Job 22

Eliphaz’s Third Response to Job

22Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied.H464H8489H6030H559 2"Can a person do anything to help God? Can even a wise person be helpful to him?H1397H5532H410H3588H7919H5532 3Is it any advantage to the Almighty if you are righteous? Would it be any gain to him if you were perfect?H2656H7706H6663H1215H1870H8552 4Is it because you're so pious that he accuses you and brings judgment against you?H3198H3374H935H4941 5No, it's because of your wickedness! There's no limit to your sins.H7451H7227H5771H7093 6"For example, you must have lent money to your friend and demanded clothing as security. Yes, you stripped him to the bone.H2254H251H2600H6584H6174H899 7You must have refused water for the thirsty and food for the hungry.H4325H5889H8248H4513H3899H7457 8You probably think the land belongs to the powerful and only the privileged have a right to it!H2220H376H776H5375H6440H3427 9You must have sent widows away empty-handed and crushed the hopes of orphans.H7971H490H7387H2220H3490H1792 10That is why you are surrounded by traps and tremble from sudden fears.H6341H5439H6597H6343H926 11That is why you cannot see in the darkness, and waves of water cover you.H2822H7200H8229H4325H3680 12"God is so great—higher than the heavens, higher than the farthest stars.H433H1363H8064H7200H7218H3556H7311 13But you reply, 'That's why God can't see what I am doing! How can he judge through the thick darkness?H559H410H3045H8199H6205 14For thick clouds swirl about him, and he cannot see us. He is way up there, walking on the vault of heaven.'H5645H5643H7200H1980H2329H8064 15"Will you continue on the old paths where evil people have walked?H8104H5769H734H205H4962H1869 16They were snatched away in the prime of life, the foundations of their lives washed away.H7059H6256H3247H3332H5104 17For they said to God, 'Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do to us?'H559H410H5493H7706H6466 18Yet he was the one who filled their homes with good things, so I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking.H4390H1004H2896H6098H7563H7368 19"The righteous will be happy to see the wicked destroyed, and the innocent will laugh in contempt.H6662H7200H8055H5355H3932 20They will say, 'See how our enemies have been destroyed. The last of them have been consumed in the fire.'H518H7009H3582H3499H784H398 21"Submit to God, and you will have peace; then things will go well for you.H5532H7999H2896H935 22Listen to his instructions, and store them in your heart.H3947H8451H6310H7760H561H3824 23If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored—so clean up your life.H7725H7706H1129H7368H5766H7368H168 24If you give up your lust for money and throw your precious gold into the river,H7896H1220H5921H6083H211H6697H5158 25the Almighty himself will be your treasure. He will be your precious silver!H7706H1220H8443H3701 26"Then you will take delight in the Almighty and look up to God.H6026H7706H5375H6440H433 27You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows to him.H6279H8085H7999H5088 28You will succeed in whatever you choose to do, and light will shine on the road ahead of you.H1504H562H6965H216H5050H1870 29If people are in trouble and you say, 'Help them,' God will save them.H8213H559H1466H3467H7807H5869 30Even sinners will be rescued; they will be rescued because your hands are pure."H4422H336H5355H4422H1252H3709