Eliphaz speaks to Job for the 3rd time
1Eliphaz, from the land of Teman, spoke again. He said:
2‘God can do everything Himself.
He does not need people to do anything,
not even wise people.
3Do you think the Almighty God
must be pleased because you live in the right way?
Or do you think it has helped Him
if you have never done wrong? No.
4Job, do you think that God is
punishing you because you serve Him?
Do you think that is
why He says you are guilty?
5No, God is punishing you
because you have lived wrongly,
and you have done
so many sins that one can not count them.
6You have taken the clothes
of your own people,
even from those
who did not owe you anything,
and you made poor people go naked.
7You did not give water
to people who were tired,
and you did not give food to hungry people.
8You were rich and powerful
and you owned a lot of land,
and your friends lived on it,
9but you sent widows away
and you oppressed orphans.
10That is why you have fallen into traps
and have become afraid.
11It has become dark for you
so that you can not see.
That is why it feels like
a lot of water is flowing over you.
12God is far above in heaven.
He looks down on the highest stars.
13But you ask: “What does God know?”
You think that He knows nothing
and that He can not look through
the dark clouds to judge people.
14You think that the clouds cover Him
so that He can not see where He is walking
on the expanse above the earth.
15Do you want to keep on living
like the sinful people who lived before you?
16Those people died when they were young.
They were like houses that have been
swept away by floods of water.
17They said to God:
“Go away and leave us.”
They said: “The Almighty God
can do nothing bad to us.”
18That is what they said to Him,
to the One who made them rich.
The people who do wrong
don't think like I do.
19People who live in the right way and who are innocent
are pleased and laugh when they see
how God punishes sinners.
20People who live in the right way say:
“Our enemies have died and
everything that they had was burnt down.”
21Job, you must make peace with God
and then you will be happy again.
22You must listen to what God is telling you
and you must remember everything.
23If you come back to the Almighty God,
if you turn to Him and stop sinning,
then He will take everything that is bad
away from you and you will be happy.
24God is more important than treasures.
If you throw away your gold
and all your precious things into a river,
25then the Almighty God will be your treasure.
He is worth more than gold and silver.
26Yes, then you will be happy
that the Almighty is your God,
and you will worship Him and know
that He wants to be good to you.
27You will pray to Him and He will do
what you ask Him and you will do
what you have promised God.
28You will succeed in the things
that you choose to do
and his light will shine on you.
29If you pray and ask God
to bless people who were made humble,
He will listen to your prayer and
He will save those humbled people.
30God will even forgive and
save those who are guilty because
you have done what is right.’
