Eliphaz's Second Speech
If You Had Any Sense
1 Eliphaz from Teman said:
* 2 Job, if you had any sense,
3 you would stop spreading
all of this hot air.
4 Your words are enough
to make others turn from God
and lead them to doubt.
5 And your sinful, scheming mind
is the source of all you say.
6 I am not here as your judge;
your own words are witnesses
against you.
7 Were you the first human?
Are you older than the hills?
8 Have you ever been present
when God's council meets?
Do you alone have wisdom?
9 Do you know and understand
something we don't?
10 We have the benefit of wisdom
older than your father.
11 And you have been offered
comforting words from God.
Isn't this enough?
12 Your emotions are out of control,
making you look fierce;
13 that's why you attack God
with everything you say.
14 No human is pure and innocent,
15 and neither are angels—
not in the sight of God.
If God doesn't trust his angels,
16 what chance do humans have?
We are so terribly evil
that we thirst for sin.
Just Listen to What I Know
17 Just listen to what I know,
and you will learn
18 wisdom known by others
since ancient times.
19 Those who gained such insights
also gained the land,
and they were not influenced
by foreign teachings.
20 But suffering is in store
each day for those who sin.
21 Even in times of success,
they constantly hear
the threat of doom.
22 Darkness, despair, and death
are their destiny.
23 They scrounge around for food,
all the while dreading
the approaching darkness.
24 They are overcome with despair,
like frightened soldiers facing
a fearsome king in battle.
25 This is because they rebelled
against God All-Powerful
26 and have attacked him
with their weapons.
27 They may be rich and fat,
28 but they will live in the ruins
of deserted towns.
29 Their property and wealth
will shrink and disappear.
30 They won't escape the darkness,
and the blazing breath of God
will set their future aflame.
* 31 They have put their trust
in something worthless;
now they will become worthless
32 like a date palm tree
without a leaf.
33 Or like vineyards or orchards
whose blossoms and unripe fruit
drop to the ground.
34 Yes, the godless and the greedy
will have nothing but flames
feasting on their homes,
35 because they are the parents
of trouble and vicious lies.
ǀGamǁî ǂgaenamǃgâgus
1 Ob ge Elifasi Temanǁîba ge ǃeream:
2 “Gā-ai khoe-e kha ǂoaxa ǁnâuǃāb ǀkha ǃeream ǁkhā i a;
tamas ka io aiǂoasǀkhāb ǀgamsa ǂoab xa i nî ǁâ?
3 Harebeoǃnâse ǂgaenamǃgâgu ǁkhā i a,
tamas ka io ǁau mîdi ǀkha?
4 Xawets ge Elobats ūba hâ ǃaoǃgâba ǂoaǃnâ
tsî Elob ǃoa ǀgores tsîna ra ǂhani.
5 Sa ǁoren ge sa amsa ra ǃhoaǃhoa,
tsî sa namsa ǀhôagaosiba ra ǁkhāǁkhā.
6 Sa ams ǂûs ra ǀgoraǃgâ tsi, ti tama ta;
sa amǁgaukha ge sa ǃoagu ra ǀhûǀgui.
7 “Hoa khoen xats ge ǂguro ǃnae?
ǃHomgu di hās aiǃâts ge ǁorahe?
8 Elob di ǀapemāǃnans ǃnâts gere ǃgâ?
Sats ǀguitsa ǀguri a gā-ai?
9 Tare-i sige ǀū-ets a ǂan?
Tare-i sige ǁnâuǃā tama-ets ra ǁnâuǃā?
10 Sige ǁaegu gu ge ǀhai danagu tsî kairagu tsîga hâ,
aogu sa îb xas tsîna a kaiga.
11 “Ob kha Elob ǁkhaeǂgaoba satsa ǁau xūse ība,
tamas ka io tsamtsiǃnâ mîdi sa ǃoa ge ǃhoahede.
12 Tare-i ǃaromab sa ǂgaoba ra tanibē tsi
tsî sa mûra kha tare-i xa ra ǂkhai?
13 Sa ǁaibats Elob ǃoagu ra ūǂui,
nēti ī mîn ga sa amsa xu ǂoaxao?
14 “Tare-e khoe-e, o i a ǃanu ǁkhā?
Tarasa xu ǃnae hâ-e ǂhanu-ai ǁkhā-e?
15 Elob ge ǁîb ǀhomǃgāgu ǂûga ǂgomǃgâ tama hâ,
tsî ǀhommi tsîn ge ǁîb mûǁae ǃanu tama hâ.
16 Mâtikō ǃnāsase ǃanuo tsî gāxaǃnâ khoe-i,
ǂkhababa ǁgam-i khami ra ā-e!
17 “Tita ge nî mîǃgāǃgāba tsi, ǃgâ te re;
mû ta ge xūna ta ge nî ǂanǂan tsi.
18 Nēs ge gā-ai khoegu ra mî ǀgausa;
ǁîgu aboxagu xa gu ge mîbahe
xūn xa gu ge ǀgui xū-i tsîna ǃkhō-oa tama ge i.
19 ǁÎgu ǀguigu ge ǃhūba ge māhe hâ i
tsî ǃhaokhoe-i xare-i ge ǁîn ǁaegu ge mā-amhe tama hâ i.
20 “ǂKhabadī-ao-i ge hoaraga tsēsa tsûb xa ra ǂhansenma,
tsî ǁî-i ûiǁaeb hoab ǃaromab ge ǂōǂōsiba ge ǁguirihe hâ i.
21 ǃHuriǃhurisa ǀōgu ge ǁî-i ǂgaera ǃnâ ra ǀō;
ǃnorasase i hâ ti i ǂâi hâ, hîa gu ge ǁkhâuǁnâ-aoga ǁî-e nî ǁnāǂam.
22 ǁKhawa ǃkhaenasa xu ǂoaxas ǃâubasen-i tsîna i ge ūhâ tama,
tsî gôab xa nî ǃgamhe xūse ǀgui nî ī.
23 Pere-i ǃaroman ge ra ǂhansenma tsî: ‘Mâpa i ǁî-e hâ’ ti ra mî;
ǃkhaenab tsēs go hātoasan ge a ǂan.
24 ǂÂiǂhansens tsî ǃaob tsîra ge ǁîba xāǂgā hâ,
tsî ǃkhams ǃaroma ra ǂhomisen
gao-ao-i khami ra ǁnāǂam.
25 “ǁÎ-i ǃomma i ge Elob ǃoagu ra ūkhâi,
tsî Hoaǀgaixab ǃoagu ra khâikhâisen xui-ao.
26 ǂNîǃaoxase i ge Elob ǃoagu ra khâi,
ǁî-i ǁau tsî ǀgaisa ǁkhaukhōs ǀkha.
27 ǁÎ-i ais ge kaub xa a ǃgupu
tsî ǁî-i kamanab ge kaub xa a ǁau.
28 “ǁÎ-i ge hîkākāsa ǃādi ǃnâ nî ǁan,
tsî ǃū-aisa omdi ǃnâ nî hâ;
omdi ǃkhom tsî nî ǀapo kaidi ǃnâ.
29 ǁÎ-i ge ǃkhū tide
tsî ǁî-i ǃkhūsib ge aiǃgû tide,
tamas ka io ǁî-i ǃkhūsib ge ǃnomaǃkhō tide.
30 ǁÎ-i ge ǃkhaenasa ǃkhoeni ǁkhā tide;
ǀaeǁhabub ge ǁî-i ǁnâuga nî ǂnâ kai
tsî Elob ams di ǂoab ge ǀasa ǁharerona nî ǃgombē.
31 A i ǁî-e tā harebeoǃnâ xū-e ǂgomǃgâ,
tsî aitsama ǀhôagaoǃnâsen;
harebeoǃnâsib nî ǁî-i mādawa-am xui-ao.
32 ǁAeb â-i nî hās aiǃâ i ge nî ǂnâ
tsî ǁî-i ǁnâub ge ǁhare tide.
33 ǁÎ-i ora draibena i ge nî ǀgabiǁnâ,
ǀkherahais ra ǁîs ǀasa ǁharerona ǁnā kai khami.
34 Eloxoresan ǃnans ge nî ǀgôao
tsî ǀhôagao ǁaxasigu tendi ge ǀaes xa nî ǂhubiǂuihe.
35 ǁÎn ge ǂkhababa ǀgamǀkhā tsî ǂkhababa ra ǁora
tsî ǁîn ǂgaogu ge ǀhôagaosiba ra ǂhomisen.”
