Eliphaz Says Job Must Repent

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

²“Can a mighty man be of use to God,

Or an insightful man be useful to himself?

³“Is there any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous,[#22:3 Heb Shaddai]

Or profit if you make your ways perfect?

⁴“Is it because of your reverent fear that He reproves you,

That He enters into judgment against you?

⁵“Is not your evil great,

And your iniquities without end?

⁶“For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause,

And stripped the clothing of the naked.

⁷“To the weary you have given no water to drink,

And from the hungry you have withheld bread.

⁸“But the earth belongs to the mighty man,

And the highly respected man inhabits it.

⁹“You have sent widows away empty,

And the might of the orphans has been crushed.

¹⁰“Therefore snares surround you,

And sudden dread terrifies you,

¹¹Or darkness, so that you cannot see,

And an abundance of water covers you.

¹²¶“Is not God in the height of heaven?

Look also at the distant stars, how high they are!

¹³“You say, ‘What does God know?

Can He judge through the dense gloom?

¹⁴‘Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see;

And He walks on the vault of heaven.’

¹⁵“Will you keep to the ancient path

Which wicked men have trod,

¹⁶Who were snatched away before their time,

Whose foundations were washed away by a river?

¹⁷“They said to God, ‘Depart from us!’

And ‘What can the Almighty do to them?’

¹⁸“Yet He filled their houses with good things ,

But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁹“The righteous see and are glad,

And the innocent mock them,

²⁰Saying , ‘Truly those who rise against us are wiped out,

And their abundance the fire has consumed.’

²¹¶“Yield now and be at peace with Him;[#22:21 Or Make yourself useful , cf. Job 22:2]

Thereby good will come to you.

²²“Please receive instruction from His mouth[#22:22 Or law]

And set His words in your heart.

²³“If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored;[#22:23 Heb Shaddai; #22:23 Lit built up]

If you remove unrighteousness far from your tent,

²⁴And put your gold in the dust,[#22:24 Lit ore]

And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,

²⁵Then the Almighty will be your gold[#22:25 Heb Shaddai; #22:25 Lit ore]

And choice silver to you.

²⁶“For then you will delight in the Almighty[#22:26 Heb Shaddai]

And lift up your face to God.

²⁷“You will entreat Him, and He will hear you;

And you will pay your vows.

²⁸“You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you;

And light will shine on your ways.

²⁹“When some are cast down, you will speak with confidence,[#22:29 Lit they cast you down; #22:29 Lit pride]

And the humble person He will save.

³⁰“He will provide escape for one who is not innocent,

And he will escape through the cleanness of your hands.”