1 Elifaz de Temán tomó la palabra y dijo: | 1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said, |
2 ¿Responde un sabio con una ciencia de aire, hincha su vientre de solano, | 2 Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind? |
3 replicando con palabras vacías, con discursos inútiles? | 3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good? |
4 ¡Tú llegas incluso a destruir la piedad, a anular los piadosos coloquios ante Dios! | 4 Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God. |
5 Ya que tu culpa inspira tus palabras, y eliges el hablar de los astutos, | 5 For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty. |
6 tu propia boca te condena, que no yo, tus mismos labios atestiguan contra ti. | 6 Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee. |
7 ¿Has nacido tú el primero de los hombres? ¿Se te dio a luz antes que a las colinas? | 7 Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills? |
8 ¿Escuchas acaso los secretos de Dios? ¿acaparas la sabiduría?! | 8 Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself? |
9 ¿Qué sabes tú, que nosotros no sepamos? ¿qué comprendes, que a nosotros se escape? | 9 What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us? |
10 ¡También entre nosotros hay un cano, un anciano, más cargado de días que tu padre! | 10 With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father. |
11 ¿Te parecen poco los consuelos divinos, y una palabra que con dulzura se te dice? | 11 Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee? |
12 ¡Cómo te arrebata el corazón, qué aviesos son tus ojos, | 12 Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at, |
13 cuando revuelves contra Dios tu furia y echas palabras por la boca! | 13 That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth? |
14 ¿Cómo puede ser puro un hombre? ¿cómo ser justo el nacido de mujer? | 14 What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? |
15 Si ni en sus santos tiene Dios confianza, y ni los cielos son puros a sus ojos, | 15 Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight. |
16 ¡cuánto menos un ser abominable y corrompido, el hombre, que bebe la iniquidad como agua! | 16 How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water? |
17 Voy a instruirte, escúchame, voy a contarte lo que he visto, | 17 I will shew thee, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare; |
18 lo que transmiten los sabios, sin pasar por alto nada de sus padres, | 18 Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it: |
19 - a ellos solos les fue dada la tierra, sin que se mezclara extranjero entre ellos -: | 19 Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them. |
20 «Todos sus días vive el malvado en tormento, contados están los años asignados al tirano. | 20 The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor. |
21 Grito de espanto resuena en sus oídos, en plena paz el bandido le asalta. | 21 A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him. |
22 No espera escapar a las tinieblas, y se ve destinado a la espada. | 22 He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword. |
23 Asignado como pasto de los buitres, sabe que su ruina es inminente. La hora de las tinieblas | 23 He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand. |
24 le espanta, la ansiedad y la angustia le invaden, como un rey pronto al asalto. | 24 Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle. |
25 ¡Alzaba él su mano contra Dios, se atrevía a retar a Sadday! | 25 For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty. |
26 Embestía contra él, el cuello tenso, tras las macizas gibas de su escudo; | 26 He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers: |
27 porque tenía el rostro cubierto de grasa, en sus ijadas había echado sebo, | 27 Because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks. |
28 y habitaba ciudades destruidas, casas inhabitadas que amenazaban convertirse en ruinas. | 28 And he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps. |
29 No se enriquecerá, no será estable su fortuna, su sombra no cubrirá la tierra, | 29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth. |
30 (ni escapará a las tinieblas). Agotará sus renuevos la llama, su flor será barrida por el viento. | 30 He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away. |
31 No se fíe de su elevada talla, pues vanidad es su follaje. | 31 Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence. |
32 Se amustiará antes de tiempo, y sus ramas no reverdecerán. | 32 It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green. |
33 Sacudirá como la viña sus agraces, como el olivo dejará caer su flor. | 33 He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive. |
34 Sí, es estéril la ralea del impío, devora el fuego la tienda del soborno. | 34 For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery. |
35 Quien concibe dolor, desgracia engendra, su vientre incuba decepción» | 35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit. |