² “A man cannot be of any real use to God.
    Even a wise man does him no good.
³ It does not help God All-Powerful for you to be good.
    He gains nothing if you are innocent.
⁴ God does not punish you for respecting him.
    He does not bring you into court for this.
⁵ No! It is because your evil is without limits.
    And your sins have no end.
⁶ You took your brothers’ things to pay a debt they didn’t owe.
    You took clothes from people and left them naked.
⁷ You did not give water to tired people.
    And you kept food away from the hungry.
⁸ You were a powerful man who owned land.
    You were honored and lived in the land.
⁹ But you sent widows away without giving them anything.
    You even mistreated orphans.
¹⁰ That is why traps are all around you.
    That is why sudden danger frightens you.
¹¹ That is why it is so dark you cannot see.
    And that is why a flood of water covers you.

¹² “God is in the highest part of heaven.
    See how high the highest stars are!
¹³ But you say, ‘God knows nothing.
    He cannot judge us through the dark clouds.
¹⁴ Thick clouds cover him so he cannot see us.
    He walks around high up in the sky.’
¹⁵ Are you going to stay on the old path
    where evil people walk?
¹⁶ They were carried away before their time was up.
    Their foundations were washed away by a flood.
¹⁷ They said to God, ‘Leave us alone!
    God All-Powerful can do nothing to us.’
¹⁸ But it was God who filled their houses with good things.
    He did this even though their way of thinking was not godly.

¹⁹ “Good people can watch and be glad.
    Innocent people can laugh at them and say,
²⁰ ‘Surely our enemies are destroyed.
    And fire burns up their wealth.’

²¹ “Obey God, and then you will be at peace with him.
    This way you can be happy.
²² Accept teaching from his mouth.
    Keep his words in your heart.
²³ If you return to God All-Powerful, you will be blessed again.
    Remove evil from your house.
²⁴ Throw your gold nuggets into the dust.
    Throw your fine gold to the rocks in the ravines.
²⁵ Then God All-Powerful will be your gold.
    He will be the best silver for you.
²⁶ You will find pleasure in God All-Powerful.
    And you will look up to him.
²⁷ You will pray to him, and he will hear you.
    And you will keep your promises to him.
²⁸ Anything you decide will be done.
    And light will shine on your ways.
²⁹ When terrible things happen to people, you will say, ‘Have courage.’
    Then those who are humble will be saved.
³⁰ Even the guilty will escape.
    They will be saved because your hands are clean.”