Elifas andra tal

15 Då tog Elifas från Teman till orda och sade:

Skall en vis man tala så i vädret
    och fylla sitt bröst med östanvind?
Skall han försvara sin sak med värdelöst tal,
med ord till ingen nytta?
Ja, du gör gudsfruktan om intet
    och hindrar andakt inför Gud.
Ty din synd lägger orden i din mun,
och du väljer listigt tal.
Din egen mun dömer dig, inte jag,
    dina egna läppar vittnar emot dig.

Var du den första människa som föddes?
Blev du till innan höjderna fanns?
Var du åhörare i Guds hemliga råd?
Har du bemäktigat dig visheten?
Vad vet du som vi inte vet?
    Vad förstår du som vi inte förstår?
10 Både gråhårsman och åldring finns ibland oss,
mycket äldre än din far.
11 Är Guds tröst ej nog för dig,
    de milda ord som talas till dig?
12 Varför leds du bort av ditt hjärta
    och varför gnistrar dina ögon?
13 Ty du vänder din ande mot Gud
    och öser ut ord ur din mun.

14 Vad är en människa, att hon skulle vara ren,
att en av kvinna född skulle vara rättfärdig?
15 Gud kan inte lita på sina heliga,
    inför hans ögon är inte himlarna rena,
16 hur mycket mindre då den som är avskyvärd och fördärvad,
en människa som dricker orättfärdighet som vatten!

17 Lyssna, jag vill säga dig något,
    det som jag har sett vill jag berätta,
18 vad visa män har kungjort från sina fäder och inte förtigit,
19 från dem som ensamma fick landet
utan att någon främling trängde in bland dem:
20 Den ogudaktige plågas av ångest i alla sina dagar,
en våldsverkares år är räknade.
21 Skräckröster ljuder i hans öron.
    I hans trygghet kommer förhärjaren över honom.
22 Han har inget hopp om räddning ur mörkret,
svärdet är bestämt för honom.
23 Han irrar efter bröd och undrar var det finns.
Han vet att mörkrets dag är nära.
24 Ångest och nöd förskräcker honom,
de slår ner honom likt en kung rustad till strid.
25 Ty mot Gud har han lyft sin hand,
mot den Allsmäktige handlar han övermodigt.
26 Med styv nacke stormar han mot honom,
väl skyddad bakom sina sköldar.
27 Han har täckt sitt ansikte med fetma
och hans midja sväller av fett.
28 Han bosätter sig i ödelagda städer,
i hus där man ej kan bo,
    ty de är bestämda till ruiner.
29 Han blir ej rik,
    hans välstånd skall ej bestå,
hans skördar skall ej luta tungt mot marken.
30 Han kan inte fly undan mörkret,
    hans rotskott skall förtorka av hetta,
han skall förgås genom Guds[a] muns anda.
31 Han må inte bedra sig och lita på tomhet,
ty tomhet skall bli hans lön.
32 I förtid skall hans mått bli fyllt,
    och hans krona
skall ej grönska mer.
33 Han skall tappa sina omogna druvor likt en vinstock,
fälla sina blommor likt ett olivträd.
34 Ty den gudlöses hus blir ofruktsamt,
och eld förtär husen där mutor tas.
35 De går havande med elände och föder fördärv,
deras moderliv alstrar förvillelse.

Footnotes

  1. Job 15:30 Guds Ordagrant: "hans".

Eliphaz Accuses: Job Does Not Fear God

15 Then (A)Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

“Should (B)a wise man answer with (C)windy knowledge,
    and fill his (D)belly with (E)the east wind?
Should he argue in unprofitable talk,
    or in words with which he can do no good?
But you are doing away with the fear of God[a]
    and hindering meditation before God.
For your iniquity teaches your mouth,
    and you choose the tongue of the crafty.
Your (F)own mouth condemns you, and not I;
    (G)your own lips testify against you.

(H)“Are you the first man who was born?
    Or (I)were you brought forth (J)before the hills?
Have you listened in (K)the council of God?
    And do you limit wisdom to yourself?
(L)What do you know that we do not know?
    What do you understand that is not clear to us?
10 (M)Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us,
    older than your father.
11 Are the comforts of God too small for you,
    or the word that deals gently with you?
12 Why does your heart carry you away,
    and why do your eyes flash,
13 that you turn your (N)spirit against God
    and bring such words out of your mouth?
14 (O)What is man, (P)that he can be pure?
    Or he who is (Q)born of a woman, that he can be righteous?
15 Behold, God[b] (R)puts no trust in his (S)holy ones,
    and the heavens are not pure in his sight;
16 (T)how much less one who is abominable and (U)corrupt,
    a man who (V)drinks injustice like water!

17 “I will show you; hear me,
    and what I have seen I will declare
18 (what wise men have told,
    without hiding it (W)from their fathers,
19 to whom alone the land was given,
    and no (X)stranger passed among them).
20 The wicked man writhes in pain all his days,
    through all the (Y)years that are laid up for (Z)the ruthless.
21 (AA)Dreadful sounds are in his ears;
    in (AB)prosperity the destroyer will come upon him.
22 He does not believe that he will return out of darkness,
    and he is marked for the sword.
23 He (AC)wanders abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’
    He knows that a day of darkness is ready at his hand;
24 distress and anguish terrify him;
    they (AD)prevail against him, like a king ready for battle.
25 Because he has stretched out his hand against God
    and defies the Almighty,
26 (AE)running (AF)stubbornly against him
    with a thickly bossed shield;
27 because he has (AG)covered his face with his fat
    and gathered fat upon his waist
28 and has lived in desolate cities,
    in houses that none should inhabit,
    which were ready to become heaps of ruins;
29 he will not be rich, and his wealth will not endure,
    nor will his possessions spread over the earth;[c]
30 he will not depart from darkness;
    the flame will dry up his shoots,
    and by (AH)the breath of his mouth he will depart.
31 Let him not (AI)trust in emptiness, deceiving himself,
    for emptiness will be his payment.
32 It will be paid in full (AJ)before his time,
    and his branch will not be green.
33 He will shake off his unripe grape like the vine,
    and cast off his blossom like the olive tree.
34 For (AK)the company of the godless is barren,
    and (AL)fire consumes the tents of bribery.
35 They (AM)conceive trouble and give birth to evil,
    and their (AN)womb prepares deceit.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 15:4 Hebrew lacks of God
  2. Job 15:15 Hebrew he
  3. Job 15:29 Or nor will his produce bend down to the earth

Eliphaz Says Job Presumes Much

15 Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded,

“Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge,
(A)And fill [a]himself with the east wind?
Should he argue with useless talk,
Or with words which do not benefit?
Indeed, you do away with [b]reverence,
And hinder meditation before God.
For (B)your wrongdoing teaches your mouth,
And you choose the language of (C)the cunning.
Your (D)own mouth condemns you, and not I;
And your own lips testify against you.

“Were you the first person to be born,
Or (E)were you brought forth before the hills?
Do you hear the (F)secret discussion of God,
And limit wisdom to yourself?
(G)What do you know that we do not know?
What do you understand that [c]we do not?
10 Both the (H)gray-haired and the aged are among us,
Older than your father.
11 Are (I)the consolations of God too little for you,
Or the (J)word spoken gently to you?
12 Why does your (K)heart take you away?
And why do your eyes wink,
13 That you can turn your spirit against God
And produce such words from your mouth?
14 What is man, that (L)he would be pure,
Or (M)he who is born of a woman, that he would be righteous?
15 Behold, He has no trust in His (N)holy ones,
And the (O)heavens are not pure in His sight;
16 How much less one who is (P)detestable and corrupt:
A person who (Q)drinks [d]malice like water!

What Eliphaz Has Seen of Life

17 “I will tell you, listen to me;
And what I have seen I will also declare;
18 What wise people have told,
And have not concealed from (R)their fathers,
19 To whom alone the land was given,
And no stranger passed among them.
20 The wicked person writhes (S)in pain all his days,
And the [e]years (T)reserved for the ruthless are numbered.
21 [f]Sounds of (U)terror are in his ears;
(V)While he is at peace the destroyer comes upon him.
22 He does not believe that he will (W)return from darkness,
And he is destined for (X)the sword.
23 He wanders about for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’
He knows that a day of (Y)darkness is [g]at hand.
24 Distress and anguish terrify him,
They overpower him like a king ready for the attack,
25 Because he has reached out with his hand against God,
And is (Z)arrogant toward [h]the Almighty.
26 He rushes [i]headlong at Him
With his [j]massive shield.
27 For he has (AA)covered his face with his fat,
And [k]put fat on his waist.
28 He has (AB)lived in desolate cities,
In houses no one would inhabit,
Which are destined to become [l]ruins.
29 He (AC)will not become rich, nor will his wealth endure;
And his property will not stretch out on the earth.
30 He will (AD)not [m]escape from darkness;
The (AE)flame will dry up his shoot,
And he will go away by (AF)the breath of His mouth.
31 Let him not (AG)trust in emptiness, deceiving himself;
For his [n]reward will be emptiness.
32 It will be accomplished (AH)before his time,
And his palm (AI)branch will not be green.
33 He will drop off his unripe grape like the vine,
And will (AJ)cast off his flower like the olive tree.
34 For the company of (AK)the godless is barren,
And fire consumes (AL)the tents of [o]the corrupt.
35 They (AM)conceive [p]harm and give birth to wrongdoing,
And their [q]mind prepares deception.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 15:2 Lit his belly
  2. Job 15:4 Lit fear
  3. Job 15:9 Lit is not within us?
  4. Job 15:16 Or injustice
  5. Job 15:20 Lit number of years are reserved for
  6. Job 15:21 Lit A sound of terrors is
  7. Job 15:23 Lit ready at his hand
  8. Job 15:25 Heb Shaddai
  9. Job 15:26 Lit with a stiff neck
  10. Job 15:26 Lit thick-bossed shields
  11. Job 15:27 Lit made
  12. Job 15:28 Or heaps
  13. Job 15:30 Lit turn aside
  14. Job 15:31 Lit exchange
  15. Job 15:34 Lit a bribe
  16. Job 15:35 Or pain
  17. Job 15:35 Lit belly

Eliphaz

15 Then Eliphaz the Temanite(A) replied:

“Would a wise person answer with empty notions
    or fill their belly with the hot east wind?(B)
Would they argue with useless words,
    with speeches that have no value?(C)
But you even undermine piety
    and hinder devotion to God.(D)
Your sin(E) prompts your mouth;(F)
    you adopt the tongue of the crafty.(G)
Your own mouth condemns you, not mine;
    your own lips testify against you.(H)

“Are you the first man ever born?(I)
    Were you brought forth before the hills?(J)
Do you listen in on God’s council?(K)
    Do you have a monopoly on wisdom?(L)
What do you know that we do not know?
    What insights do you have that we do not have?(M)
10 The gray-haired and the aged(N) are on our side,
    men even older than your father.(O)
11 Are God’s consolations(P) not enough for you,
    words(Q) spoken gently to you?(R)
12 Why has your heart(S) carried you away,
    and why do your eyes flash,
13 so that you vent your rage(T) against God
    and pour out such words(U) from your mouth?(V)

14 “What are mortals, that they could be pure,
    or those born of woman,(W) that they could be righteous?(X)
15 If God places no trust in his holy ones,(Y)
    if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes,(Z)
16 how much less mortals, who are vile and corrupt,(AA)
    who drink up evil(AB) like water!(AC)

17 “Listen to me and I will explain to you;
    let me tell you what I have seen,(AD)
18 what the wise have declared,
    hiding nothing received from their ancestors(AE)
19 (to whom alone the land(AF) was given
    when no foreigners moved among them):
20 All his days the wicked man suffers torment,(AG)
    the ruthless man through all the years stored up for him.(AH)
21 Terrifying sounds fill his ears;(AI)
    when all seems well, marauders attack him.(AJ)
22 He despairs of escaping the realm of darkness;(AK)
    he is marked for the sword.(AL)
23 He wanders about(AM) for food like a vulture;(AN)
    he knows the day of darkness(AO) is at hand.(AP)
24 Distress and anguish(AQ) fill him with terror;(AR)
    troubles overwhelm him, like a king(AS) poised to attack,
25 because he shakes his fist(AT) at God
    and vaunts himself against the Almighty,(AU)
26 defiantly charging against him
    with a thick, strong shield.(AV)

27 “Though his face is covered with fat
    and his waist bulges with flesh,(AW)
28 he will inhabit ruined towns
    and houses where no one lives,(AX)
    houses crumbling to rubble.(AY)
29 He will no longer be rich and his wealth will not endure,(AZ)
    nor will his possessions spread over the land.(BA)
30 He will not escape the darkness;(BB)
    a flame(BC) will wither his shoots,(BD)
    and the breath of God’s mouth(BE) will carry him away.(BF)
31 Let him not deceive(BG) himself by trusting what is worthless,(BH)
    for he will get nothing in return.(BI)
32 Before his time(BJ) he will wither,(BK)
    and his branches will not flourish.(BL)
33 He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes,(BM)
    like an olive tree shedding its blossoms.(BN)
34 For the company of the godless(BO) will be barren,
    and fire will consume(BP) the tents of those who love bribes.(BQ)
35 They conceive trouble(BR) and give birth to evil;(BS)
    their womb fashions deceit.”