Job 22
1Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: 2“Can a man be of benefit to God?Can even a wise person benefit him? 3What pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous?What would he gain if your ways were blameless? 4“Is it for your piety that he rebukes youand brings charges against you? 5Is not your wickedness great?Are not your sins endless? 6You demanded security from your relatives for no reason;you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked. 7You gave no water to the wearyand you withheld food from the hungry, 8though you were a powerful man, owning land—an honored man, living on it. 9And you sent widows away empty-handedand broke the strength of the fatherless. 10That is why snares are all around you,why sudden peril terrifies you, 11why it is so dark you cannot see,and why a flood of water covers you. 12“Is not God in the heights of heaven?And see how lofty are the highest stars! 13Yet you say, ‘What does God know?Does he judge through such darkness? 14Thick clouds veil him, so he does not see usas he goes about in the vaulted heavens.’ 15Will you keep to the old paththat the wicked have trod? 16They were carried off before their time,their foundations washed away by a flood. 17They said to God, ‘Leave us alone!What can the Almighty do to us?’ 18Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things,so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked. 19The righteous see their ruin and rejoice;the innocent mock them, saying, 20‘Surely our foes are destroyed,and fire devours their wealth.’ 21“Submit to God and be at peace with him;in this way prosperity will come to you. 22Accept instruction from his mouthand lay up his words in your heart. 23If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored:If you remove wickedness far from your tent 24and assign your nuggets to the dust,your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines, 25then the Almighty will be your gold,the choicest silver for you. 26Surely then you will find delight in the Almightyand will lift up your face to God. 27You will pray to him, and he will hear you,and you will fulfill your vows. 28What you decide on will be done,and light will shine on your ways. 29When people are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’then he will save the downcast. 30He will deliver even one who is not innocent,who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”
Study Context for Job 22
As you study Job 22, keep in mind the overarching themes of this old testament book: Suffering, Sovereignty, Trust. Observe how the specific events or teachings in this chapter contribute to the book's broader message.
SufferingSovereigntyTrust
Observation: What does Job 22 reveal about the character and nature of God? What does it reveal about humanity?
Application: How does the truth presented in this chapter change how you should live, think, or pray today?
Study introductions and prompts are supplementary aids, not Scripture. They do not replace prayerful reading, the authority of Scripture, a faithful local church, or pastoral care.
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