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Eliphaz: God is Righteous

Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded and said:

“If one attempts a word with you, will you become impatient?
But who can keep from speaking?
Behold, you have instructed many;
    you have strengthened weak hands.
Your words have supported those who stumbled,
    and strengthened buckling knees.
Yet now it has come to you,
    and you are discouraged;
it strikes you,
    and you are dismayed.

Is not your piety your confidence,
    the integrity of your ways your hope?
Reflect now:
    Who, being innocent, ever perished?
    And where were the upright destroyed?
As I have seen, those who plow iniquity
    and sow harm, reap them.[a]
By the breath[b] of God they perish;
    by the blast of His anger they vanish.[c]
10 The lion may roar and the cub growl,
    but the teeth of young lions are broken.
11 The mighty lion perishes for lack of prey
    and the lioness’ cubs are scattered.

Testimony of an Accusing Spirit

12 Now a word was secretly brought to me,
    and my ear caught a whisper of it.
13 Amid unsettling visions in the night,
    when a deep sleep falls on men,
14 dread and trembling seized me,
    and made my bones shake.
15 Then a spirit brushed over my face,
    and the hair of my flesh stood on end.
16 It stood still,
    but I could not recognize its appearance,
A form was before my eyes
    and I heard a murmur, a voice:
17 ‘Can a mortal be righteous before God;
    or a man pure before his Creator?
18 If He puts no trust in His servants
    and accuses His angels of error,
19 how much more those
    who dwell in houses of clay,
    whose foundation is in the dust,
    who are crushed before the moth?
20 From morning until evening they are beaten into pieces—
    unnoticed, they perish forever.
21 Is not their tent cord pulled out,
    so that they die without wisdom.’”

Footnotes

  1. Job 4:8 cf. Gal. 6:7.
  2. Job 4:9 Heb. ruach, lit. wind.
  3. Job 4:9 cf. 2 Thes. 2:8.

Eliphaz Speaks: Job Has Sinned

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:

“If one ventures a word with you, will you be offended?
    But who can keep from speaking?
See, you have instructed many;
    you have strengthened the weak hands.
Your words have supported those who were stumbling,
    and you have made firm the feeble knees.
But now it has come to you, and you are impatient;
    it touches you, and you are dismayed.
Is not your fear of God your confidence,
    and the integrity of your ways your hope?

“Think now, who that was innocent ever perished?
    Or where were the upright cut off?
As I have seen, those who plow iniquity
    and sow trouble reap the same.
By the breath of God they perish,
    and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.
10 The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion,
    and the teeth of the young lions are broken.
11 The strong lion perishes for lack of prey,
    and the whelps of the lioness are scattered.

12 “Now a word came stealing to me,
    my ear received the whisper of it.
13 Amid thoughts from visions of the night,
    when deep sleep falls on mortals,
14 dread came upon me, and trembling,
    which made all my bones shake.
15 A spirit glided past my face;
    the hair of my flesh bristled.
16 It stood still,
    but I could not discern its appearance.
A form was before my eyes;
    there was silence, then I heard a voice:
17 ‘Can mortals be righteous before[a] God?
    Can human beings be pure before[b] their Maker?
18 Even in his servants he puts no trust,
    and his angels he charges with error;
19 how much more those who live in houses of clay,
    whose foundation is in the dust,
    who are crushed like a moth.
20 Between morning and evening they are destroyed;
    they perish forever without any regarding it.
21 Their tent-cord is plucked up within them,
    and they die devoid of wisdom.’

Footnotes

  1. Job 4:17 Or more than
  2. Job 4:17 Or more than

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking?

Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.

Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.

But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?

Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?

Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.

By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.

10 The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.

11 The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion's whelps are scattered abroad.

12 Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof.

13 In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,

14 Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.

15 Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up:

16 It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,

17 Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?

18 Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:

19 How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?

20 They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it.

21 Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.

Primera reprensión de Elifaz a Job

Elifaz, el temanita, respondió:

«Tratar de hablarte te será molesto;
pero, ¿quién podría quedarse callado?
Yo recuerdo que tus sabias enseñanzas
infundían fortaleza a los débiles.
Si alguien caía, tus palabras lo levantaban;
tú sostenías al que estaba por caer.
Pero ahora que eres tú quien sufre,
¡te desanimas y no logras superar tu turbación!
¿Desconfías acaso de tu temor a Dios?
¿Ya no crees que tu integridad puede salvarte?

»Piensa en esto: ¿quién castiga al inocente?
¿Dónde has visto que el justo sufra algún daño?
Lo que sí he llegado a ver es lo siguiente:
los que siembran maldad, cosechan lo que siembran;
el aliento de Dios sopla sobre ellos,
y su enojo contra ellos los consume.
10 Aunque rujan como leones y gruñan como cachorros,
Dios los calla y les rompe los colmillos.
11 El león viejo muere por falta de presa,
y los cachorros de la leona se van por su camino.

12 »Mucho de esto lo desconocía;
pero una noche escuché un rumor.
13 En mis tenebrosas pesadillas,
y cuando mi sueño era más profundo,
14 algo me hizo temblar de miedo;
¡algo hizo que me estremeciera hasta los huesos!
15 Sentí sobre mi piel el soplo de un espíritu,
y el pelo de mi cuerpo se erizó.
16 Delante de mis ojos estaba una silueta;
y aunque no pude ver su rostro,
alcancé a escuchar que susurraba:
17 “¿Acaso el hombre es más justo que Dios?
¿Es acaso más puro que su propio creador?
18 Si Dios no confía ni en sus ángeles,
pues ve la torpeza de sus propios siervos,
19 ¿cómo puede confiar en el hombre,
que habita en casas construidas sobre el barro,
y que un día será pasto de los gusanos?
20 Nace por la mañana y muere por la noche,
y se pierde para siempre, sin que nadie lo recuerde;
21 ¡es arrancado, como las estacas de una carpa,
y muere antes de alcanzar sabiduría!”