Job 22
1 Eliphas von Theman antwortete und sprach:
Then Eliphaz replied,
2 Kommt etwa Gotte zu gut des Menschen Thun? Nein, nur sich selber nützt der Fromme!
“(Can anyone be useful to God?/Certainly no one can be useful to God.) [RHQ] Even people who are wise cannot be helpful to God.
3 Hat der Allmächtige einen Vorteil davon, wenn du rechtschaffen bist?, oder einen Gewinn, wenn du unsträflich wandelst?
If you were righteous, (would that benefit Almighty [God]?/that certainly would not benefit Almighty [God].) [RHQ] If you had (lived a perfect life/never done anything that is wrong), would that help him?
4 Straft er dich etwa wegen deiner Gottesfurcht und zieht dich deshalb vor Gericht?
“Is it because you have an awesome respect for God that he punishes you? Is that the reason that he puts you on trial?
5 Ist deine Missethat nicht groß, und endlos deine Verschuldungen?
No, it certainly must be [RHQ] because you are extremely wicked. It must be that the evil things that you have done are so many that no one can count them!
6 Denn du pfändetest deine Brüder ohne Anlaß und Halbnackten zogst du die Kleider aus.
You must have lent money to others and wrongly forced them to give you things to guarantee that they would pay that money back to you; you must have taken all their clothes and left them with nothing to wear.
7 Nicht tränktest du mit Wasser den Verschmachteten und dem Hungernden versagtest du das Brot.
You must not have given water to those who were thirsty, and you must have refused to give food to those who were hungry.
8 Dem Manne der Faust, ihm gehörte das Land, und der Hochangesehene wohnte darin.
Because you were very powerful, you [must have] taken over all the people’s land, and then, being very respected, you have begun to live on that land.
9 Witwen schicktest du mit leeren Händen fort, und der Verwaisten Arme wurden zermalmt.
[When] widows [came to you for help], you [must have] sent [them] away without giving them anything, and you must have oppressed orphans.
10 Deshalb sind rings um dich Schlingen, und ängstigt dich jählings der Schrecken!
Because of all that, now there are pits around you for you to fall into, and suddenly there are things that terrify you and cause you to tremble.
11 Oder siehst du die Finsternis nicht, und die Wasserflut, die dich bedeckt?
[It is as though] it has become very dark, with the result that you cannot see anything, and [it is as though] [MET] a flood covers you.
12 Ist Gott nicht himmelhoch? Schau der Sterne Gipfel an, wie hoch sie ragen!
“[But consider this, Job]: God lives [RHQ] high up in the heavens. From there he [RHQ] looks down on the highest stars.
13 Und da willst du sprechen: “Was weiß denn Gott? Kann er durch Wolkendunkel hindurch Gericht halten?
So why do you say, ‘What does God know [about what we are doing]? [He is hidden from us by] dark clouds, so ([how] can he judge us?/he certainly cannot judge us.) [RHQ]’
14 Wolken sind seine Hülle, so daß er nicht sieht, und auf des Himmels Kreis lustwandelt er.”
[Do you think that] while he walks on the dome that covers the sky, there are thick clouds around him, with the result that he cannot see [what we do]?
15 Willst du der Vorwelt Bahn einhalten, die die Männer des Frevels gewandelt sind?
Will you continue to conduct your life the old way that evil people have done [for many years]?
16 sie, die gepackt wurden vor der Zeit, deren Grund zu einem Strome zerfloß?
They suddenly died while they were still young; they disappeared [like everything disappears when there is] a flood [MET].
17 Die zu Gotte sprachen: “Bleib uns fern!” und was könne ihnen der Allmächtige thun?
They kept saying to God, ‘Do not bother us,’ and they also said [defiantly], ‘Almighty [God] can do nothing [RHQ] to [harm] us!’
18 Und doch erfüllte er mit Segen ihre Häuser - der Gottlosen Gesinnung liegt mir fern!
But it was God who filled their houses with good things, so I cannot at all understand why wicked people think like they do.
19 Es sehen's die Frommen und freuen sich, und der Schuldlose spottet ihrer:
“But when God punishes wicked people, and righteous people see that, they are glad, and they laugh, ridiculing the wicked people.
20 “Fürwahr, unser Widersacher ist vernichtet, und ihren Überrest hat das Feuer verzehrt!”
They say, ‘Now our enemies have been destroyed, and all [their possessions] that were left have been burned in a fire.’
21 Befreunde dich nicht mit ihm, so wirst du Frieden haben, dadurch kommt Segen über dich.
“So, [Job, ] be reconciled to God and make peace with him; if you do that, good things will happen to you.
22 Nimm doch aus seinem Munde Belehrung an und birg seine Worte in deinem Herzen.
Allow him to teach you, and keep thinking about what he has told you.
23 Wenn du dich zum Allmächtigen bekehrst, dich demütigst, wenn du die Sünde aus deinem Zelt entfernst -
If you humble yourself and return to God, if you stop doing all the evil things that you have been doing in your house,
24 ja, wirf in den Staub das Brucherz und zu der Bäche Kieseln das Ophirgold! -
if you throw away your gold, even the fine gold from the dry stream beds in Ophir [land],
25 so wird der Allmächtige dein Erz sein und dir als strahlendes Silber gelten.
and if you allow Almighty [God] to be [as precious to you as] your gold and your silver [have been],
26 Ja, dann wirst du am Allmächtigen deine Wonne haben und dein Antlitz zu Gott erheben.
you will be happy because of your close relationship with God, and you will be able to approach him [IDM] [confidently].
27 Flehst du zu ihm, so erhört er dich, und deine Gelübde kannst du bezahlen.
You will pray to him, and he will do what you request him to do; you will do the things that you promised him that you would do.
28 Unternimmst du etwas, so gelingt es dir, und über deinen Wegen strahlet Licht.
Everything that you decide to do will be successful; [it] will [be as though] a light [is] shining on the road in front of you.
29 Wenn sie abwärts führen, so rufst du: Empor! und dem Demütigen hilft er.
God humbles those who are proud, but he saves those who are downcast/discouraged.
30 Er errettet den Nicht-Schuldlosen: ja, gerettet wird er durch die Reinheit deiner Hände.
God rescues those who (are innocent/have not done things that are wrong), so he will rescue you if you (start doing things that are right/are not guilty [IDM] of doing things that are wrong).”
