Job 22:1-30 GW

[1] Then Eliphaz from Teman replied to Job, [2] "Can a human be of any use to God when even a wise person is only useful to himself? [3] Is the Almighty pleased when you are righteous? Does he gain anything when you follow the path of integrity? [4] Does God correct you and bring you into a court of law because you fear him? [5] "Aren't you really very wicked? Is there no end to your wrongdoing? [6] For no reason you take your brothers' goods as security for a loan and strip them of their clothes. [7] You don't even give a tired person a drink of water, and you take food away from hungry people. [8] A strong person owns the land. A privileged person lives in it. [9] You send widows away empty-handed, and the arms of orphans are broken. [10] That is why traps are all around you and great fear suddenly grips you. [11] That is why darkness surrounds you and you cannot see and a flood of water covers you. [12] "Isn't God high above in the heavens? Look how high the highest stars are! [13] You ask, 'What does God know? Can he judge anything from behind a dark cloud? [14] Thick clouds surround him so that he cannot see. He walks above the clouds.' [15] "Are you following the old path that wicked people have taken? [16] They are snatched up before their time. A river washes their foundation away. [17] They told God, 'Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do for us?' [18] Yet, he filled their homes with good things. (The plan of the wicked is foreign to my way of thinking.) [19] The righteous saw it and were glad, and the innocent made fun of them by saying, [20] 'Indeed, their wealth has been wiped out, and a fire has burned up what little they had left.' [21] "Be in harmony and at peace with God. In this way you will have prosperity. [22] Accept instruction from his mouth, and keep his words in your heart. [23] If you return to the Almighty, you will prosper. If you put wrongdoing out of your tent, [24] and lay your gold down in the dust, and put your gold from Ophir among the pebbles in the rivers, [25] then the Almighty will become your gold and your large supply of silver. [26] Then you will be happy with the Almighty and look up toward God. [27] You will pray to him, and he will listen to you, and you will keep your vow to him. [28] When you promise to do something, you will succeed, and light will shine on your path. [29] When others are discouraged, you will say, 'Cheer up!' Then he will save the humble person. [30] He will rescue one who is not innocent. That person will be rescued by your purity."