22
Eliphaz Accuses and Exhorts Job
1 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? [Ps 16:2; Luke 17:10]
3 “Is it any pleasure or joy to the Almighty that you are righteous?
Or is it of benefit to Him that you make your ways perfect? [Is 62:3; Zech 2:8; Mal 3:17; Acts 20:28]
4 “Is it because of your fear of Him that He corrects you,
That He enters into judgment against you?
5 “Is not your wickedness great,
And your sins without end?
6 “For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause,
And stripped men naked.
7 “You have not given water to the weary to drink,
And you have withheld bread from the hungry. [Matt 25:42]
8 “But the land is possessed by the man with power,
And the favored and honorable man dwells in it.
9 “You have sent widows away empty-handed,
And the arms (strength) of the fatherless have been broken.
10 “Therefore snares surround you,
And sudden dread terrifies and overwhelms you;
11 Or darkness, so that you cannot see,
And a flood of water covers you.
12 “Is not God in the height of heaven?
And behold the distant stars, how high they are!
13 “You say, ‘What does God know [about me]?
Can He judge through the thick darkness?
14 ‘Thick clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see,
And He walks on the vault (circle) of the heavens.’
15 “Will you keep to the ancient path
That wicked men walked [in the time of Noah], [2 Pet 2:5]
16 Men who were snatched away before their time,
Whose foundations were poured out like a river?
17 “They said to God, ‘Depart from us!
What can the Almighty do for us or to us?’
18 “Yet He filled their houses with good things;
But the counsel of the wicked and ungodly is far from me.
19 “The righteous see it and are glad;
And the innocent mock and laugh at them, saying,
20 ‘Surely our adversaries are cut off and destroyed,
And fire has consumed their abundance.’
21 “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. [Ps 119:11]
23 “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,
24 And place your gold in the dust,
And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks [considering it of little value],
25 And make the Almighty your gold
And your precious silver,
26 Then you will have delight in the Almighty,
And you will lift up your face to God.
27 “You will pray to Him, and He will hear you,
And you will pay your vows.
28 “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.
29 “When you are cast down and humbled, you will speak with confidence,
And the humble person He will lift up and save.
30 “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.” [Job 42:7, 8]