Job 22
1 Darauf erwidert Eliphaz von Teman mit den Worten:
Then Eliphaz replied,
2 "Hat Gott von einem Manne Nutzen? Nein, nur zum eigenen Nutzen ist man fromm.
“(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 etwas von deiner Tugend, Gewinn von deiner Lauterkeit?
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 Zeiht er dich etwa deiner Frömmigkeit und zieht dich deshalb vor 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 Kann nicht dein Frevel mannigfaltig sein und deine Sünden ohne Maß?
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 Gewiß hast du den Bruder ohne Grund gepfändet und Nackten ihre 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 Dem Müden hast du keinen Trunk gespendet und 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 'Dem Mann der Faust gehört das Land, und nur der Stolze darf drin wohnen', so dachtest du.
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 So hast du Witwen hilflos ziehen lassen; die Waisen hat dein Arm bedrückt.
[When] widows [came to you for help], you [must have] sent [them] away without giving them anything, and you must have oppressed orphans.
10 Deshalb sind Schlingen rings um dich und ängstigt jählings dich der Schrecken.
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 Ist's nicht so, daß du gar nichts siehst, wenn Finsternis und Wasserwolken dich bedecken?
[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 Nun, ist nicht Gott so hoch in Himmelshöhen? Schau nur empor, wie hoch der Sterne Haupt!
“[But consider this, Job]: God lives [RHQ] high up in the heavens. From there he [RHQ] looks down on the highest stars.
13 Da denkst du wohl: Wie kann denn Gott etwas bemerken? Kann er denn hinterm Wolkendunkel etwas unterscheiden?
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 Umschleiern ihn doch Wolken, daß er nichts sehen kann, und auch der Himmelskreis ist in Bewegung.'
[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 denn von der Vorzeit Pfaden den betreten, den jene alten Sünder gingen?
Will you continue to conduct your life the old way that evil people have done [for many years]?
16 Sie, die gepackt zur Unzeit wurden, und deren Sein die Wasserflut verschlang,
They suddenly died while they were still young; they disappeared [like everything disappears when there is] a flood [MET].
17 die einst zu Gott gesprochen: 'Bleib uns fern!' - Was tat doch ihnen der Allmächtige?
They kept saying to God, ‘Do not bother us,’ and they also said [defiantly], ‘Almighty [God] can do nothing [RHQ] to [harm] us!’
18 Er, der mit Segen ihre Häuser füllte. Der Plan mit diesen Frevlern ist mir unbegreiflich. -
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 Frommen sehen es noch heut und freuen sich; der Schuldlose verspottet sie!
“But when God punishes wicked people, and righteous people see that, they are glad, and they laugh, ridiculing the wicked people.
20 'Ist unser Widersacher nicht vernichtet? Und seinen Rest verzehrte noch das Feuer.'
They say, ‘Now our enemies have been destroyed, and all [their possessions] that were left have been burned in a fire.’
21 Vertrau allein auf ihn, so hast du Frieden! Durch jene wird dir reichlicher Gewinn.
“So, [Job, ] be reconciled to God and make peace with him; if you do that, good things will happen to you.
22 Laß dich von seinem Mund belehren! Zu Herzen nimm dir seine Worte!
Allow him to teach you, and keep thinking about what he has told you.
23 Wenn du gebessert zum Allmächtigen dich kehrst, entfernst aus deinem Zelte unrecht Gut,
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 Golderz für Staub erachtend und für der Bäche Kiesel Ophirgold,
if you throw away your gold, even the fine gold from the dry stream beds in Ophir [land],
25 daß dir so der Allmächtige zum Goldberg wird, zu einem Silberhaufen,
and if you allow Almighty [God] to be [as precious to you as] your gold and your silver [have been],
26 dann kannst du vorm Allmächtigen dich dem verwöhnten Kinde gleich gebärden und kannst 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 bittest ihn, er hört auf dich; was du gelobt, kannst du erfüllen.
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 dir vornimmst, wird dir glücken, und hell vor dir liegt deine Straße.
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 Wenn du in Demut Hochmut eingestanden, dann hilft er auch dem Demutsvollen.
God humbles those who are proud, but he saves those who are downcast/discouraged.
30 So rettet er den Nichtschuldlosen; doch wird er nur gerettet durch deiner Hände Reinigung."
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).”
