1 וַיַּעַן צֹפַר הַנַּעֲמָתִי וַיֹּאמַר | 1 Zophar of Naamath spoke next. He said: |
2 לָכֵן שְׂעִפַּי יְשִׁיבוּנִי וּבַעֲבוּר חוּשִׁי בִי | 2 My thoughts urge me to reply to this, and hence the impatience that grips me. |
3 מוּסַר כְּלִמָּתִי אֶשְׁמָע וְרוּחַ מִבִּינָתִי יַעֲנֵנִי | 3 I have put up with prating that outrages me and now my mind inspires me with an answer. |
4 הֲזֹאת יָדַעְתָּ מִנִּי־עַד מִנִּי שִׂים אָדָם עֲלֵי־אָרֶץ | 4 Do you not know, that since time began and human beings were set on the earth, |
5 כִּי רִנְנַת רְשָׁעִים מִקָּרֹוב וְשִׂמְחַת חָנֵף עֲדֵי־רָגַע | 5 the triumph of the wicked has always been brief, and the sinner's gladness has never lasted long? |
6 אִם־יַעֲלֶה לַשָּׁמַיִם שִׂיאֹו וְרֹאשֹׁו לָעָב יַגִּיעַ | 6 Towering to the sky he may have been, his head touching the clouds; |
7 כְּגֶלֲלֹו לָנֶצַח יֹאבֵד רֹאָיו יֹאמְרוּ אַיֹּו | 7 but he vanishes, like a phantom, once for al , while those who used to see him, ask, 'Where is he?' |
8 כַּחֲלֹום יָעוּף וְלֹא יִמְצָאוּהוּ וְיֻדַּד כְּחֶזְיֹון לָיְלָה | 8 Like a dream that leaves no trace he takes his flight, like a vision in the night he flies away. |
9 עַיִן זָפַתּוּ וְלֹא תֹוסִיף וְלֹא־עֹוד תְּשׁוּרֶנּוּ מְקֹומֹו | 9 The eye accustomed to see him sees him no more, his home wil never set eyes on him again. |
10 בָּנָיו יְרַצּוּ דַלִּים וְיָדָיו תָּשֵׁבְנָה אֹונֹו | 10 His sons will have to reimburse the poor and his children pay back his riches. |
11 עַצְמֹותָיו מָלְאוּ [עֲלוּמֹו כ] (עֲלוּמָיו ק) וְעִמֹּו עַל־עָפָר תִּשְׁכָּב | 11 His bones used to be ful of youthful vigour: and there it lies, in the dust with him, now! |
12 אִם־תַּמְתִּיק בְּפִיו רָעָה יַכְחִידֶנָּה תַּחַת לְשֹׁונֹו | 12 Evil was sweet to his mouth, he would shelter it under his tongue; |
13 יַחְמֹל עָלֶיהָ וְלֹא יַעַזְבֶנָּה וְיִמְנָעֶנָּה בְּתֹוךְ חִכֹּו | 13 cultivating it careful y, he would let it linger on his palate. |
14 לַחְמֹו בְּמֵעָיו נֶהְפָּךְ מְרֹורַת פְּתָנִים בְּקִרְבֹּו | 14 Such food goes bad in his bel y, working inside him like the poison of a viper. |
15 חַיִל בָּלַע וַיְקִאֶנּוּ מִבִּטְנֹו יֹורִשֶׁנּוּ אֵל | 15 Now he has to vomit up the wealth that he has swal owed, God makes him disgorge it. |
16 רֹאשׁ־פְּתָנִים יִינָק תַּהַרְגֵהוּ לְשֹׁון אֶפְעֶה | 16 He used to suck vipers' venom, and the tongue of the adder kills him. |
17 אַל־יֵרֶא בִפְלַגֹּות נַהֲרֵי נַחֲלֵי דְּבַשׁ וְחֶמְאָה | 17 No more will he know the streams of oil or the torrents of honey and cream. |
18 מֵשִׁיב יָגָע וְלֹא יִבְלָע כְּחֵיל תְּמוּרָתֹו וְלֹא יַעֲלֹס | 18 When he gives back his winnings, his cheerfulness wil fade, and the satisfied air he had whenbusiness was thriving. |
19 כִּי־רִצַּץ עָזַב דַּלִּים בַּיִת גָּזַל וְלֹא יִבֶנֵהוּ | 19 Since he once destroyed the huts of the poor, plundering houses instead of building them up, |
20 כִּי ׀ לֹא־יָדַע שָׁלֵו בְּבִטְנֹו בַּחֲמוּדֹו לֹא יְמַלֵּט | 20 since his avarice could never be satisfied, now al his hoarding will not save him; |
21 אֵין־שָׂרִיד לְאָכְלֹו עַל־כֵּן לֹא־יָחִיל טוּבֹו | 21 since nothing could escape his greed, his prosperity wil not last. |
22 בִּמְלֹאות פְקֹו יֵצֶר לֹו כָּל־יַד עָמֵל תְּבֹואֶנּוּ | 22 When he has everything he needs, want wil seize him, and misery wil light on him with all its force. |
23 יְהִי ׀ לְמַלֵּא בִטְנֹו יְשַׁלַּח־בֹּו חֲרֹון אַפֹּו וְיַמְטֵר עָלֵימֹו בִּלְחוּמֹו | 23 On him God looses al his burning wrath, hurling against his flesh a hail of arrows. |
24 יִבְרַח מִנֵּשֶׁק בַּרְזֶל תַּחְלְפֵהוּ קֶשֶׁת נְחוּשָׁה | 24 If he escapes the weapons of iron, the bow of bronze wil transfix him. |
25 שָׁלַף וַיֵּצֵא מִגֵּוָה וּבָרָק מִמְּרֹרָתֹו יַהֲלֹךְ עָלָיו אֵמִים | 25 Out of his back sticks an arrow, from his gal a shining point. The terrors advance on him, |
26 כָּל־חֹשֶׁךְ טָמוּן לִצְפּוּנָיו תְּאָכְלֵהוּ אֵשׁ לֹא־נֻפָּח יֵרַע שָׂרִיד בְּאָהֳלֹו | 26 all the hidden darknesses are waiting to carry him off. A fire unlit by human hand devours him, andconsumes what is left in his tent. |
27 יְגַלּוּ שָׁמַיִם עֲוֹנֹו וְאֶרֶץ מִתְקֹומָמָה לֹו | 27 The heavens lay bare his iniquity, and the earth rises up against him. |
28 יִגֶל יְבוּל בֵּיתֹו נִגָּרֹות בְּיֹום אַפֹּו | 28 The income of his house pours away, like the torrents, on the day of retribution. |
29 זֶה ׀ חֵלֶק־אָדָם רָשָׁע מֵאֱלֹהִים וְנַחֲלַת אִמְרֹו מֵאֵל׃ פ | 29 Such is the fate God reserves for the wicked, the inheritance he assigns to the accursed! |