Job 22

² "May a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?

² Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?

² “Can a vigorous ^(A)man be of use to God,Or a wise man be useful to himself?

² Can a man be of any use to God?Can even a wise man be of use to Him?

² "Can a human being be useful to God, since he, who is wise, is sufficient to himself?

⁴ Is he afraid to reprove thee, and to step forth with thee into judgment?

⁴ Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?

⁴ “Is it because of your ^(c)reverence that He reproves you,That He ^(B)enters into judgment against you?

⁴ Does He correct you and take you to courtbecause of your piety?^(B)

⁴ Will he acquit you just because you fear him, and render a verdict on your behalf?

⁶ Thou hast taken the pledge from thy brethren for naught, and robbed the naked of their clothing;

⁶ For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

⁶ “For you have ^(D)taken pledges of your brothers without cause,And ^(E)stripped ^(d)men naked.

⁶ For you took collateral^(C) from your brothers without cause,stripping off their clothes and leaving them naked.

⁶ "After all, you've taken collateral from your relatives for no reason; you stripped the naked of their clothing.

⁸ Should such one then as useth violence, wrong and oppression, doing all things of partiality, and having respect of persons, dwell in the land?

⁸ But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.

⁸ “But the earth ^(H)belongs to the ^(I)mighty man,And ^(J)the honorable man dwells in it.

⁸ while the land belonged to a powerful manand an influential man lived on it.

⁸ The land belongs to the powerful, and the privileged thrive in it.

¹⁰ Therefore art thou compassed about with snares on every side, and suddenly vexed with fear.

¹⁰ Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;

¹⁰ “Therefore ^(M)snares surround you,And sudden ^(N)dread terrifies you,

¹⁰ Therefore snares surround you,and sudden dread terrifies^(F) you,

¹⁰ That's why disaster surrounds you, terror suddenly overwhelms you,

¹² Now because that God is higher than the heavens, and because thou seest the stars are so high,

¹² Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!

¹² “Is not God ^(Q)in the height of heaven?Look also at the ^(f)distant stars, how high they are!

¹² Isn’t God as high as the heavens?And look at the highest stars—how lofty they are!

¹² "Isn't God in heaven above? Consider how far away the stars are, and how lofty they are!

¹⁴ Tush, the clouds cover him that he may not see, for he dwelleth in heaven.'

¹⁴ Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.

¹⁴ ‘^(S)Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see;And He walks on the ^(g)vault of heaven.’

¹⁴ Clouds^(I) veil Him so that He cannot see,as He walks on the circle of the sky.”

¹⁴ Thick clouds cover him so he can't see as he walks back and forth at heaven's horizon.

¹⁶ which were cut down out of time, and whose foundation was as a running water,

¹⁶ Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:

¹⁶ Who were snatched away ^(U)before their time,Whose ^(V)foundations were ^(h)washed away by a river?

¹⁶ They were snatched away before their time,and their foundations^(J) were washed away by a river.

¹⁶ who were snatched away before their time; when their foundation was swept away by a river?

¹⁸ He filled their houses with good things. But the council of the ungodly is far from me.

¹⁸ Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁸ “Yet He ^(X)filled their houses with good things;But ^(Y)the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁸ But it was He who filled their houses with good things.The counsel of the wicked is far from me!

¹⁸ "Though God fills their houses with good things, the counsel of the wicked will remain far from me.

²⁰ see that their increase shall be hewn down, and their posterity consumed with fire.

²⁰ Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.

²⁰ Saying, ‘Truly our adversaries are cut off,And their ^(j)abundance ^(AA)the fire has consumed.’

²⁰ “Surely our opponents are destroyed,and fire has consumed what they left behind.”^(M)

²⁰ "Our enemies are sure to be destroyed, and fire will burn up what's left of their riches."

²² Receive the law at his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.

²² Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.

²² “Please receive ^(l)(AC)instruction from His mouthAnd establish His words in your heart.

²² Receive instruction from His mouth,^(O)and place His sayings^(P) in your heart.

²² Accept what he has to teach you, and treasure his words in your heart.

²⁴ He shall give thee a harvest, which in plenty and abundance shall exceed the dust of the earth, and the gold of Ophir like river stones.

²⁴ Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.

²⁴ And ^(AF)place your ^(o)gold in the dust,And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,

²⁴ and consign your gold to the dust,the gold of Ophir^(R) to the stones in the wadis,

²⁴ Bury your gold nuggets in the dust, and your source of gold among the stones in a streambed,

²⁶ Then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and lift up thy face unto God.

²⁶ For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.

²⁶ “For then you will ^(AG)delight in ^(r)the AlmightyAnd lift up your face to God.

²⁶ Then you will delight^(S) in the Almightyand lift up your face to God.^(T)

²⁶ "Then you'll take delight in the Almighty; and will turn your face toward God.

²⁸ Then, look what thou takest in hand: he shall make it to prosper with thee, and the light shall shine in thy ways.

²⁸ Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.

²⁸ “You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you;And ^(AJ)light will shine on your ways.

²⁸ When you make a decision, it will be carried out,^(d)and light will shine on your ways.^(V)

²⁸ When you make a decision on something, it will be established for you, and light will brighten your way.

³⁰ If thou be innocent, he shall save thee: and through the unguiltiness of thine hands shalt thou be delivered."

³⁰ He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.

³⁰ “He will deliver one who is not innocent,And he will be ^(AL)delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”

³⁰ He will even rescue the guilty one,who will be rescued by the purity of your hands.^(X)

³⁰ He'll even deliver the guilty, who will be delivered through your innocence."