Job 22:1-30 ERV

[1] Then Eliphaz from Teman answered: [2] "Does God need our help? Even the wisest of us is not really useful to him. [3] Does your living right benefit him? Does God All-Powerful gain anything if you follow him? [4] Why does God blame and punish you? Is it because you worship him? [5] No, it is because you sin so much. You never stop sinning. [6] Maybe to guarantee loans you took things from people for no reason. Maybe you took a poor man's clothes to make sure he paid you back. [7] Maybe you failed to give water or food to people who were tired or hungry. [8] You have a lot of farmland, and people respect you. [9] But maybe you sent widows away without giving them anything. And maybe you took advantage of orphans. [10] That is why traps are all around you, and sudden trouble makes you afraid. [11] That is why it is so dark you cannot see, and why a flood of water covers you. [12] "God lives in the highest part of heaven and looks down on the highest stars. [13] But you might say, 'What does God know? Can he see through the dark clouds to judge us? [14] Thick clouds hide us from his eyes, so he cannot see us as he walks around the edge of the sky.' [15] "Job, you are walking on the old path that evil people walked on long ago. [16] They were destroyed before it was their time to die. They were washed away by the flood. [17] They told God, 'Leave us alone!' and said, 'God All-Powerful cannot do anything to us!' [18] And it was God who filled their houses with good things. No, I would never follow the advice of evil people. [19] Those who do what is right are happy to see them destroyed. The innocent laugh at them and say, [20] 'Surely our enemies are destroyed! Their wealth burned up in the fire!' [21] "Now, Job, give yourself to God and make peace with him. Do this, and you will get many good things. [22] Accept his teaching. Pay attention to what he says. [23] If you return to God All-Powerful, you will be restored. But remove the evil from your house. [24] Think of your gold as nothing but dirt. Think of your finest gold as rocks from a stream. [25] And let God All-Powerful be your gold. Let him be your pile of silver. [26] Then you will enjoy God All-Powerful, and you will look up to him. [27] When you pray, he will hear you. And you will be able to do all that you promised him. [28] If you decide to do something, it will be successful. And your future will be very bright! [29] When people are brought down and you ask God to help them, he will rescue those who have been humbled. [30] Even those who are guilty will be forgiven. They will be saved because you did what was right."