1Elifaz gav straks svar på tiltale:2„Hvad gavn har Gud af et menneske? Hvad kan de kloge gøre for ham?3Hvad ville det gavne den Almægtige, hvis du var uskyldig og fejlfri?4Straffer han dig måske for din fromhed? Ville han dømme dig, hvis du var uskyldig?5Nej, det må være på grund af din ondskab. Du må have begået utallige synder.6Måske du udnyttede en ven, som lånte penge af dig? Måske tog du alle hans ejendele i pant?7Måske du nægtede den tørstende vand eller undlod at give den sultende mad?8Selv om du var umådelig rig og havde stor magt og indflydelse,9afslog du måske at hjælpe enker i nød og tog håbet fra forældreløse børn?10Det må være derfor, du er fanget i en fælde og nu må svede angstens sved.11Derfor er du fange i et mørkt hul og sidder i problemer til halsen.12Bor Gud ikke i den højeste himmel? Se på stjernerne og erkend hans storhed.13Alligevel siger du: ‚Hvad ved Gud? Han kan ikke se gennem de tætte skyer.14Når han vandrer rundt på himmelbuen, skjuler skyerne os for hans blik.’15Er du på vej tilbage til de gamle traditioner, som nogle af vores ugudelige forfædre fulgte?16Husk på, at de blev revet bort i utide, og deres livsgrundlag smuldrede under dem.17De sagde til den almægtige Gud: ‚Lad os være i fred! Hvad kan du gøre for os!’18Og dog var det ham, der gav dem velstand! Men sådan vil jeg ikke tænke.19De retskafne glæder sig, når de onde bliver straffet, de uskyldige jubler og siger:20‚Nu er det ude med vores fjender! Alt, hvad de ejede, gik op i røg!’21Slut nu fred med Gud, lad dig forsone med ham, så du igen kan blive lykkelig.22Hør på ham, når han vejleder dig, og ret dig efter, hvad han siger.23Vend dog om til Gud og ydmyg dig, gør op med enhver synd i dit liv.24Opgiv din pengegriskhed, skaf dig af med dit dyrebare guld,25så den Almægtige selv bliver dit guld, så du værdsætter ham mere end alt dit sølv.26Så vil du kunne glæde dig over ham og se ham frimodigt i øjnene.27Så hører han dig, når du beder, og du kan takke ham for, at svaret kommer.28Hvad end du tager dig for, vil lykkes for dig, og du kan se frem til lysere tider.29De stolte og hovmodige piller han ned, men de ydmyge giver han oprejsning.30Gud redder den uskyldige. Rens dig selv, så du kan blive reddet.”[1]
1Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said: (Job 2,11)2“Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself. (Job 35,7)3Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are in the right, or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless? (Salm 18,32)4Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you and enters into judgment with you? (Job 14,3; Salm 143,2)5Is not your evil abundant? There is no end to your iniquities.6For you have exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing and stripped the naked of their clothing. (2.Mos 22,26; 5.Mos 24,6; 5.Mos 24,17; Job 24,3; Job 24,9; Job 31,16; Ez 18,12; Ez 18,16)7You have given no water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry. (Job 31,17; Es 58,7; Ez 18,7; Ez 18,16; Matt 25,42)8The man with power possessed the land, and the favored man lived in it. (2.Kong 5,1; Job 35,9; Es 9,15)9You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless were crushed. (Job 31,21; Job 38,15; Es 10,2; Ez 22,7; Luk 1,53)10Therefore snares are all around you, and sudden terror overwhelms you, (Job 18,8)11or darkness, so that you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you. (2.Mos 10,22; Job 27,20; Job 38,34; Salm 69,1; Salm 69,14; Salm 124,5; Klag 3,54; Jonas 2,3; Jonas 2,5)12“Is not God high in the heavens? See the highest stars, how lofty they are! (Job 11,8)13But you say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the deep darkness? (Job 38,9; Salm 10,11; Salm 59,7; Salm 64,5; Salm 73,11; Salm 94,7; Es 29,15; Ez 8,12; Ez 9,9)14Thick clouds veil him, so that he does not see, and he walks on the vault of heaven.’ (Salm 139,11; Ord 8,27; Es 40,22)15Will you keep to the old way that wicked men have trod?16They were snatched away before their time; their foundation was washed away.[1] (Job 15,32)17They said to God, ‘Depart from us,’ and ‘What can the Almighty do to us?’[2] (Job 21,14; Salm 4,6)18Yet he filled their houses with good things— but the counsel of the wicked is far from me. (Job 21,16)19The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent one mocks at them, (Salm 2,4; Salm 52,6; Salm 58,10; Salm 64,10; Salm 107,42)20saying, ‘Surely our adversaries are cut off, and what they left the fire has consumed.’ (Job 1,16)21“Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. (Salm 119,45; Ord 3,2)22Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart. (Salm 119,11; Ord 2,6; Mal 2,7)23If you return to the Almighty you will be built up; if you remove injustice far from your tents, (Job 8,5; Job 11,13; Job 11,14; Jer 24,6; Jer 33,7; Mal 3,7)24if you lay gold in the dust, and gold of Ophir among the stones of the torrent-bed, (1.Kong 9,28; Job 20,11; Job 21,26)25then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver.26For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God. (Job 11,15; Job 27,10; Salm 37,4; Es 58,14)27You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you, and you will pay your vows. (Job 33,26; Salm 50,14; Es 58,9)28You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways. (Ord 4,18)29For when they are humbled you say, ‘It is because of pride’;[3] but he saves the lowly. (Salm 138,6; Ord 3,34; Ord 29,23; Matt 23,12; Luk 1,52; Jak 4,6; 1.Pet 5,5)30He delivers even the one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.” (1.Mos 18,26; Job 9,30; Job 17,9; Salm 18,20; Salm 18,24; Salm 24,4; Salm 26,6)