Job 22:16-26

16 who were seized before their time: their foundations an overflowing stream.
17 Who say, What will the Lord do to us? or what will the Almighty bring upon us?
18 Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel for the wicked is far from him.
19 The righteous have seen , and laughed, and the blameless one has derided .
20 Verily their substance has been utterly destroyed, and the fire shall devour what is left of their .
21 Be firm, I pray thee, if thou canst endure; then thy fruit shall prosper.
22 And receive a declaration from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.
23 And if thou shalt turn and humble thyself before the Lord, thou hast removed unrighteousness far from thy habitation.
24 Thou shalt lay up for thyself in a heap on the rock; and Sophir as the rock of the torrent.
25 So the Almighty shall be thy helper from enemies, and he shall bring thee forth pure as silver that has been tried by fire.
26 Then shalt thou have boldness before the Lord, looking up cheerfully to heaven.

Job 22:16-26 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 22

This chapter contains the third and last reply of Eliphaz to Job, in which he charges him with having too high an opinion of himself, of his holiness and righteousness, as if God was profited by it, and laid thereby under obligation to him, whereas he was not, Job 22:1-3; and as if he reproved and chastised him, because of his fear of him, whereas it was because of his sins, Job 22:4,5; an enumeration of which he gives, as of injustice, oppression, cruelty to the poor, and even of atheism and infidelity, for which snares and fears were around him, and various calamities, Job 22:6-14; and compares his way and course of life to that of the men of the old world, and the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, and suggests that his end would be like theirs, unless he repented, Job 22:15-20; and then concludes with an exhortation to him to return to God by repentance, and to reform, when he should see happy times again, and enjoy much outward and inward prosperity, and be an instrument of doing much good to many, Job 22:21-30.

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.