[[Job 21|<< Job 21]] | [[Job|Job]] | [[Job 23|Job 23 >>]] ### Job 22 1 THEN Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, ^1 2 Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? ^2 3 _Is_ _it_ any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or _is_ _it_ gain _to_ _him_, that thou makest thy ways perfect? ^3 4 Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment? ^4 5 _Is_ not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite? ^5 6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing. ^6 7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry. ^7 8 But _as_ _for_ the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honorable man dwelt in it. ^8 9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken. ^9 10 Therefore snares _are_ round about thee, and sudden fear troubles thee; ^10 11 Or darkness, _that_ thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee. ^11 12 _Is_ not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are! ^12 13 And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud? ^13 14 Thick clouds _are_ a covering to him, that he sees not; and he walks in the circuit of heaven. ^14 15 Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden? ^15 16 Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood: ^16 17 Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them? ^17 18 Yet he filled their houses with good _things:_ but the counsel of the wicked is far from me. ^18 19 The righteous see _it_, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn. ^19 20 Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumes. ^20 21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. ^21 22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. ^22 23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. ^23 24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the _gold_ of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. ^24 25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver. ^25 26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. ^26 27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. ^27 28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. ^28 29 When _men_ are cast down, then thou shalt say, _There_ _is_ lifting up; and he shall save the humble person. ^29 30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands. ^30