In his first speech, Eliphaz said: “Who that is innocent has ever perished? And where have the upright ever been effaced? According to what I have seen, those devising what is hurtful and those sowing trouble will themselves reap it.” (Job 4:7, 8) Eliphaz mistakenly believed that the innocent are immune to calamity. He reasoned that since Job was in severe straits, he must have sinned against God.a Both Bildad and Zophar likewise insisted that Job repent of his sins.​—Job 8:5, 6; 11:13-15.

His three companions further disheartened Job by voicing personal ideas rather than godly wisdom. Eliphaz went so far as to say that ‘God has no faith in his servants’ and that it did not really matter to Jehovah whether Job was righteous or not. (Job 4:18; 22:2, 3) It is hard to imagine a more discouraging​—or more untruthful—​remark than that! Not surprisingly, Jehovah later rebuked Eliphaz and his companions for this blasphemy. “You men have not spoken concerning me what is truthful,” he said. (Job 42:7) But the most damaging assertion was yet to come.

Eliphaz finally went to the extreme of making outright accusations. Since he was unable to extract from Job an admission of guilt, he resorted to fabricating sins that he assumed Job must have committed. “Is not your own badness too much already, and will there be no end to your errors?” Eliphaz asked. “For you seize a pledge from your brothers without cause, and you strip off even the garments of naked people. You do not give the tired one a drink of water, and from the hungry one you hold back bread.” (Job 22:5-7) These accusations were totally unfounded. Jehovah himself had described Job as a man who was “blameless and upright.”​—Job 1:8.

2. We should never make an accusation without clear evidence. Hearsay or suppositions​—like those of Eliphaz—​are not a sound basis for giving reproof. If an elder, for example, makes a faulty accusation, he could well lose credibility and cause emotional stress. How did Job feel about having to listen to such misguided counsel? He gave vent to his anguish with the ironic exclamation: “O how much help you have been to one without power!” (Job 26:2) A concerned overseer will “straighten up the hands that hang down,” not make the problem worse.​—Hebrews 12:12.