Job 22:1-30

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Job 22:1-30 The Message (MSG)

Once again Eliphaz the Temanite took up his theme: “Are any of us strong enough to give God a hand, or smart enough to give him advice? So what if you were righteous—would God Almighty even notice? Even if you gave a perfect performance, do you think he’d applaud? Do you think it’s because he cares about your purity that he’s disciplining you, putting you on the spot? Hardly! It’s because you’re a first-class moral failure, because there’s no end to your sins. When people came to you for help, you took the shirts off their backs, exploited their helplessness. You wouldn’t so much as give a drink to the thirsty, or food, not even a scrap, to the hungry. And there you sat, strong and honored by everyone, surrounded by immense wealth! You turned poor widows away from your door; heartless, you crushed orphans. Now you’re the one trapped in terror, paralyzed by fear. Suddenly the tables have turned! How do you like living in the dark, sightless, up to your neck in flood waters? “You agree, don’t you, that God is in charge? He runs the universe—just look at the stars! Yet you dare raise questions: ‘What does God know? From that distance and darkness, how can he judge? He roams the heavens wrapped in clouds, so how can he see us?’ “Are you going to persist in that tired old line that wicked men and women have always used? Where did it get them? They died young, flash floods sweeping them off to their doom. They told God, ‘Get lost! What good is God Almighty to us?’ And yet it was God who gave them everything they had. It’s beyond me how they can carry on like this! “Good people see bad people crash, and call for a celebration. Relieved, they crow, ‘At last! Our enemies—wiped out. Everything they had and stood for is up in smoke!’ “Give in to God, come to terms with him and everything will turn out just fine. Let him tell you what to do; take his words to heart. Come back to God Almighty and he’ll rebuild your life. Clean house of everything evil. Relax your grip on your money and abandon your gold-plated luxury. God Almighty will be your treasure, more wealth than you can imagine. “You’ll take delight in God, the Mighty One, and look to him joyfully, boldly. You’ll pray to him and he’ll listen; he’ll help you do what you’ve promised. You’ll decide what you want and it will happen; your life will be bathed in light. To those who feel low you’ll say, ‘Chin up! Be brave!’ and God will save them. Yes, even the guilty will escape, escape through God’s grace in your life.”

Job 22:1-30 King James Version (KJV)

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, Can a man be profitable unto God, As he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? Or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect? Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment? Is not thy wickedness great? And thine iniquities infinite? For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, And stripped the naked of their clothing. Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, And thou hast withholden bread from the hungry. But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; And the honourable man dwelt in it. Thou hast sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless have been broken. Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden fear troubleth thee; Or darkness, that thou canst not see; And abundance of waters cover thee. Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars, how high they are! And thou sayest, How doth God know? Can he judge through the dark cloud? Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; And he walketh in the circuit of heaven. Hast thou marked the old way Which wicked men have trodden? Which were cut down out of time, Whose foundation was overflown with a flood: Which said unto God, Depart from us: And what can the Almighty do for them? 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: And the innocent laugh them to scorn. Whereas our substance is not cut down, But the remnant of them the fire consumeth. Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thereby good shall come unto thee. Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, And lay up his words in thine heart. If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, Thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, And the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, And thou shalt have plenty of silver. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God. Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, And thou shalt pay thy vows. Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: And the light shall shine upon thy ways. When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, there is lifting up; And he shall save the humble person. He shall deliver the island of the innocent: And it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.

Job 22:1-30 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)

Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded, “Can a vigorous man be of use to God, Or a wise man be useful to himself? Is there any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous, Or profit if you make your ways perfect? Is it because of your reverence that He reproves you, That He enters into judgment against you? Is not your wickedness great, And your iniquities without end? For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause, And stripped men naked. To the weary you have given no water to drink, And from the hungry you have withheld bread. But the earth belongs to the mighty man, And the honorable man dwells in it. You have sent widows away empty, And the strength of the orphans has been crushed. Therefore snares surround you, And sudden dread terrifies you, Or darkness, so that you cannot see, And an abundance of water covers you. “Is not God in the height of heaven? Look also at the distant stars, how high they are! You say, ‘What does God know? Can He judge through the thick darkness? Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see; And He walks on the vault of heaven.’ Will you keep to the ancient path Which wicked men have trod, Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundations were washed away by a river? They said to God, ‘Depart from us!’ And ‘What can the Almighty do to them?’ Yet He filled their houses with good things; But the counsel of the wicked is far from me. The righteous see and are glad, And the innocent mock them, Saying, ‘Truly our adversaries are cut off, And their abundance the fire has consumed.’ “Yield now and be at peace with Him; Thereby good will come to you. Please receive instruction from His mouth And establish His words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored; If you remove unrighteousness far from your tent, And place your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks, Then the Almighty will be your gold And choice silver to you. For then you will delight in the Almighty And lift up your face to God. You will pray to Him, and He will hear you; And you will pay your vows. You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And light will shine on your ways. When you are cast down, you will speak with confidence, And the humble person He will save. He will deliver one who is not innocent, And he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”

Job 22:1-30 New Century Version (NCV)

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered: “Can anyone be of real use to God? Can even a wise person do him good? Does it help the Almighty for you to be good? Does he gain anything if you are innocent? Does God punish you for respecting him? Does he bring you into court for this? No! It is because your evil is without limits and your sins have no end. You took your brothers’ things for a debt they didn’t owe; you took clothes from people and left them naked. You did not give water to tired people, and you kept food from the hungry. You were a powerful man who owned land; you were honored and lived in the land. But you sent widows away empty-handed, and you mistreated orphans. That is why traps are all around you and sudden danger frightens you. That is why it is so dark you cannot see and a flood of water covers you. “God is in the highest part of heaven. See how high the highest stars are! But you ask, ‘What does God know? Can he judge us through the dark clouds? Thick clouds cover him so he cannot see us as he walks around high up in the sky.’ Are you going to stay on the old path where evil people walk? They were carried away before their time was up, and their foundations were washed away by a flood. They said to God, ‘Leave us alone! The Almighty can do nothing to us.’ But it was God who filled their houses with good things. Their way of thinking is different from mine. “Good people can watch and be glad; the innocent can laugh at them and say, ‘Surely our enemies are destroyed, and fire burns up their wealth.’ “Obey God and be at peace with him; this is the way to happiness. Accept teaching from his mouth, and keep his words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be blessed again. So remove evil from your house. Throw your gold nuggets into the dust and your fine gold among the rocks in the ravines. Then the Almighty will be your gold and the best silver for you. You will find pleasure in the Almighty, and you will look up to him. You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will keep your promises to him. Anything you decide will be done, and light will shine on your ways. When people are made humble and you say, ‘Have courage,’ then the humble will be saved. Even a guilty person will escape and be saved because your hands are clean.”

Job 22:1-30 American Standard Version (ASV)

Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said, Can a man be profitable unto God? Surely he that is wise is profitable unto himself. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? Or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect? Is it for thy fear of him that he reproveth thee, That he entereth with thee into judgment? Is not thy wickedness great? Neither is there any end to thine iniquities. For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought, And stripped the naked of their clothing. Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, And thou hast withholden bread from the hungry. But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; And the honorable man, he dwelt in it. Thou hast sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless have been broken. Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden fear troubleth thee, Or darkness, so that thou canst not see, And abundance of waters cover thee. Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars, how high they are! And thou sayest, What doth God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness? Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he seeth not; And he walketh on the vault of heaven. Wilt thou keep the old way Which wicked men have trodden? Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundation was poured out as a stream, Who said unto God, Depart from us; And, What can the Almighty do for us? 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; And the innocent laugh them to scorn, Saying, Surely they that did rise up against us are cut off, And the remnant of them the fire hath consumed. Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thereby good shall come unto thee. Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, And lay up his words in thy heart. If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, If thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents. And lay thou thy treasure in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks; And the Almighty will be thy treasure, And precious silver unto thee. For then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God. Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee; And thou shalt pay thy vows. Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; And light shall shine upon thy ways. When they cast thee down, thou shalt say, There is lifting up; And the humble person he will save. He will deliver even him that is not innocent: Yea, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands.

Job 22:1-30 New International Version (NIV)

Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: “Can a man be of benefit to God? Can even a wise person benefit him? What pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous? What would he gain if your ways were blameless? “Is it for your piety that he rebukes you and brings charges against you? Is not your wickedness great? Are not your sins endless? You demanded security from your relatives for no reason; you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked. You gave no water to the weary and you withheld food from the hungry, though you were a powerful man, owning land— an honored man, living on it. And you sent widows away empty-handed and broke the strength of the fatherless. That is why snares are all around you, why sudden peril terrifies you, why it is so dark you cannot see, and why a flood of water covers you. “Is not God in the heights of heaven? And see how lofty are the highest stars! Yet you say, ‘What does God know? Does he judge through such darkness? Thick clouds veil him, so he does not see us as he goes about in the vaulted heavens.’ Will you keep to the old path that the wicked have trod? They were carried off before their time, their foundations washed away by a flood. They said to God, ‘Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do to us?’ Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things, so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked. The righteous see their ruin and rejoice; the innocent mock them, saying, ‘Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire devours their wealth.’ “Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you. Accept instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored: If you remove wickedness far from your tent and assign your nuggets to the dust, your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines, then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you. Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty and will lift up your face to God. You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows. What you decide on will be done, and light will shine on your ways. When people are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’ then he will save the downcast. He will deliver even one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”

Job 22:1-30 New King James Version (NKJV)

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said: “Can a man be profitable to God, Though he who is wise may be profitable to himself? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or is it gain to Him that you make your ways blameless? “Is it because of your fear of Him that He corrects you, And enters into judgment with you? Is not your wickedness great, And your iniquity without end? For you have taken pledges from your brother for no reason, And stripped the naked of their clothing. You have not given the weary water to drink, And you have withheld bread from the hungry. But the mighty man possessed the land, And the honorable man dwelt in it. You have sent widows away empty, And the strength of the fatherless was crushed. Therefore snares are all around you, And sudden fear troubles you, Or darkness so that you cannot see; And an abundance of water covers you. “Is not God in the height of heaven? And see the highest stars, how lofty they are! And you say, ‘What does God know? Can He judge through the deep darkness? Thick clouds cover Him, so that He cannot see, And He walks above the circle of heaven.’ Will you keep to the old way Which wicked men have trod, Who were cut down before their time, Whose foundations were swept away by a flood? They said to God, ‘Depart from us! What can the Almighty do to them?’ 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, And the innocent laugh at them: ‘Surely our adversaries are cut down, And the fire consumes their remnant.’ “Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; Thereby good will come to you. Receive, please, instruction from His mouth, And lay up His words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up; You will remove iniquity far from your tents. Then you will lay your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks. Yes, the Almighty will be your gold And your precious silver; For then you will have your delight in the Almighty, And lift up your face to God. You will make your prayer to Him, He will hear you, And you will pay your vows. You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways. When they cast you down, and you say, ‘Exaltation will come!’ Then He will save the humble person. He will even deliver one who is not innocent; Yes, he will be delivered by the purity of your hands.”

Job 22:1-30 Amplified Bible (AMP)

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

Job 22:1-30 New Living Translation (NLT)

Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: “Can a person do anything to help God? Can even a wise person be helpful to him? Is it any advantage to the Almighty if you are righteous? Would it be any gain to him if you were perfect? Is it because you’re so pious that he accuses you and brings judgment against you? No, it’s because of your wickedness! There’s no limit to your sins. “For example, you must have lent money to your friend and demanded clothing as security. Yes, you stripped him to the bone. You must have refused water for the thirsty and food for the hungry. You probably think the land belongs to the powerful and only the privileged have a right to it! You must have sent widows away empty-handed and crushed the hopes of orphans. That is why you are surrounded by traps and tremble from sudden fears. That is why you cannot see in the darkness, and waves of water cover you. “God is so great—higher than the heavens, higher than the farthest stars. But you reply, ‘That’s why God can’t see what I am doing! How can he judge through the thick darkness? For thick clouds swirl about him, and he cannot see us. He is way up there, walking on the vault of heaven.’ “Will you continue on the old paths where evil people have walked? They were snatched away in the prime of life, the foundations of their lives washed away. For they said to God, ‘Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do to us?’ Yet he was the one who filled their homes with good things, so I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking. “The righteous will be happy to see the wicked destroyed, and the innocent will laugh in contempt. They will say, ‘See how our enemies have been destroyed. The last of them have been consumed in the fire.’ “Submit to God, and you will have peace; then things will go well for you. Listen to his instructions, and store them in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored— so clean up your life. If you give up your lust for money and throw your precious gold into the river, the Almighty himself will be your treasure. He will be your precious silver! “Then you will take delight in the Almighty and look up to God. You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows to him. You will succeed in whatever you choose to do, and light will shine on the road ahead of you. If people are in trouble and you say, ‘Help them,’ God will save them. Even sinners will be rescued; they will be rescued because your hands are pure.”

Job 22:1-30 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said: “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 in the right, 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 evil abundant? 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 lived in it. You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless were crushed. Therefore snares are all around you, and sudden terror overwhelms you, or darkness, so that 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! But you say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the deep darkness? Thick clouds veil him, so that he does not see, and he walks on the vault of heaven.’ Will you keep to the old way that 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?’ 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 one mocks at them, 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 you will be built up; if you remove injustice far from your tents, if you lay gold in the dust, and gold of Ophir among the stones of the torrent-bed, then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver. For 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 when they are humbled you say, ‘It is because of pride’; but he saves the lowly. He delivers even the one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”