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God saves the righteous because of their righteousness, He does not save those wicked surrounding them simply because they are in the same group:
Ezekiel 14:12-20
>The word of the Lord came again to me, saying: “Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lord God.
>“If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they empty it, and make it so desolate that no man may pass through because of the beasts, even though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; only they would be delivered, and the land would be desolate.
>“Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say, ‘Sword, go through the land,’ and I cut off man and beast from it, even though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but only they themselves would be delivered.
>“Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out My fury on it in blood, and cut off from it man and beast, even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.”
However, the righteous can pray for the intercession of the wicked:
Genesis 18:23-32
>And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
>So the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”
>Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?”
>So He said, “If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.”
>And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there should be forty found there?”
>So He said, “I will not do it for the sake of forty.”
>Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?”
>So He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
>And he said, “Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?”
>So He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”
>Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?”
>And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.”
James 5:16
>Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Acts 7:60
>Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
The prayers of the righteous can help not only those who are alive but also those who are dead:
2 Maccabees 12:44-46
>For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, so that they might be delivered from their sin.
Similarly, those who are dead, if they are in the hand of God, can pray for us:
(cont)