Job 15

1Entonces Elifaz temanita tomó la palabra y dijo:

2“¿Es acaso de sabios responder con argumentos vanos, y llenarse el pecho de viento,

3arguyendo con palabras inútiles, y con razones sin valor?

4De veras, tú destruyes la piedad y socavas el temor de Dios.

5Porque tu boca revela tu iniquidad, adoptas el lenguaje de los arteros.

6Tu propia boca, y no yo, te condena, tus mismos labios testifican contra ti.

7¿Naciste tú el primero de los hombres, saliendo a la luz antes que los montes?

8¿Escuchaste tú los secretos de Dios, secuestraste para ti la sabiduría?

9¿Qué sabes tú, que no sepamos nosotros? ¿En qué nos supera tu sabiduría?

10También entre nosotros hay cabezas canas y hombres de edad, más avanzados en días que tu padre.

11¿Acaso tienes en poco las consolaciones de Dios, y las suaves palabras que se te dicen.

12¿Adónde te lleva tu corazón, y qué significa el pestañeo de tus ojos?

13¿Por qué diriges contra Dios tu ira, y profiere tu boca tales palabras?

14¿Qué es el hombre para aparecer inocente; el nacido de mujer, para ser justo?

15Pues Él no se fía ni de sus santos; los mismos cielos no están limpios a su vista;

16¿cuánto menos este ser, abominable y perverso, el hombre, que bebe como agua la iniquidad?

17Te voy a enseñar; escúchame; te voy a contar lo que he visto,

18lo que los sabios enseñan sin ocultar nada,

19pues a ellos solos fue dado el país, y no pasó extraño alguno entre ellos.

20Todos sus días el impío es atormentado; y el tirano ignora el número de sus años.

21Voz de angustia suena en sus oídos; en plena paz le asalta el devastador.

22Él mismo pierde la esperanza de escapar a las tinieblas; se siente amenazado de la espada;

23vaga buscando alimento, sabe que es inminente el día de las tinieblas;

24le aterran angustia y tribulación, le acometen como un rey listo para la guerra.

25Pues extendió su mano contra Dios, se exaltó contra el Todopoderoso.

26Corre contra Él, erguido el cuello, ocultándose detrás de sus escudos,

27cubierto el rostro con su gordura, con capas de grosura sus lomos.

28Vive en ciudades asoladas, en casas inhabitadas, destinadas a convertirse en ruinas.

29Por eso no será rico, sus bienes no durarán, y su hacienda no se extenderá sobre la tierra.

30Nunca escapará a las tinieblas; la llama abrasará sus renuevos, y él será llevado por el soplo de la boca de (Dios).

31No confíe en una engañosa vanidad; la misma vanidad será su recompensa.

32Ella le llegará antes que se acaben sus días, y sus ramas no reverdecerán ya más.

33Sacudirá como la vid sus uvas, aun estando en cierne, y como el olivo dejará caer su flor.

34La casa del impío es estéril, y el fuego consume la morada del que se deja sobornar.

35Concibe penas y engendra maldades, nutriendo en su seno el engaño.”

1Respondens autem Eliphaz Themanites, dixit:

2[Numquid sapiens respondebit quasi in ventum loquens, et implebit ardore stomachum suum?

3Arguis verbis eum qui non est æqualis tibi, et loqueris quod tibi non expedit.

4Quantum in te est, evacuasti timorem, et tulisti preces coram Deo.

5Docuit enim iniquitas tua os tuum, et imitaris linguam blasphemantium.

6Condemnabit te os tuum, et non ego: et labia tua respondebunt tibi.

7Numquid primus homo tu natus es, et ante colles formatus?

8numquid consilium Dei audisti, et inferior te erit ejus sapientia?

9Quid nosti quod ignoremus? quid intelligis quod nesciamus?

10Et senes et antiqui sunt in nobis, multo vetustiores quam patres tui.

11Numquid grande est ut consoletur te Deus? sed verba tua prava hoc prohibent.

12Quid te elevat cor tuum, et quasi magna cogitans attonitos habes oculos?

13Quid tumet contra Deum spiritus tuus, ut proferas de ore tuo hujuscemodi sermones?

14Quid est homo ut immaculatus sit, et ut justus appareat natus de muliere?

15Ecce inter sanctos ejus nemo immutabilis, et cæli non sunt mundi in conspectu ejus.

16Quanto magis abominabilis et inutilis homo, qui bibit quasi aquam iniquitatem?

17Ostendam tibi: audi me: quod vidi, narrabo tibi.

18Sapientes confitentur, et non abscondunt patres suos:

19quibus solis data est terra, et non transivit alienus per eos.

20Cunctis diebus suis impius superbit, et numerus annorum incertus est tyrannidis ejus.

21Sonitus terroris semper in auribus illius: et cum pax sit, ille semper insidias suspicatur.

22Non credit quod reverti possit de tenebris ad lucem, circumspectans undique gladium.

23Cum se moverit ad quærendum panem, novit quod paratus sit in manu ejus tenebrarum dies.

24Terrebit eum tribulatio, et angustia vallabit eum, sicut regem qui præparatur ad prælium.

25Tetendit enim adversus Deum manum suam, et contra Omnipotentem roboratus est.

26Cucurrit adversus eum erecto collo, et pingui cervice armatus est.

27Operuit faciem ejus crassitudo, et de lateribus ejus arvina dependet.

28Habitavit in civitatibus desolatis, et in domibus desertis, quæ in tumulos sunt redactæ.

29Non ditabitur, nec perseverabit substantia ejus, nec mittet in terra radicem suam.

30Non recedet de tenebris: ramos ejus arefaciet flamma, et auferetur spiritu oris sui.

31Non credet, frustra errore deceptus, quod aliquo pretio redimendus sit.

32Antequam dies ejus impleantur peribit, et manus ejus arescent.

33Lædetur quasi vinea in primo flore botrus ejus, et quasi oliva projiciens florem suum.

34Congregatio enim hypocritæ sterilis, et ignis devorabit tabernacula eorum qui munera libenter accipiunt.

35Concepit dolorem, et peperit iniquitatem, et uterus ejus præparat dolos.]

1And Eliphaz the Themanite, answered, and said:

2Will a wise man answer as if he were speaking in the wind, and fill his stomach with burning heat?

3Thou reprovest him by words, who is not equal to thee, and thou speakest that which is not good for thee.

4As much as is in thee, thou hast made void fear, and hast taken away prayers from before God.

5For thy iniquity hath taught thy mouth, and thou imitatest the tongue of blasphemers.

6Thy own mouth shall condemn thee, and not I: and thy own lips shall answer thee.

7Art thou the first man that was born, or wast thou made before the hills?

8Hast thou heard God’s counsel, and shall his wisdom be inferior to thee?

9What knowest thou that we are ignorant of? what dost thou understand that we know not?

10There are with us also aged and ancient men, much elder than thy fathers.

11Is it a great matter that God should comfort thee? but thy wicked words hinder this.

12Why doth thy heart elevate thee, and why dost thou stare with thy eyes, as if they were thinking great things?

13Why doth thy spirit swell against God, to utter such words out of thy mouth?

14What is man that he should be without spot, and he that is born of a woman that he should appear just?

15Behold among his saints none is unchangeable, and the heavens are not pure in his sight.

16How much more is man abominable, and unprofitable, who drinketh iniquity like water?

17I will shew thee, hear me: and I will tell thee what I have seen.

18Wise men confess and hide not their fathers.

19To whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger hath passed among them.

20The wicked man is proud all his days, and the number of the years of his tyranny is uncertain.

21The sound of dread is always in his ears: and when there is peace, he always suspecteth treason.

22He believeth not that he may return from darkness to light, looking round about for the sword on every side.

23When he moveth himself to seek bread, he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.

24Tribulation shall terrify him, and distress shall surround him, as a king that is prepared for the battle.

25For he hath stretched out his hand against God, and hath strengthened himself against the Almighty.

26He hath run against him with his neck raised up, and is armed with a fat neck.

27Fatness hath covered his face, and the fat hangeth down on his sides.

28He hath dwelt in desolate cities, and in desert houses that are reduced into heaps.

29He shall not be enriched, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he push his root in the earth.

30He shall not depart out of darkness: the flame shall dry up his branches, and he shall be taken away by the breath of his own month.

31He shall not believe, being vainly deceived by error, that he may be redeemed with any price.

32Before his days be full he shall perish: and his hands shall wither away.

33He shall be blasted as a vine when its grapes are in the first flower, and as an olive tree that casteth its flower.

34For the congregation of the hypocrite is barren, and fire shall devour their tabernacles, who love to take bribes.

35He hath conceived sorrow, and hath brought forth iniquity, and his womb prepareth deceits.