< Job 4 >

1 Then Eliphaz, from Teman, replied to Job. He said,
Allora Elifaz di Teman rispose disse:
2 “Will you please let me say something to you? I am not [RHQ] able to remain silent [any longer].
“Se provassimo a dirti una parola ti darebbe fastidio? Ma chi potrebbe trattener le parole?
3 In the past, you have instructed/taught many people, and you have encouraged those who were weak.
Ecco tu n’hai ammaestrati molti, hai fortificato le mani stanche;
4 By what you said, you have helped those who (needed spiritual help/almost quit trusting in God) [MET], and you have enabled them to become spiritually strong again [MET].
le tue parole hanno rialzato chi stava cadendo, hai raffermato le ginocchia vacillanti;
5 But now, when you experience disasters, you become discouraged. The disasters hit you, and you are stunned.
e ora che il male piomba su te, tu ti lasci abbattere; ora ch’è giunto fino a te, sei tutto smarrito.
6 You revere God; (does that not cause you to trust [in him]?/that should cause you to trust [in him].) [RHQ] If you were guiltless, you would [RHQ] be confident that [God] would not [have allowed] these disasters [to] happen to you!
La tua pietà non è forse la tua fiducia, e l’integrità della tua vita la speranza tua?
7 Think about this: Do innocent people die [while they are still young] [RHQ]? Does God get rid of godly people [RHQ]? [No!]
Ricorda: quale innocente perì mai? e dove furono gli uomini retti mai distrutti?
8 What I have experienced is this: [Just as] [MET] farmers who plant bad [seeds] do not harvest good [crops], [just as those who start] trouble for others, later bring trouble on themselves.
Io per me ho visto che coloro che arano iniquità e seminano tormenti, ne mietono i frutti.
9 They die when God angrily blows his breath on them, when he is very angry with them.
Al soffio di Dio essi periscono, dal vento del suo corruccio son consumati.
10 [Even though wicked people may be very powerful like] young lions, [God] will get rid of them [MET].
Spenta è la voce del ruggente, sono spezzati i denti dei leoncelli.
11 [They will die like] fierce lions [that] starve to death when there are no animals that they can kill and eat, and [their children will be separated from each other like] young lions separate from each other [to find food].”
Perisce per mancanza di preda il forte leone, e restan dispersi i piccini della leonessa.
12 “I heard a message that someone came and whispered to me.
Una parola m’è furtivamente giunta, e il mio orecchio ne ha còlto il lieve sussurro.
13 He spoke to me at night when I was having a bad dream that disturbed/frightened me while I was fast asleep.
Fra i pensieri delle visioni notturne, quando un sonno profondo cade sui mortali,
14 It caused me to be afraid and tremble; it caused all my bones to shake.
uno spavento mi prese, un tremore che mi fece fremer tutte l’ossa.
15 A ghost glided past my face and caused the hair on [on the back of] my neck to stand straight up.
Uno spirito mi passò dinanzi, e i peli mi si rizzarono addosso.
16 It stopped, but I could not see what form it had. But [I could sense that] there was some being in front of me, and it said in a quiet voice,
Si fermò, ma non riconobbi il suo sembiante; una figura mi stava davanti agli occhi e udii una voce sommessa che diceva:
17 ‘(Does God consider anyone to be righteous?/No human beings can be righteous in God’s sight!) [RHQ] (Their creator cannot consider them to be pure./Can their creator consider them to be pure?) [RHQ]
“Può il mortale esser giusto dinanzi a Dio? Può l’uomo esser puro dinanzi al suo Fattore?
18 God cannot be sure that his own angels [will always do what is right]; he declares that some of them have done what is wrong.
Ecco, Iddio non si fida de’ suoi propri servi, e trova difetti nei suoi angeli;
19 So he certainly cannot trust human beings who were made from dust and clay, who are crushed as easily as moths are crushed!
quanto più in quelli che stanno in case d’argilla, che han per fondamento la polvere e son schiacciati al par delle tignuole!
20 People are sometimes well in the morning, but in the evening they are dead. They are gone forever and do not even know it (OR, and no one pays any attention to it).
Tra la mattina e la sera sono infranti; periscono per sempre, senza che alcuno se ne accorga.
21 They are like [MET] tents that collapse [suddenly]: They die [suddenly] before they become wise.’”
La corda della lor tenda, ecco, è strappata, e muoion senza posseder la sapienza”.

< Job 4 >