Eliphaz

22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite(A) replied:

“Can a man be of benefit to God?(B)
    Can even a wise person benefit him?(C)
What pleasure(D) would it give the Almighty if you were righteous?(E)
    What would he gain if your ways were blameless?(F)

“Is it for your piety that he rebukes you
    and brings charges against you?(G)
Is not your wickedness great?
    Are not your sins(H) endless?(I)
You demanded security(J) from your relatives for no reason;(K)
    you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked.(L)
You gave no water(M) to the weary
    and you withheld food from the hungry,(N)
though you were a powerful man, owning land(O)
    an honored man,(P) living on it.(Q)
And you sent widows(R) away empty-handed(S)
    and broke the strength of the fatherless.(T)
10 That is why snares(U) are all around you,(V)
    why sudden peril terrifies you,(W)
11 why it is so dark(X) you cannot see,
    and why a flood of water covers you.(Y)

12 “Is not God in the heights of heaven?(Z)
    And see how lofty are the highest stars!
13 Yet you say, ‘What does God know?(AA)
    Does he judge through such darkness?(AB)
14 Thick clouds(AC) veil him, so he does not see us(AD)
    as he goes about in the vaulted heavens.’(AE)
15 Will you keep to the old path
    that the wicked(AF) have trod?(AG)
16 They were carried off before their time,(AH)
    their foundations(AI) washed away by a flood.(AJ)
17 They said to God, ‘Leave us alone!
    What can the Almighty do to us?’(AK)
18 Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things,(AL)
    so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.(AM)
19 The righteous see their ruin and rejoice;(AN)
    the innocent mock(AO) them, saying,
20 ‘Surely our foes are destroyed,(AP)
    and fire(AQ) devours their wealth.’

21 “Submit to God and be at peace(AR) with him;(AS)
    in this way prosperity will come to you.(AT)
22 Accept instruction from his mouth(AU)
    and lay up his words(AV) in your heart.(AW)
23 If you return(AX) to the Almighty, you will be restored:(AY)
    If you remove wickedness far from your tent(AZ)
24 and assign your nuggets(BA) to the dust,
    your gold(BB) of Ophir(BC) to the rocks in the ravines,(BD)
25 then the Almighty will be your gold,(BE)
    the choicest silver for you.(BF)
26 Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty(BG)
    and will lift up your face(BH) to God.(BI)
27 You will pray to him,(BJ) and he will hear you,(BK)
    and you will fulfill your vows.(BL)
28 What you decide on will be done,(BM)
    and light(BN) will shine on your ways.(BO)
29 When people are brought low(BP) and you say, ‘Lift them up!’
    then he will save the downcast.(BQ)
30 He will deliver even one who is not innocent,(BR)
    who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”(BS)

Het antwoord van Elifaz

22 Toen zei Elifaz tegen Job:

Heeft God er iets aan als een mens wijs is?
Nee, dat is alleen voor hemzelf nuttig.
De Almachtige God heeft er Zelf niets aan,
als jij leeft zoals Hij het wil.
Het levert Hem niets op, als jij eerlijk bent.
Zou Hij je soms straffen omdat je zoveel ontzag voor Hem hebt?
Zou Hij daarom een rechtszaak tegen je begonnen zijn?
Nee, geef maar toe dat je vreselijk slecht bent.
Geef maar toe dat je ontelbaar veel slechte dingen hebt gedaan.
Je hebt van mensen een onderpand gevraagd,
zonder dat je daar het recht toe had.
Je hebt de kleren afgenomen van mensen die toch al niets hadden.
Mensen die dorst hadden, heb je niet te drinken gegeven.
Mensen die honger hadden, gaf je geen eten.
Je hebt je macht en je geld gebruikt
om andere mensen hun grond af te nemen.
Maar weduwen en weeskinderen die om hulp kwamen vragen,
stuurde jij weg zonder iets voor hen te doen.
10 Daarom ben je er nu zo slecht aan toe.
Daarom ben je nu zo bang voor wat er nog kan gebeuren.
11 Het lijkt zó donker om je heen,
dat je niet meer weet waar je heen moet.
Je voelt je alsof je door het water wordt meegesleurd.

12 God woont ver weg in de hemel!
Hij woont voorbij de hoogste sterren.
13 Daarom zeg jij: "Wat weet God nu van mij af?
Kan Hij mij soms van zó ver zien en weten wat ik doe?
14 Hij kan mij heus niet zien door de wolkenlaag heen.
Hij wandelt ver weg langs de hemel!"
15 Waarom wil je doorgaan op het slechte pad?
Heel lang geleden deden de mensen dat ook.
16 Weet je wat er met hen gebeurde?
Vóórdat het hun tijd was, werden ze uit het leven weggerukt
door een grote overstroming.[a]
17 Want zij zeiden tegen God:
"Ga toch weg! We hebben U niet nodig!"
En: "Wat kan God ons doen?"
18 Het kon hun niets schelen
dat Hij het was die ervoor had gezorgd dat ze zo rijk werden.
Daarom wil ik niets met slechte mensen te maken hebben.
19 Eerlijke mensen zien dat het met zulke mensen slecht afloopt.
Ze zijn er blij over en lachen hen uit.
20 Wat wíj bezitten, blijft bestaan.
Maar alles wat zíj nog over hebben, verdwijnt als sneeuw voor de zon.

21 Job, ga God weer dienen,
dan zul je vrede hebben.
Dan zal het weer goed met je gaan.
22 Luister alsjeblieft naar wat Hij zegt.
Doe iets met zijn woorden.
23 Als je de Almachtige God weer gaat dienen,
zal alles weer goed komen.
Zorg dat je geen verkeerde dingen meer doet!
24 Gooi je goud weg.
Gooi het weg alsof het niet méér waard is
dan stof of een handvol kiezelstenen.
25 Laat de Almachtige God je schat zijn.
Maak Hém tot het kostbaarste wat je hebt.
26 Dan zul je van God genieten.
Dan zul je Hem weer kunnen aankijken.
27 Als je dan tot Hem bidt,
zal Hij je antwoorden.
Dan zul je doen wat je Hem hebt beloofd.
28 Je zal altijd de goede beslissingen nemen.
Gods licht zal altijd op je schijnen.
29 Als mensen je vernederen,
zul je zeggen: "Ik zal weer opstaan!"
Als ze je voor schut zetten, komt Hij je helpen.
30 Als jij voor schuldige mensen opkomt, zal Hij zelfs hén redden.
Hij zal naar je luisteren, omdat je Hem dient.

Footnotes

  1. Job 22:16 Elifaz heeft het hier over de tijd van Noach, toen God iedereen door een grote overstroming doodde omdat de mensen zo slecht waren. Lees Genesis 6 en verder.

22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?

Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?

Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?

Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?

For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.

But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.

Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;

11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.

12 Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!

13 And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?

14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.

15 Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?

16 Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:

17 Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?

18 Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

19 The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.

20 Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.

21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.

22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.

23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.

24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.

25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.

26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.

27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.

28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.

29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.

30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.

Eliphaz Accuses Job of Wickedness

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

“Can(B) a man be profitable to God,
Though he who is wise may be profitable to himself?
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous?
Or is it gain to Him that you make your ways blameless?

“Is it because of your fear of Him that He corrects you,
And enters into judgment with you?
Is not your wickedness great,
And your iniquity without end?
For you have (C)taken pledges from your brother for no reason,
And stripped the naked of their clothing.
You have not given the weary water to drink,
And you (D)have withheld bread from the hungry.
But the [a]mighty man possessed the land,
And the honorable man dwelt in it.
You have sent widows away empty,
And the [b]strength of the fatherless was crushed.
10 Therefore snares are all around you,
And sudden fear troubles you,
11 Or darkness so that you cannot see;
And an abundance of (E)water covers you.

12 “Is not God in the height of heaven?
And see the highest stars, how lofty they are!
13 And you say, (F)‘What does God know?
Can He judge through the deep darkness?
14 (G)Thick clouds cover Him, so that He cannot see,
And He walks above the circle of heaven.’
15 Will you keep to the old way
Which wicked men have trod,
16 Who (H)were cut down before their time,
Whose foundations were swept away by a flood?
17 (I)They said to God, ‘Depart from us!
What can the Almighty do to [c]them?’
18 Yet He filled their houses with good things;
But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

19 “The(J) righteous see it and are glad,
And the innocent laugh at them:
20 ‘Surely our [d]adversaries are cut down,
And the fire consumes their remnant.’

21 “Now acquaint yourself with Him, and (K)be at peace;
Thereby good will come to you.
22 Receive, please, (L)instruction from His mouth,
And (M)lay up His words in your heart.
23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up;
You will remove iniquity far from your tents.
24 Then you will (N)lay your gold in the dust,
And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
25 Yes, the Almighty will be your [e]gold
And your precious silver;
26 For then you will have your (O)delight in the Almighty,
And lift up your face to God.
27 (P)You will make your prayer to Him,
He will hear you,
And you will pay your vows.
28 You will also declare a thing,
And it will be established for you;
So light will shine on your ways.
29 When they cast you down, and you say, ‘Exaltation will come!
Then (Q)He will save the humble person.
30 He will even deliver one who is not innocent;
Yes, he will be delivered by the purity of your hands.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 22:8 Lit. man of arm
  2. Job 22:9 Lit. arms
  3. Job 22:17 LXX, Syr. us
  4. Job 22:20 LXX substance is
  5. Job 22:25 Ancient vss. suggest defense; MT gold, as in v. 24