| 章 |
| 22:1 |
Then Eli'phaz the Te'manite answered:
|
| 22:2 |
'Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
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| 22:3 |
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous, or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?
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| 22:4 |
Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you, and enters into judgment with you?
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| 22:5 |
Is not your wickedness great? There is no end to your iniquities.
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| 22:6 |
For you have exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
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| 22:7 |
You have given no water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
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| 22:8 |
The man with power possessed the land, and the favored man dwelt in it.
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| 22:9 |
You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless were crushed.
|
| 22:10 |
Therefore snares are round about you, and sudden terror overwhelms you;
|
| 22:11 |
your light is darkened, so that you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.
|
| 22:12 |
'Is not God high in the heavens? See the highest stars, how lofty they are!
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| 22:13 |
Therefore you say, What does God know? Can he judge through the deep darkness?
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| 22:14 |
Thick clouds enwrap him, so that he does not see, and he walks on the vault of heaven.'
|
| 22:15 |
Will you keep to the old way which wicked men have trod?
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| 22:16 |
They were snatched away before their time;their foundation was washed away.
|
| 22:17 |
They said to God, Depart from us,' and What can the Almighty do to us?'
|
| 22:18 |
Yet he filled their houses with good things -- but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
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| 22:19 |
The righteous see it and are glad;the innocent laugh them to scorn,
|
| 22:20 |
saying, Surely our adversaries are cut off, and what they left the fire has consumed.'
|
| 22:21 |
'Agree with God, and be at peace;thereby good will come to you.
|
| 22:22 |
Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.
|
| 22:23 |
If you return to the Almighty and humble yourself, if you remove unrighteousness far from your tents,
|
| 22:24 |
if you lay gold in the dust, and gold of Ophir among the stones of the torrent bed,
|
| 22:25 |
and if the Almighty is your gold, and your precious silver;
|
| 22:26 |
then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and lift up your face to God.
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| 22:27 |
You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you;and you will pay your vows.
|
| 22:28 |
You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways.
|
| 22:29 |
For God abases the proud, but he saves the lowly.
|
| 22:30 |
He delivers the innocent man;you will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.'
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