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Job 22
Expanded Bible
Job 22
Expanded Bible
Eliphaz Answers
22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:
2 “Can anyone ·be of real use to [benefit] God?
Can even a ·wise [skilled] person ·do him good [benefit him]?
3 Does it ·help [delight; give pleasure to] ·the Almighty [Shaddai] for you to be ·good [righteous]?
·Does he gain anything [What profit is it to him] if you are ·innocent [blameless]?
4 Does God ·punish [reprimand; reprove] you for ·respecting him [L your fear; C in the sense of piety]?
Does he ·bring you into court for this [L enter into judgment with you]?
5 No! It is because your evil is ·without limits [L abundant]
and your ·sins have [guilt has] no end.
6 You ·took your brothers’ things for a debt they didn’t owe [L exacted pledges from your brothers for no reason; Ex. 21:25–27];
you took clothes from people and left them naked.
7 You did not give water to ·tired [weary] people,
and you kept food from the ·hungry [famished; starving].
8 ·You were a powerful man who [L The powerful] owned land;
·you were honored and [L the favored] lived in the land.
9 But you sent widows away empty-handed,
and you ·mistreated [L crushed the arms/strength of the] orphans.
10 That is why traps are all around you
and sudden danger frightens you.
11 That is why it is so dark you cannot see
and a flood of water covers you.
12 “·God is [L Is not God…?] in the highest part of heaven.
See how high the highest stars are [C God is even higher]!
13 But you ask, ‘What does God know?
Can he judge us through the ·dark clouds [thick darkness]?
14 Thick clouds ·cover [hide] him so he cannot see us
as he ·walks [wanders] around ·high up in the sky [L the vault/dome of heaven; C Eliphaz suspects Job denies God knows what is going on in human affairs].’
15 Are you going to ·stay on [guard] the ·old [ancient] path
where ·evil [guilty] people ·walk [tread]?
16 They were ·carried away [or bound up] before their time was up,
and their foundations were washed away by a ·flood [L river].
17 They said to God, ‘·Leave us alone [Get away from us; 21:14]!
·The Almighty can do nothing [L What can the Almighty/Shaddai do…?] to us.’
18 But ·it was God [L was it not he…?] who filled their houses with good things.
Their ·way of thinking [plan; counsel] is ·different [far] from mine [21:16].
19 “·Good [Righteous] people can watch and be glad;
the innocent can ·laugh at [mock; ridicule] them and say,
20 ‘Surely our enemies are destroyed,
and fire burns up ·their wealth [or what is left of theirs].’
21 “·Obey God [L Get along with him] and be at peace with him;
this is the way to ·happiness [or prosperity; C Eliphaz calls on Job to repent].
22 Accept ·teaching [instruction] from his mouth,
and ·keep [put] his words in your heart.
23 If you return to ·the Almighty [Shaddai], you will be ·blessed again [L restored].
So remove ·evil [iniquity] from your ·house [L tent].
24 ·Throw [Put] your gold nuggets into the dust
and ·your fine gold [L Ophir; C referring to the fine gold of the region of Ophir, perhaps southern Arabia] among the rocks in the ·ravines [wadis].
25 Then ·the Almighty [Shaddai] will be your gold
and the ·best [choice] silver for you.
26 You will ·find pleasure [delight] in ·the Almighty [Shaddai],
and you will ·look up [show favor] to him.
27 You will ·pray to [entreat] him, and he will hear you,
and you will keep your ·promises [vows; C made in anticipation of answered prayer] to him.
28 Anything you decide will be done,
and light will ·shine on [illuminate] your ways.
29 When people are made humble and you say, ‘·Have courage [or It is pride],’
then ·the humble [L those with downcast eyes] will be saved.
30 ·Even a guilty person will escape [or He rescues the innocent]
and ·be saved [or and saves you] because your hands are ·clean [pure].”
Job 22
New International Version
Job 22
New International Version
Eliphaz
22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite(A) replied:
2 “Can a man be of benefit to God?(B)
Can even a wise person benefit him?(C)
3 What pleasure(D) would it give the Almighty if you were righteous?(E)
What would he gain if your ways were blameless?(F)
4 “Is it for your piety that he rebukes you
and brings charges against you?(G)
5 Is not your wickedness great?
Are not your sins(H) endless?(I)
6 You demanded security(J) from your relatives for no reason;(K)
you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked.(L)
7 You gave no water(M) to the weary
and you withheld food from the hungry,(N)
8 though you were a powerful man, owning land(O)—
an honored man,(P) living on it.(Q)
9 And you sent widows(R) away empty-handed(S)
and broke the strength of the fatherless.(T)
10 That is why snares(U) are all around you,(V)
why sudden peril terrifies you,(W)
11 why it is so dark(X) you cannot see,
and why a flood of water covers you.(Y)
12 “Is not God in the heights of heaven?(Z)
And see how lofty are the highest stars!
13 Yet you say, ‘What does God know?(AA)
Does he judge through such darkness?(AB)
14 Thick clouds(AC) veil him, so he does not see us(AD)
as he goes about in the vaulted heavens.’(AE)
15 Will you keep to the old path
that the wicked(AF) have trod?(AG)
16 They were carried off before their time,(AH)
their foundations(AI) washed away by a flood.(AJ)
17 They said to God, ‘Leave us alone!
What can the Almighty do to us?’(AK)
18 Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things,(AL)
so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.(AM)
19 The righteous see their ruin and rejoice;(AN)
the innocent mock(AO) them, saying,
20 ‘Surely our foes are destroyed,(AP)
and fire(AQ) devours their wealth.’
21 “Submit to God and be at peace(AR) with him;(AS)
in this way prosperity will come to you.(AT)
22 Accept instruction from his mouth(AU)
and lay up his words(AV) in your heart.(AW)
23 If you return(AX) to the Almighty, you will be restored:(AY)
If you remove wickedness far from your tent(AZ)
24 and assign your nuggets(BA) to the dust,
your gold(BB) of Ophir(BC) to the rocks in the ravines,(BD)
25 then the Almighty will be your gold,(BE)
the choicest silver for you.(BF)
26 Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty(BG)
and will lift up your face(BH) to God.(BI)
27 You will pray to him,(BJ) and he will hear you,(BK)
and you will fulfill your vows.(BL)
28 What you decide on will be done,(BM)
and light(BN) will shine on your ways.(BO)
29 When people are brought low(BP) and you say, ‘Lift them up!’
then he will save the downcast.(BQ)
30 He will deliver even one who is not innocent,(BR)
who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”(BS)
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