1Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said, 2Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?15.2 vain…: Heb. knowledge of wind 3Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good? 4Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God.15.4 castest…: Heb. makest void15.4 prayer: or, speech 5For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.15.5 uttereth: Heb. teacheth 6Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee. 7Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills? 8Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself? 9What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us? 10With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father. 11Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee? 12Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at, 13That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth? 14What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? 15Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight. 16How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?
17I will shew thee, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare; 18Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it: 19Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them. 20The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor. 21A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.15.21 A dreadful…: Heb. A sound of fears 22He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword. 23He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand. 24Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle. 25For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty. 26He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers: 27Because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks. 28And he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps. 29He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth. 30He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away. 31Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence. 32It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.15.32 accomplished: or, cut off 33He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive. 34For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery. 35They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.15.35 vanity: or, iniquity
Elifaz’ anden tale til Job
1Elifaz tog nu til genmæle:
2„Har man hørt mage til opblæst snak?
Du kendes da ellers som en fornuftig mand.
3Du burde tænke dig bedre om
og ikke bruge den slags tomme ord.
4Du undergraver fromhed
og viser ingen respekt for Gud.
5Du kommer med snedige udtalelser
for at dække over dine overtrædelser.
6Jeg er ikke ude på at dømme dig,
du dømmer dig selv med dine ord.
7Var du det første menneske i verden?
Blev du født, før jorden blev skabt?
8Var du til stede, da Gud planlagde det hele?
Fik du monopol på alverdens visdom?
9Hvad ved du, som vi ikke ved?
Tror du virkelig, du er klogere end os?
10Vores viden stammer fra de gamle vismænd,
der er langt ældre end din far.
11Er Guds trøst da ikke nok for dig?
Er andres venlige ord til ingen nytte?
12Hvorfor hidser du dig sådan op
og sender os lynende blikke?
13Husk lige, at det er Gud, du er vred på,
det er ham, du anklager med dine ord.
14Tror du virkelig, nogen kan være helt uskyldig?
Kan et menneske være fuldstændig fejlfrit?
15Ikke engang englene er uden synd.
Selv de himmelske væsener kan svigte Gud.
16Hvor meget mere skyld har da ikke et menneske,
der tørster efter synd som var det vand.
17Hør lige her, så skal jeg sige dig noget,
lad mig fortælle dig, hvad jeg selv har hørt,
18hvad de gamle vismænd har fortalt,
det, de lærte af deres forfædre,
19af dem, til hvem Gud gav dette land,
før de blev påvirket af fremmede folk.
20De onde må lide alle deres dage,
de grusomme bliver selv grusomt behandlet.
21Syndere må leve i evig angst,
selv i fredstid bliver de overfaldet.
22De tør ikke gå ud om natten
af frygt for at blive myrdet.
23De ved, at det vil gå galt til sidst,
at de ender som føde for gribbene.
24Gru og rædsel omringer dem
som en hær, der venter på at angribe.
25De har jo gjort oprør mod Gud,
trodset den Almægtige.
26Stædigt satte de sig op mod Gud,
gik til angreb med sværd og skjold.
27De ragede til sig på alle måder,
maven blev tyk og kinderne fede.
28De kommer til at bo i ødelagte byer,
i forladte huse, der er ved at falde sammen.
29Deres rigdom smuldrer og forgår,
de efterlader sig intet af værdi.
30De undslipper ikke dødens mørke,
men fortæres af flammer, når Gud ånder på dem.
31Fordi de stoler på den bedrageriske rigdom,
bliver hele deres liv et tomt bedrag.
32De er som et frugttræ, der ikke blomstrer
og derfor bliver fældet i utide.
33De er som en vinstok, der skæres ned, før druerne er modne,
som et oliventræ, der mister blomsterne og ikke giver frugt.
34De gudløses liv bærer ikke frugt.
De, der har svindlet sig til rigdom, vil miste det hele.
35De undfanger onde planer, som modnes i deres indre,
indtil de fødes som løgn og bedrag.”
