Job 22
1 Darauf antwortete Eliphas, der Temaniter, und sprach:
Then Eliphaz replied,
2 Mag auch ein Mann Gott etwas nützen? Es nützt ja der Verständige nur sich selbst.
“(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 Freude, wenn du gerecht bist? Ist's ihm ein Gewinn, wenn du in Unschuld 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 wegen deiner Gottesfurcht, und geht er darum 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 Sind nicht deine Missetaten groß und deine Schulden ohne 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 wohl deine Brüder gepfändet und den Entblößten 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 vielleicht hast du dem Müden kein Wasser zu trinken gegeben oder dem Hungrigen das 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 Der Mächtige hat das Land bekommen, und der Angesehene 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 Du hast Witwen leer fortgeschickt und die Arme der Waisen zusammenbrechen lassen.
[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 liegst du in Banden und hat Furcht dich plötzlich überfallen.
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? Siehe doch die höchsten Sterne, wie hoch sie stehen!
“[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 denkst: «Was weiß Gott! Sollte er hinter dem Dunkel richten?
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 hüllen ihn ein, daß er nicht sehen kann, und er wandelt auf dem Himmelsgewölbe umher!»
[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 den alten Weg befolgen, den die Bösewichte gegangen sind,
Will you continue to conduct your life the old way that evil people have done [for many years]?
16 die weggerafft wurden von der Flut, deren Fundament der Strom wegriß,
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 weg von uns!» und «was könnte der Allmächtige einem tun?»
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 er hatte doch ihre Häuser mit Gütern erfüllt! Doch der Gottlosen Rat sei fern 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, unsere Widersacher werden vertilgt, und das Feuer hat ihren Überrest 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 doch mit Ihm und mache Frieden! Dadurch wird Gutes über dich kommen.
“So, [Job, ] be reconciled to God and make peace with him; if you do that, good things will happen to you.
22 Nimm doch Belehrung an aus seinem Mund und lege seine Worte in dein Herz!
Allow him to teach you, and keep thinking about what he has told you.
23 Wenn du dich zu dem Allmächtigen kehrst, so wirst du aufgerichtet werden, wenn du die Ungerechtigkeit aus deiner Hütte 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 Wirf das Gold in den Staub und das Ophirgold zu den Steinen der Bäche,
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 und dein glänzendes Silber sein!
and if you allow Almighty [God] to be [as precious to you as] your gold and your silver [have been],
26 Dann wirst du dich an dem Allmächtigen ergötzen und dein Angesicht 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 du wirst zu ihm flehen, und er wird dich erhören, und du wirst deine 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 vornimmst, das wird dir gelingen, und ein Licht wird auf deinen Wegen leuchten.
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 Führen sie abwärts, so wirst du sagen: «Es geht empor!» Und wer die Augen niederschlägt, den wird er retten.
God humbles those who are proud, but he saves those who are downcast/discouraged.
30 Er wird [selbst] den freilassen, der nicht unschuldig ist: durch die Reinheit deiner Hände wird er entrinnen.
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).”
