Job 22:24
New International Version
and assign your nuggets to the dust, your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines,

New Living Translation
If you give up your lust for money and throw your precious gold into the river,

English Standard Version
if you lay gold in the dust, and gold of Ophir among the stones of the torrent-bed,

Berean Standard Bible
and consign your gold to the dust and the gold of Ophir to the stones of the ravines,

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

New King James Version
Then you will lay your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.

New American Standard Bible
And put your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,

NASB 1995
And place your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,

NASB 1977
And place your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,

Legacy Standard Bible
And put your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks,

Amplified Bible
And place your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks [considering it of little value],

Christian Standard Bible
and consign your gold to the dust, the gold of Ophir to the stones in the wadis,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and consign your gold to the dust, the gold of Ophir to the stones in the wadis,

American Standard Version
And lay thou thy treasure in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks;

Contemporary English Version
So get rid of your finest gold, as though it were sand.

English Revised Version
And lay thou thy treasure in the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
and lay your gold down in the dust, and put your gold from Ophir among the pebbles in the rivers,

Good News Translation
Throw away your gold; dump your finest gold in the dry stream bed.

International Standard Version
Bury your gold nuggets in the dust, and your source of gold among the stones in a streambed,

Majority Standard Bible
and consign your gold to the dust and the gold of Ophir to the stones of the ravines,

NET Bible
and throw your gold in the dust--your gold of Ophir among the rocks in the ravines--

New Heart English Bible
Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.

World English Bible
Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
So as to set a defense on the dust, "" And a covering on a rock of the valleys.

Young's Literal Translation
So as to set on the dust a defence, And on a rock of the valleys a covering.

Smith's Literal Translation
Place thou gold upon the dust, and the precious ore of the torrents of Ophir.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He shall give for earth flint, and for flint torrents of gold.

Catholic Public Domain Version
He will give you stone in place of dirt, and torrents of gold in place of stone.

New American Bible
And treat raw gold as dust, the fine gold of Ophir as pebbles in the wadi,

New Revised Standard Version
if you treat gold like dust, and gold of Ophir like the stones of the torrent-bed,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then you shall lay up silver like dust, and the gold of Ophir as the sand of the valley.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And you will accumulate silver as the dust, and the gold of Ophir like the sand of the valley
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And lay thy treasure in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Thou shalt lay up for thyself treasure in a heap on the rock; and Sophir shall be as the rock of the torrent.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Eliphaz Exhorts Job
23If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored. If you remove injustice from your tents 24and consign your gold to the dust and the gold of Ophir to the stones of the ravines, 25then the Almighty will be your gold and the finest silver for you.…

Cross References
Matthew 6:19-21
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. / But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. / For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Proverbs 3:13-15
Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who acquires understanding, / for she is more profitable than silver, and her gain is better than fine gold. / She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire compares with her.

Isaiah 2:20
In that day men will cast away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and gold—the idols they made to worship.

James 5:1-3
Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you. / Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. / Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days.

Proverbs 8:10-11
Receive my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. / For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire compares with her.

Matthew 13:44-46
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field. / Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. / When he found one very precious pearl, he went away and sold all he had and bought it.

1 Timothy 6:17-19
Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy. / Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share, / treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

Proverbs 16:16
How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! To gain understanding is more desirable than silver.

Luke 12:33-34
Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves with purses that will not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. / For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Psalm 119:72
The law from Your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of gold and silver.

Colossians 3:2
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Proverbs 23:4-5
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself. / When you glance at wealth, it disappears, for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle to the sky.

1 Peter 1:7
so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 30:22
So you will desecrate your silver-plated idols and your gold-plated images. You will throw them away like menstrual cloths, saying to them, “Be gone!”

Revelation 3:18
I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.


Treasury of Scripture

Then shall you lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.

lay up

1 Kings 10:21
And all king Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.

2 Chronicles 1:5
Moreover the brasen altar, that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the tabernacle of the LORD: and Solomon and the congregation sought unto it.

2 Chronicles 9:10,27
And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones…

as dust.

Genesis 10:29
And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan.

1 Kings 9:28
And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon.

1 Kings 22:48
Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Eziongeber.

Jump to Previous
Assign Bed Brooks Covering Defence Dust Gold Lay Nuggets Ophir Ore Precious Ravines Rock Rocks Stones Torrent Torrents Treasure Valleys
Jump to Next
Assign Bed Brooks Covering Defence Dust Gold Lay Nuggets Ophir Ore Precious Ravines Rock Rocks Stones Torrent Torrents Treasure Valleys
Job 22
1. Eliphaz shows that man's goodness profits not God
5. He accuses Job of various sins
21. He exhorts him to repentance, with promises of mercy














and consign your gold to the dust
The phrase "consign your gold to the dust" suggests a relinquishing of material wealth and earthly treasures. In the Hebrew context, "gold" (זָהָב, zahav) is often a symbol of wealth, prosperity, and human achievement. The act of consigning it to the "dust" (עָפָר, afar) implies a humbling of oneself, recognizing that earthly riches are transient and insignificant compared to spiritual wealth. Dust, in biblical terms, often symbolizes mortality and the temporal nature of human life (Genesis 3:19). This phrase encourages believers to prioritize spiritual riches over material possessions, aligning with Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6:19-21 about storing treasures in heaven.

and the gold of Ophir
"Ophir" is a location mentioned several times in the Bible, renowned for its fine gold (1 Kings 9:28, 1 Chronicles 29:4). The exact location of Ophir remains uncertain, though it is often associated with regions rich in natural resources, possibly in Arabia, Africa, or India. The "gold of Ophir" represents the highest quality and most sought-after wealth of the ancient world. By referencing Ophir, the text emphasizes the value and allure of worldly riches, yet simultaneously calls for their devaluation in the pursuit of divine wisdom and righteousness.

to the stones of the ravines
The imagery of "stones of the ravines" suggests something common and of little value. Ravines, or valleys, were often places where stones and debris collected, symbolizing the mundane and overlooked. By equating the gold of Ophir to these stones, the verse underscores the futility of placing ultimate trust in material wealth. In a spiritual sense, this phrase invites believers to view earthly riches as mere stones compared to the eternal value found in a relationship with God. This aligns with the biblical theme of humility and the call to seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33).

(24) The gold of Ophir.--And, moreover, that the wealth for which he was so famous among the children of the East was the accumulation of iniquity and wrong-doing. The sense probably is, "Put thy treasure on a level with the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks": that is, reckon it of no more value than such stones; do not set thine heart upon it. The situation of Ophir has always been a matter of dispute. Josephus placed it in India (Antt. viii. 6, ? 4), as do some moderns; others suppose it to have been an Indian colony in Southern Arabia, and others have placed it on the east coast of Africa.

Verse 24. - Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust; rather, then shalt thou lay thy treasure in the dust; i.e. hold it in slight esteem, because of its abundance. And the gold of Ophir (literally, and Ophir) shall be to thee as the stones of the brooks, (comp. 2 Chronicles 9:27, "And the king [i.e. Solomon] made silver in Jerusalem as stones"). "Ophir" stands, no doubt, for untold wealth, being the great gold- producing country (see 1 Kings 9:28; 1 Kings 10:11; 1 Kings 22:48; 1 Chronicles 29:41; Psalm 45:9; Isaiah 13:12). (On its location, see the article on "Ophir," in Smith's 'Dict. of the Bible,' vol 2. pp. 637-652, and compare the comment on Job 28:16.)

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
and consign
וְשִׁית־ (wə·šîṯ-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 7896: To put, set

your gold
בָּ֑צֶר (bā·ṣer)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1220: Strictly a, clipping, gold

to
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the dust
עָפָ֥ר (‘ā·p̄ār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6083: Dust, clay, earth, mud

and the gold of Ophir
אוֹפִֽיר׃ (’ō·w·p̄îr)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 211: Ophir -- a son of Joktan, also his descendants, also a region from which gold comes

to the stones
וּבְצ֖וּר (ū·ḇə·ṣūr)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6697: A cliff, a rock, boulder, a refuge, an edge

of the ravines,
נְחָלִ֣ים (nə·ḥā·lîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5158: A stream, a winter torrent, a, valley, a shaft


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OT Poetry: Job 22:24 Lay your treasure in the dust (Jb)
Job 22:23
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