Job 22
1 Entonces Elifaz, el temanita, respondió,
Then Eliphaz replied,
2 “¿Puede un hombre ser útil a Dios? Ciertamente, el que es sabio se beneficia a sí mismo.
“(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 ¿Acaso es un placer para el Todopoderoso que seas justo? ¿O es que le beneficia que hagas tus caminos perfectos?
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 ¿Es por tu piedad que te reprende, que entre con vosotros en el juicio?
“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 ¿No es grande tu maldad? Tampoco tienen fin sus iniquidades.
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 Porque has tomado prendas de tu hermano a cambio de nada, y despojaron a los desnudos de sus ropas.
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 No has dado de beber agua al cansado, y has negado el pan al hambriento.
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 Pero en cuanto al hombre poderoso, tenía la tierra. El hombre honorable, vivía en él.
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 Has despedido a las viudas con las manos vacías, y los brazos de los huérfanos se han roto.
[When] widows [came to you for help], you [must have] sent [them] away without giving them anything, and you must have oppressed orphans.
10 Por lo tanto, las trampas están a tu alrededor. El miedo repentino te inquieta,
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 o la oscuridad, para que no puedas ver, y las inundaciones de las aguas te cubren.
[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 “¿No está Dios en las alturas del cielo? Mira la altura de las estrellas, ¡qué altas son!
“[But consider this, Job]: God lives [RHQ] high up in the heavens. From there he [RHQ] looks down on the highest stars.
13 Tú dices: “¿Qué sabe Dios? ¿Puede juzgar a través de la espesa oscuridad?
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 Las densas nubes le cubren, para que no vea. Camina sobre la bóveda del cielo”.
[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 ¿Mantendrás el viejo camino, que los hombres malvados han pisado,
Will you continue to conduct your life the old way that evil people have done [for many years]?
16 que fueron arrebatados antes de tiempo, cuyo fundamento se derramó como un arroyo,
They suddenly died while they were still young; they disappeared [like everything disappears when there is] a flood [MET].
17 que dijo a Dios: “¡Aléjate de nosotros! y, “¿Qué puede hacer el Todopoderoso por nosotros?
They kept saying to God, ‘Do not bother us,’ and they also said [defiantly], ‘Almighty [God] can do nothing [RHQ] to [harm] us!’
18 Sin embargo, llenó sus casas de cosas buenas, pero el consejo de los malvados está lejos de mí.
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 Los justos lo ven y se alegran. Los inocentes los ridiculizan,
“But when God punishes wicked people, and righteous people see that, they are glad, and they laugh, ridiculing the wicked people.
20 diciendo: “Ciertamente, los que se levantaron contra nosotros han sido eliminados. El fuego ha consumido su remanente”.
They say, ‘Now our enemies have been destroyed, and all [their possessions] that were left have been burned in a fire.’
21 “Conócelo ahora y quédate tranquilo. Por ello, el bien te llegará.
“So, [Job, ] be reconciled to God and make peace with him; if you do that, good things will happen to you.
22 Por favor, recibe la instrucción de su boca, y guarda sus palabras en tu corazón.
Allow him to teach you, and keep thinking about what he has told you.
23 Si vuelves al Todopoderoso, serás edificado, si apartáis la injusticia lejos de vuestras tiendas.
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 Deja tu tesoro en el polvo, el oro de Ofir entre las piedras de los arroyos.
if you throw away your gold, even the fine gold from the dry stream beds in Ophir [land],
25 El Todopoderoso será tu tesoro, y plata preciosa para ti.
and if you allow Almighty [God] to be [as precious to you as] your gold and your silver [have been],
26 Porque entonces te deleitarás en el Todopoderoso, y levantarás tu rostro hacia Dios.
you will be happy because of your close relationship with God, and you will be able to approach him [IDM] [confidently].
27 Le harás tu oración, y él te escuchará. Pagarás tus votos.
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 También decretarás una cosa, y te será establecida. La luz brillará en tus caminos.
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 Cuando se abatan, dirás: “levántate”. Él salvará a la persona humilde.
God humbles those who are proud, but he saves those who are downcast/discouraged.
30 Élincluso entregará al que no es inocente. Sí, será liberado por la limpieza de tus manos”.
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).”
