22:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:

22:2 “Is it to God that a strong man is of benefit?

Is it to him that even a wise man is profitable? ² 

22:3 Is it of any special benefit ³  to the Almighty

that you should be righteous,

or is it any gain to him

that you make your ways blameless? ⁴ 

22:4 Is it because of your piety ⁵  that he rebukes you

and goes to judgment with you? ⁶ 

22:5 Is not your wickedness great ⁷ 

and is there no end to your iniquity?

22:6 “For you took pledges ⁸  from your brothers

for no reason,

and you stripped the clothing from the naked. ⁹ 

22:7 You gave the weary ¹⁰  no water to drink

and from the hungry you withheld food.

22:8 Although you were a powerful man, ¹¹  owning land, ¹² 

an honored man ¹³  living on it, ¹⁴ 

22:9 you sent widows away empty-handed,

and the arms ¹⁵  of the orphans you crushed. ¹⁶ 

22:10 That is why snares surround you,

and why sudden fear terrifies you,

22:11 why it is so dark you cannot see, ¹⁷ 

and why a flood ¹⁸  of water covers you.

22:12 “Is not God on high in heaven? ¹⁹ 

And see ²⁰  the lofty stars, ²¹  how high they are!

22:13 But you have said, ‘What does God know?

Does he judge through such deep darkness? ²² 

22:14 Thick clouds are a veil for him, so he does not see us, ²³ 

as he goes back and forth

in the vault ²⁴  of heaven.’ ²⁵ 

22:15 Will you keep to the old path ²⁶ 

that evil men have walked –

22:16 men ²⁷  who were carried off ²⁸  before their time, ²⁹ 

when the flood ³⁰  was poured out ³¹ 

on their foundations? ³² 

22:17 They were saying to God, ‘Turn away from us,’

and ‘What can the Almighty do to us?’ ³³ 

22:18 But it was he ³⁴  who filled their houses

with good things –

yet the counsel of the wicked ³⁵ 

was far from me. ³⁶ 

22:19 The righteous see their destruction ³⁷  and rejoice;

the innocent mock them scornfully, ³⁸  saying,

22:20 ‘Surely our enemies ³⁹  are destroyed,

and fire consumes their wealth.’

22:21 “Reconcile yourself ⁴⁰  with God, ⁴¹ 

and be at peace ⁴²  with him;

in this way your prosperity will be good.

22:22 Accept instruction ⁴³  from his mouth

and store up his words ⁴⁴  in your heart.

22:23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up; ⁴⁵ 

if you remove wicked behavior far from your tent,

22:24 and throw ⁴⁶  your gold ⁴⁷  in the dust –

your gold ⁴⁸  of Ophir

among the rocks in the ravines –

22:25 then the Almighty himself will be your gold, ⁴⁹ 

and the choicest ⁵⁰  silver for you.

22:26 Surely then you will delight yourself ⁵¹  in the Almighty,

and will lift up your face toward God.

22:27 You will pray to him and he will hear you,

and you will fulfill your vows to him. ⁵² 

22:28 Whatever you decide ⁵³  on a matter,

it will be established for you,

and light will shine on your ways.

22:29 When people are brought low ⁵⁴  and you say

‘Lift them up!’ ⁵⁵ 

then he will save the downcast; ⁵⁶ 

22:30 he will deliver even someone who is not innocent, ⁵⁷ 

who will escape ⁵⁸  through the cleanness of your hands.”