him.
22:19The righteous saw and laughed,
and the blameless person sneered.
22:20‘Surely their substance was obliterated,
and fire will devour their remainder.’
22:21Become firm, then, if you endure;
then your fruit will be among good things.
22:22Receive an utterance from His mouth,
and take up His words in your heart.
22:23If you turn back and humble yourself before the Lord,
you have put injustice far from your dwelling.
22:24You will place it upon a mound, in a rock,
and, like a rock, the torrents of Ophir.
22:25Then the Almighty will be your helper against enemies,
and He will render you pure like silver refined by fire.
22:26Then you will speak freely before the Lord,
looking up cheerfully toward heaven.
22:27When you pray to Him, He will hear you,
and He will enable you to fulfill your vows.
22:28He will restore a dwelling of righteousness to you,
and brightness will be upon your ways.
22:29For He humbled him, and you will say, ‘He was arrogant’;
He will save the one with downcast eyes.
22:30He will rescue an innocent person;
and be saved through your clean hands.”
← Job 21 · Job: all chapters · Job 23 →
Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.