The Third Dialogue
(22.1—27.23)Eliphaz
1-2 Is there anyone, even the wisest,
who could ever be of use to God?
3 Does your doing right benefit God,
or does your being good help him at all?
4 It is not because you stand in awe of God
that he reprimands you and brings you to trial.
5 No, it's because you have sinned so much;
it's because of all the evil you do.
6 To make a brother repay you the money he owed,
you took away his clothes and left him nothing to wear.
7 You refused water to those who were tired,
and refused to feed those who were hungry.
8 You used your power and your position
to take over the whole land.
9 You not only refused to help widows,
but you also robbed and mistreated orphans.
10 So now there are pitfalls all around you,
and suddenly you are full of fear.
11 It has grown so dark that you cannot see,
and a flood overwhelms you.
12 Doesn't God live in the highest heavens
and look down on the stars, even though they are high?
13 And yet you ask, “What does God know?
He is hidden by clouds—how can he judge us?”
14 You think the thick clouds keep him from seeing,
as he walks on the dome of the sky.
15 Are you determined to walk in the paths
that evil people have always followed?
16 Even before their time had come,
they were washed away by a flood.
17 These are the ones who rejected God
and believed that he could do nothing to them.
18 And yet it was God who made them prosperous—
I can't understand the thoughts of the wicked.
19 Good people are glad and the innocent laugh
when they see the wicked punished.
20 All that the wicked own is destroyed,
and fire burns up anything that is left.
21 Now, Job, make peace with God
and stop treating him like an enemy;
if you do, then he will bless you.
22 Accept the teaching he gives;
keep his words in your heart.
23 Yes, you must humbly return to God
and put an end to all the evil
that is done in your house.
24 Throw away your gold;
dump your finest gold in the dry stream bed.
25 Let Almighty God be your gold,
and let him be silver, piled high for you.
26 Then you will always trust in God
and find that he is the source of your joy.
27 When you pray, he will answer you,
and you will keep the vows you made.
28 You will succeed in all you do,
and light will shine on your path.
29 God brings down the proud
and saves the humble.
30 He will rescue you if you are innocent,
if what you do is right.
ǃNonaǁî ǂgaenamǃgâgus
1 Ob ge Elifasi Temanǁîba ǁkhawa ge ǃeream:
2 “Khoe-e Eloba xū-e harebeba ǁkhā-e?
ǁNâuǃāxa khoe-i ge ǁî-aitsama ǀgui ra ûibasen.
3 Mâ ǃgâiǃgâibasensab Hoaǀgaixaba
sa ǂhanu-aisiba xu ra hō,
tamas ka io sa ǂnao-osiba xu Eloba tare-eb ra hō?
4 ǃAoǃgâsib ǃnâts ra ǃoaba bi, amagab ǂgōǀau tsi
tsî sa ǃoagu ǀgoraǃgâs ǃnâ ra ǂgâ?
5 Sa ǁorena kai tama hâ?
Sa ǁoren ge ǀam-e ūhâ tama hâ?
6 ǂHanuo ǀgaub aits ge sa ǀaokhoen māde ǀhana
tsî ǁîna ǁhûǀkhā tsî ǀōǀkhāse ge ǁnāxū.
7 Tsau hânats ge ǁgam-i xare-e mā tama ge hâ i
tsî ǃâsa khoena pere-e māsa gere ǂkhā.
8 ǃKhūsib ǃnâ hân ge ǃhūba ra ǀhana
tsî ǃkhōǂuisa khoen ǀguina ǁnāpa ra hâ kai.
9 ǃOataradets ge ǀkhaiǃomse ge sîbē
tsî ǃguniǀgôana ǃâubasenoǃnâse ge ǁnāxū.
10 ǁNā-amaga di ge ǃnuide sa ǂnamipe hâ
tsîb ge ǃnapetamase ǃaoba xāǂgā tsi hâ.
11 Kaise i ge mû ǁoats ase a ǃkhae
tsî kai ǁgammi ge ra dâuǂam tsi.
12 “Eloba kha ǀgapiseb ǀhommi ǃnâ hâ tama?
ǀGamirodi ǀgapise ǂnoa ǀgauba kō re!
13 Xawets ge ‘Tare-eb Eloba a ǂan?
Nēti ī kai ǃkhaenas ǃnâ-u ǀgoraǃgâ ǁkhāb a? ti ra dî.
14 ǁAu ǃâudi ge mû ǁkhāb tidese ǃgūǂgan bi hâ
tsîb ra ǀhommi ǃāǂuisab ai ra ǃgû.’
15 “ǂKhabadī-aon gere sao,
ǀoro daob aits ra hâǀgara ǂgao?
16 ǁÎn ǁaeb aiǃân ge ge tsububēhe;
ǁîn ǃgaoǃgaob ge kai ǁgammi xa ge dâubēhe.
17 ǁÎn ge Elob ǃoa: ‘ǁNāxūǂui da!’
tsî ‘Tare-eb Hoaǀgaixaba a dī da ǁkhā?’ ti ge mî.
18 Elob ge ǁîn omde ǃgâiǃgâb ǀkha ǀoaǀoa hîa!
ǁNā-amaga ta ge eloxoresan ǀapede xu ǃnūse ra hâ.
19 ǂHanu-ain ge mû tsî ra ǃgâiaǂgao;
ǀhapio khoen ge ǁîna âiǂui tsî ra ǃhō.
20 Amase sada khākhoen ge go hîkākāhe
tsî ǁîn ǃkhūsib ge ǀaes xa go ǂhubiǂuihe.
21 “Nēsi, Elob aiǃâ ǃgamǃgamsen, îts ǂkhîba hō;
nēsats ga dī, ots ge nî ǃgâiǃgâ.
22 ǁÎb amsa xu ra ǂoaxa ǁgauǃnâsa ūǃoa,
î ǁîb mîde sa ǂgaob ǃnâ ǃkhōǀgaipe.
23 Hoaǀgaixab ǃoats ga dabasen, ots ge nî ǂgauǂgauhe;
sa tentomsa xuts ga ǂhanuoǃnâsiba ǃnūǃnū,
24 sa ǃhuniǀuribats ga ǃhūb ǃnâ aoxū
tsî Ofiri di ǃhuniǀuriba, ǂnâsa ǃārogu ǃhaogu tawa,
25 ob ge Hoaǀgaixa Eloba sa ǃhuniǀurise
tsî sa ǃgomǀgausa ǀhaiǀurise ī.
26 Ots ge hoaǁae Hoaǀgaixab ǃnâ nî ǃgâiaǂgao,
tsî sa aisa Elob ǃoa nî ǃhâkhâi.
27 ǁÎb ǃoats ga ǀgore, ob ge nî ǁnâu-am tsi
tsîts ge sa mîmâide nî dīǀoaǀoa.
28 Mîǁguisats ga ū, os ge ǁnāsa nî ama kai,
tsîb ge ǃnâba sa daogu hoagu ai nî ǃnâ.
29 Elob ge ǀgapiǂâixana nî mâǃoa,
xaweb ge ǃgamǃgamsen rana nî huiǂui.
30 ǁÎb ge ǀhapiots ka, ob nî ore tsi;
sa ǃomkha di ǃanusib ge nî ǃnoraǃnora tsi.”
