1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
2 "Can a man be profitable to God?
Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous?
Or does it benefit him that you make your ways perfect?
4 Is it for your piety that he reproves you,
that he enters with you into judgment?
5 Isn’t your wickedness great?
Neither is there any end to your iniquities.
6 For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing,
and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 You haven’t given water to the weary to drink,
and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth.
The honorable man, he lived in it.
9 You have sent widows away empty,
and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Therefore snares are around you.
Sudden fear troubles you,
11 or darkness, so that you can not see,
and floods of waters cover you.
12 "Isn’t God in the heights of heaven?
See the height of the stars, how high they are!
13 You say, ‘What does God know?
Can he judge through the thick darkness?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he doesn’t see.
He walks on the vault of the sky.’
15 Will you keep the old way,
which wicked men have trodden,
16 who were snatched away before their time,
whose foundation was poured out as a stream,
17 who said to God, ‘Depart from us;’
and, ‘What can the Almighty do for us?’
18 Yet he filled their houses with good things,
but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 The righteous see it, and are glad.
The innocent ridicule them,
20 saying, ‘Surely those who rose up against us are cut off.
The fire has consumed their remnant.’
21 "Acquaint yourself with him, now, and be at peace.
By it, good will come to you.
22 Please receive instruction from his mouth,
and lay up his words in your heart.
23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up,
if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents.
24 Lay your treasure in the dust,
the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
25 The Almighty will be your treasure,
and precious silver to you.
26 For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty,
and will lift up your face to God.
27 You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you.
You will pay your vows.
28 You will also decree a thing, and it will be established to you.
Light will shine on your ways.
29 When they cast down, you will say, ‘be lifted up.’
He will save the humble person.
30 He will even deliver him who is not innocent.
Yes, he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."
1 Outra intervenção de Elifaz:
2 Será um mero ser humano de algum valor perante Deus? Até o mais sábio de entre eles,só tem valor aos seus próprios olhos!
3 Tem Deus algum benefício se fores justo? Teria ele algum lucro se fosses perfeito?
4 Ou repreender-te-á ele porque és honesto?
5 De forma alguma! Se te castiga é porque és mau! Os teus pecados são incontáveis!
6 Tu com certeza que recusaste emprestar dinheiroa amigos necessitadosse não fosse em troca de algum penhor de valia- sim, despojaste-os e deixaste-os sós.
7 Deves ter recusado água a gente sedenta e pão a famintos.
8 Por outro lado, sem dúvida que nunca recusaste nadaa pessoas importantes; deixaste os que vivem folgados andar por onde quisessem.
9 Mandaste embora viúvas sem o auxílio de que precisavam,e houve órfãos que ficaram destroçados.
12 Deus está lá no céu- mais alto do que o firmamento, mais além das estrelas.
13 No entanto atreves-te a pensar assim: 'Por isso mesmo é que ele não pode ver o que faço! Como pode ele exercer o seu julgamentoatravés da espessa escuridão do infinito?
14 Porque espessas nuvens o rodeiam, e portanto não pode ver; ele anda lá por cima, passeando sobre a abóbada celeste.'
17 Eles dizem para o Senhor 'Vai-te embora, Deus! Nada podes fazer por nós!' Que Deus me guarde de vir alguma vez a dizer tais coisas.
18 Esquecem-se de que foi Deusquem encheu os seus lares de boas coisas.
19 Mas agora o recto vê-los-á destruídos; o inocente rir-se-á deles.
20 'Vejam bem
21 Pára de discutir com Deus! Tem paz com ele e terás enfim descanso!
22 Ouve as suas instruções e armazena-as no coração.
23 Se te voltares para Deus e puseres em ordemtudo o que está mal na tua casa,então a tua vida será refeita.
26 Então terás prazer no Senhor, e buscarás Deus.
27 Orarás a ele e te ouvirá;serás capaz de cumprir todas as promessas que lhe fizeste.
28 Seja o que for que desejares, ser-te-á concedido! A luz do céu iluminar-te-á o caminho, à tua frente.