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Segundo discurso de Elihú

34 Ustedes, sabios e instruidos,
escuchen mis palabras.
El oído distingue las palabras,
igual que el paladar reconoce los sabores.
Así también, examinemos nosotros el caso
y decidamos lo que nos parezca mejor.
Job afirma: «Yo soy inocente,
pero Dios se niega a hacerme justicia.
Sería una mentira el admitir que soy culpable;
mi herida no sana, aun cuando no he pecado.»

¡No hay nadie como Job!
Se burla de Dios como quien bebe agua;
le gusta juntarse con los malvados,
andar con la gente mala.
Dice que nada gana el hombre
con tratar de agradar a Dios.
10 Pero ustedes, gente sensata, escúchenme.
¡Ni pensar que Dios, el Todopoderoso,
haga el mal o cometa injusticias!
11 Él paga a cada uno según sus obras;
hace que cada cual reciba lo que merece.
12 En verdad, Dios, el Todopoderoso,
no hace nada malo ni injusto;
13 de nadie recibió el poder
para gobernar al mundo entero.
14-15 Si les quita a los hombres
el aliento de vida,
todos ellos mueren por igual
y otra vez vuelven al polvo.

16 Si tú eres sensato, escúchame;
pon atención a mis palabras.
17 Si Dios odiara la justicia, no podría gobernar.
¿Cómo puedes condenar a quien es inmensamente justo?
18 Si los reyes y los nobles son malvados,
Dios no duda en echárselo en cara.
19 Él no se pone de parte de los gobernantes,
ni favorece más a los ricos que a los pobres,
pues él fue quien los hizo a todos.
20 Los hombres mueren en un instante,
en medio de la noche;
la gente se alborota y desaparece;
el poderoso es eliminado sin esfuerzo humano.
21 Dios vigila los pasos del hombre
y conoce todas sus andanzas.
22 No hay tinieblas tan oscuras
que puedan ocultar a un malhechor.
23 Dios no fija un plazo al hombre
para que se presente ante él a juicio.
24 No necesita investigar
para derribar a los grandes
y dar a otros su lugar.
25 Dios conoce lo que hacen,
llega de noche y los destroza.
26 Los azota como a criminales,
a la vista de todos,
27 porque no quisieron obedecerle
ni aceptar sus normas de conducta.
28 Hicieron que los gritos de los pobres y oprimidos
llegaran hasta Dios, y él los escuchó.
29 Pero si Dios calla, ¿quién podrá condenarlo?
Si oculta su rostro, ¿quién podrá verlo?
Él vigila a pueblos e individuos
30 para que no gobierne al pueblo
un malvado que lo engañe.

31 ¿Acaso le has dicho a Dios:
«Me dejé engañar; no volveré a pecar.
32 Muéstrame las faltas que yo no veo.
Si he actuado mal, no lo volveré a hacer»?
33 ¿Acaso quieres que Dios te recompense
como mejor te parezca,
aunque tú lo hayas rechazado?
Ya que eres tú quien decide, y no yo,
dinos lo que sabes.

34 Los hombres sabios que me escuchan,
y las personas sensatas, me dirán:
35 «Job está hablando sin saber;
sus palabras no tienen sentido.
36 ¡Que se examine a fondo a Job,
pues sus respuestas son las de un malvado!
37 Job no sólo es pecador, sino rebelde;
delante de nosotros se burla de Dios
y se pone a discutir con él.»

34 Elihu resumed[a] his speech and said:

Hear my words, you wise men.
You learned men, pay attention to me.
It is true that the ear tests words as the mouth tastes food.
So now we should choose for ourselves what is just.
We should determine among ourselves what is good.

This is what Job said:
“I am in the right,
but God has deprived me of justice.
Would I lie about what is just for me?[b]
His arrow has inflicted an incurable wound on me,
though I did not rebel.”

Who is like Job?
He drinks down derision against God like water.
He travels the road with evildoers,
and he walks with wicked men,
because he said,
“It is no benefit to a man when he takes pleasure in God.”
10 So then, you men with understanding, listen to me.
I swear that God never does anything wicked.
The Almighty is far from wrongdoing.
11 He repays a man for what he does.
He causes the consequences of his ways to catch up with him.
12 God would absolutely not do anything evil.
The Almighty does not pervert justice.
13 Did anyone put him in charge of the earth?
Did anyone place the whole world under his control?
14 If God resolved in his heart to recall his spirit and breath to himself,
15 all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust.

16 But if you have understanding, listen to this.
Hear the sound of my words:
17 Is it possible that one who hates justice could govern?
Will you condemn the Righteous One, who is mighty?
18 He says to kings, “You are worthless,”
and tells nobles, “You are evil.”
19 He shows no favoritism to high officials,
and he shows no more regard for the rich than for the poor,
because they are all the work of his hands.
20 In a moment they die, in the middle of the night.
People are shaken, and they pass away.
Even the mighty are taken away effortlessly, without a human hand,
21 because God’s eyes are on the ways of a man,
and he sees all his steps.
22 There is no darkness,
and there is no dark shadow where evildoers can hide,
23 for God does not need to investigate further
or to set a time of judgment for a person.
24 He breaks mighty rulers without further inquiry,
and he sets up others in their place.
25 Because he knows their deeds,
he overthrows them at night,
and they lie crushed.
26 Because of their wickedness,
    he strikes them in plain sight of everyone.
27 He does this because they turned aside from following him,
and they were not wise enough to follow all his ways.
28 They caused the poor to cry out to God,
so he heard the cry of the afflicted.

29 But if God remains quiet, who can condemn him?
If he hides his face, who can observe him?
But even if he does, he still rules over both nations and individuals,
30 to prevent a godless man from ruling,
so that the godless man does not lay snares for the people.
31 What if someone says to God,
“I have accepted my punishment.
I will not keep sinning.
32 Teach me about what I do not see.
If I have done evil, I will not do it again.”
33 Would God then be obligated to repay you on your terms,
when you refuse to repent?[c]

But, Job, it is your decision, not mine.
So tell me what you know.

34 Men who have understanding say this to me,
and any wise person who listens tells me the same thing:
35 “Job speaks without knowledge,
and his words reveal a lack of understanding.”
36 I wish that Job would be tested to the limit,
because he responds like a wicked man.
37 Yes, he even adds rebellion to his sin.
Among us he shows his contempt by clapping his hands,
and he multiplies his words against God.

Footnotes

  1. Job 34:1 After pausing to give Job a chance to respond, Elihu resumes his monologue.
  2. Job 34:6 Or I am unjustly treated like a liar
  3. Job 34:33 Or just because you reject the charges