Eliphaz Accuses and Exhorts Job
22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2
“Can a vigorous man be of use to God,
Or a wise man be useful to himself?(A)
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“Is it any pleasure or joy to [a]the Almighty that you are righteous?
Or is it of benefit to Him that you make your ways perfect?(B)
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“Is it because of your fear of Him that He corrects you,
That He enters into judgment against you?
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“Is not your wickedness great,
And your sins without end?
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“For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause,
And stripped men naked.
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“You have not given water to the weary to drink,
And you have withheld bread from the hungry.(C)
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“But the land is possessed by the man with power,
And the favored and honorable man dwells in it.
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“You have sent widows away empty-handed,
And the arms (strength) of the fatherless have been broken.
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“Therefore snares surround you,
And sudden dread terrifies and overwhelms you;
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Or darkness, so that you cannot see,
And a flood of water covers you.
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“Is not God in the height of heaven?
And behold the distant stars, how high they are!
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“You say, ‘What does God know [about me]?
Can He judge through the thick darkness?
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‘Thick clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see,
And He walks on the vault (circle) of the heavens.’
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“Will you keep to the ancient path
That wicked men walked [in the time of Noah],(D)
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Men who were snatched away before their time,
Whose foundations were poured out like a river?
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“They said to God, ‘Depart from us!
What can the Almighty do for us or to us?’
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“Yet He filled their houses with good things;
But the counsel of the wicked and ungodly is far from me.
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“The righteous see it and are glad;
And the innocent mock and laugh at them, saying,
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‘Surely our adversaries are cut off and destroyed,
And fire has consumed their abundance.’
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“Now yield and submit yourself to Him [agree with God and be conformed to His will] and be at peace;
In this way [you will prosper and great] good will come to you.
22
“Please receive the law and instruction from His mouth
And establish His words in your heart and keep them.(E)
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“If you return to the Almighty [and submit and humble yourself before Him], you will be built up [and restored];
If you remove unrighteousness far from your tents,
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And place your gold in the dust,
And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks [considering it of little value],
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And make the Almighty your gold
And your precious silver,
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Then you will have delight in the Almighty,
And you will lift up your face to God.
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“You will pray to Him, and He will hear you,
And you will pay your vows.
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“You will also decide and decree a thing, and it will be established for you;
And the light [of God’s favor] will shine upon your ways.
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“When you are cast down and humbled, you will speak with confidence,
And the humble person He will lift up and save.
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“He will even rescue the one [for whom you intercede] who is not innocent;
And he will be rescued through the cleanness of your hands.”(F)
Footnotes
- Job 22:3 Heb Shaddai, also vv 17, 23, 25, 26.