Job 22
1 Da antwortete Eliphas von Theman und sprach:
Then Eliphaz replied,
2 Kann denn ein Mann Gottes etwas nützen? Nur sich selber nützt ein Kluger.
“(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 Meinst du, dem Allmächtigen liege daran, daß du gerecht seist? Was hilft's ihm, wenn deine Wege ohne Tadel sind?
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 Meinst du wegen deiner Gottesfurcht strafe er dich und gehe mit dir ins 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 Nein, deine Bosheit ist zu groß, und deiner Missetaten ist kein Ende.
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 Du hast etwa deinem Bruder ein Pfand genommen ohne Ursache; du hast den Nackten die Kleider ausgezogen;
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 du hast die Müden nicht getränkt mit Wasser und hast dem Hungrigen dein Brot versagt;
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 du hast Gewalt im Lande geübt und prächtig darin gegessen;
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 die Witwen hast du leer lassen gehen und die Arme der Waisen zerbrochen.
[When] widows [came to you for help], you [must have] sent [them] away without giving them anything, and you must have oppressed orphans.
10 Darum bist du mit Stricken umgeben, und Furcht hat dich plötzlich erschreckt.
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 Solltest du denn nicht die Finsternis sehen 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 nicht Gott hoch droben im Himmel? Siehe, die Sterne an droben in der Höhe!
“[But consider this, Job]: God lives [RHQ] high up in the heavens. From there he [RHQ] looks down on the highest stars.
13 Und du sprichst: “Was weiß Gott? Sollte er, was im Dunkeln ist, richten können?
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 Die Wolken sind die Vordecke, und er sieht nicht; er wandelt im Umkreis des Himmels.”
[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 Achtest du wohl auf den Weg, darin vorzeiten die Ungerechten gegangen sind?
Will you continue to conduct your life the old way that evil people have done [for many years]?
16 die vergangen sind, ehe denn es Zeit war, und das Wasser hat ihren Grund weggewaschen;
They suddenly died while they were still young; they disappeared [like everything disappears when there is] a flood [MET].
17 die zu Gott sprachen: “Hebe dich von uns! was sollte der Allmächtige uns tun können?”
They kept saying to God, ‘Do not bother us,’ and they also said [defiantly], ‘Almighty [God] can do nothing [RHQ] to [harm] us!’
18 so er doch ihr Haus mit Gütern füllte. Aber der Gottlosen Rat sei ferne von mir.
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 Die Gerechten werden es sehen und sich freuen, und der Unschuldige wird ihrer spotten:
“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 verschwunden; und sein Übriggelassenes 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 So vertrage dich nun mit ihm und habe Frieden; daraus wird dir viel Gutes kommen.
“So, [Job, ] be reconciled to God and make peace with him; if you do that, good things will happen to you.
22 Höre das Gesetz von seinem Munde und fasse seine Reden in dein Herz.
Allow him to teach you, and keep thinking about what he has told you.
23 Wirst du dich bekehren zu dem Allmächtigen, so wirst du aufgebaut werden. Tue nur Unrecht ferne hinweg von deiner Hütte
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 und wirf in den Staub dein Gold und zu den Steinen der Bäche 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 Gold sein und wie Silber, das dir zugehäuft wird.
and if you allow Almighty [God] to be [as precious to you as] your gold and your silver [have been],
26 Dann wirst du Lust haben an dem Allmächtigen und dein Antlitz zu Gott aufheben.
you will be happy because of your close relationship with God, and you will be able to approach him [IDM] [confidently].
27 So wirst du ihn bitten, und er wird dich hören, und wirst dein Gelübde 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 Was du wirst vornehmen, wird er dir lassen gelingen; und das Licht wird auf deinem Wege scheinen.
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 Denn die sich demütigen, die erhöht er; und wer seine Augen niederschlägt, der wird genesen.
God humbles those who are proud, but he saves those who are downcast/discouraged.
30 Auch der nicht unschuldig war wird errettet werden; er wird aber errettet um deiner Hände Reinigkeit willen.
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).”
