The First Dialogue
(4.1—14.22)Eliphaz
1-2 Job, will you be annoyed if I speak?
I can't keep quiet any longer.
3 You have taught many people
and given strength to feeble hands.
4 When someone stumbled, weak and tired,
your words encouraged him to stand.
5 Now it's your turn to be in trouble,
and you are too stunned to face it.
6 You worshiped God, and your life was blameless;
and so you should have confidence and hope.
7 Think back now. Name a single case
where someone righteous met with disaster.
8 I have seen people plow fields of evil
and plant wickedness like seed;
now they harvest wickedness and evil.
9 Like a storm, God destroys them in his anger.
10 The wicked roar and growl like lions,
but God silences them and breaks their teeth.
11 Like lions with nothing to kill and eat,
they die, and all their children are scattered.
12 Once a message came quietly,
so quietly I could hardly hear it.
13 Like a nightmare it disturbed my sleep.
14 I trembled and shuddered;
my whole body shook with fear.
15 A light breeze touched my face,
and my skin crawled with fright.
16 I could see something standing there;
I stared, but couldn't tell what it was.
Then I heard a voice out of the silence:
17 “Can anyone be righteous in the sight of God
or be pure before his Creator?
18 God does not trust his heavenly servants;
he finds fault even with his angels.
19 Do you think he will trust a creature of clay,
a thing of dust that can be crushed like a moth?
20 We may be alive in the morning,
but die unnoticed before evening comes.
21 All that we have is taken away;
we die, still lacking wisdom.”
Elīfazs atbild: taisnais necieš
1 Elīfazs no Tēmānas atbildēja, sacīdams:
2 “Ja tev ko teiks, vai izturēsi?!
Bet kurš spēs klusu ciest?
3 Redzi, daudzus tu pamācīji,
gurdas rokas tu spēcināji,
4 klupušu cēla tavi vārdi,
ļodzīgus ceļus tu stiprināji!
5 Bet nu:
pār tevi nāk – tu neizturi,
tevi piemeklē – tu iztrūksties!
6 Vai dievbijība nav drošums tev
un cerība tev – taisnais ceļš?
7 Atceries, kad gan šķīstais ir izdeldēts,
kur gan taisnie iznīdēti?
8 Gan redzēju:
kas postu ar un mokas sēj – to arī pļauj,
9 caur Dieva elpu visi zūd,
un dusmu dvaša viņus rij.
10 Lauvu rūkoņa, lauvas balss,
un jauno lauvu ilkņi pagalam,
11 lauva iznīkst bez medījuma,
un lauvenes mazuļi izklīst!
12 Zagšus piezagās man vārds,
tikai čukstu noģieda auss
13 neskaidrās jausmās, ko nes nakts,
kad cilvēkiem uzkrīt ciets miegs.
14 Bailes un drebas sagrāba mani
un manus kaulus iztrūcināja.
15 Dvesma aizskāra manu vaigu,
mati saslējās uz miesas!
16 Kāds stāv – es neatskārstu! –
tikai veidols acu priekšā,
viegla vēsma, un atskan balss:
17 vai cilvēks paliks priekš Dieva taisns?
Vai Radītājam šķīsts liksies vīrs?
18 Redzi, saviem kalpiem viņš neuzticas
un saviem eņģeļiem pierāda vainu –
19 kur nu vēl tiem, kas mīt māla namos,
kam pamati zemes pīšļos!
Nospiedīs tos tā kā kodes,
20 no rīta līdz rietam tie jau sabirst,
neviens pat nemana, kā tie zūd!
21 Vai telts virve tiem nesatrūks?
Tie mirs, bet gudrību nedabūs.
