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The Book of Job, Chapter 22
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1 |
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and
said,
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2 |
Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be
profitable unto himself?
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3 |
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty,
that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy
ways perfect?
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4 |
Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he
enter with thee into judgment?
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5 |
Is not thy wickedness great? and
thine iniquities infinite?
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For thou hast taken a pledge from thy
brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
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7 |
Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast
withholden bread from the hungry.
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8 |
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable
man dwelt in it.
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9 |
Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless
have been broken.
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10 |
Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth
thee;
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Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of
waters cover thee.
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12 |
Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the
stars, how high they are!
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13 |
And thou sayest, How doth God know?
can he judge through the dark cloud?
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14 |
Thick clouds are a
covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of
heaven.
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Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
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Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown
with a flood:
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Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can
the Almighty do for them?
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Yet he filled their houses with good
things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
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The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them
to scorn.
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Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them
the fire consumeth.
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21 |
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good
shall come unto thee.
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22 |
Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his
words in thine heart.
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23 |
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou
shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.
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24 |
Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as
the stones of the brooks.
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25 |
Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have
plenty of silver.
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26 |
For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt
lift up thy face unto God.
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27 |
Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and
thou shalt pay thy vows.
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28 |
Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto
thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.
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29 |
When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting
up; and he shall save the humble person.
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30 |
He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered
by the pureness of thine hands.
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