Job 22 · איוב

Then Elifaz the Temanite answered and said,

Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he that is wise is profitable to 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 thy iniquities infinite?

For thou hast taken pledges from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

Thou has not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withheld bread from the hungry.

But like the mighty man, who has the earth; and the honourable man who dwells 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 troubles 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 sayst, What does God know? does he judge through the dark cloud?

Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he sees not; and he walks in the circuit of heaven.

Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?

who were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:

who said to 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, saying,

Surely our adversaries are cut off, and the remnant of them the fire consumes.

Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come to thee.

Receive, I pray thee, Tora from his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.

If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tent.

And thou shalt hold gold as dust, and the gold of Ofir as the stones of the brooks.

Yea, the Almighty shall be thy gold, and precious silver to thee.

For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shall lift up thy face to God.

Thou shalt make thy prayer to 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 have humbled thee, and thou sayst, There is lifting up, then he shall save the humble person.

He delivers the innocent man: and thou shalt be delivered by the pureness of thy hands.