Book of Job, Chapter 22
Job 22 RSV - Revised Standard VersionChapter 22 of Job—Revised Standard Version (RSV)
- ¶ Then Eli′phaz the Te′manite answered:
- ¶ “Can a man be profitable to God?
Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself. - Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous,
or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless? - Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you,
and enters into judgment with you? - Is not your wickedness great?
There is no end to your iniquities. - For you have exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing,
and stripped the naked of their clothing. - You have given no water to the weary to drink,
and you have withheld bread from the hungry. - The man with power possessed the land,
and the favored man dwelt in it. - You have sent widows away empty,
and the arms of the fatherless were crushed. - Therefore snares are round about you,
and sudden terror overwhelms you; - your light is darkened, so that[a] you cannot see,
and a flood of water covers you. - ¶ “Is not God high in the heavens?
See the highest stars, how lofty they are! - Therefore you say, ‘What does God know?
Can he judge through the deep darkness? - Thick clouds enwrap him, so that he does not see,
and he walks on the vault of heaven.’ - Will you keep to the old way
which wicked men have trod? - They were snatched away before their time;
their foundation was washed away. - They said to God, ‘Depart from us,’
and ‘What can the Almighty do to us?’[b] - Yet he filled their houses with good things—
but the counsel of the wicked is far from me. - The righteous see it and are glad;
the innocent laugh them to scorn, - saying, ‘Surely our adversaries are cut off,
and what they left the fire has consumed.’ - ¶ “Agree with God, and be at peace;
thereby good will come to you. - Receive instruction from his mouth,
and lay up his words in your heart. - If you return to the Almighty and humble yourself,[c]
if you remove unrighteousness far from your tents, - if you lay gold in the dust,
and gold of Ophir among the stones of the torrent bed, - and if the Almighty is your gold,
and your precious silver; - then you will delight yourself in the Almighty,
and lift up your face to God. - You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you;
and you will pay your vows. - You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you,
and light will shine on your ways. - For God abases the proud,[d]
but he saves the lowly. - He delivers the innocent man;[e]
you will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”
FOOTNOTES
- ^ Cn Compare Gk: Heb or darkness
- ^ Gk Syr: Heb them
- ^ Gk: Heb you will be built up
- ^ Cn: Heb when they abased you said, Proud
- ^ Gk Syr Vg: Heb him that is not innocent
Read Job Chapter 22 in other Bible versions:
