Shir ha-Shirim (שיר השירים ) - Cantico dei Cantici 4

STUTTGARTENSIA-DELITZSCH	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 וַיַּעַן אֱלִיפַז הַתֵּימָנִי וַיֹּאמַר	1 But Eliphaz the Themanite, answering, said:
2 הֲנִסָּה דָבָר אֵלֶיךָ תִּלְאֶה וַעְצֹר בְּמִלִּין מִי יוּכָל	2 If we start to speak to you, perhaps you will take it badly, but who can hold back the words he has conceived?
3 הִנֵּה יִסַּרְתָּ רַבִּים וְיָדַיִם רָפֹות תְּחַזֵּק	3 Behold, you have taught many, and you have strengthened weary hands.
4 כֹּושֵׁל יְקִימוּן מִלֶּיךָ וּבִרְכַּיִם כֹּרְעֹות תְּאַמֵּץ	4 Your words have reassured the wavering, and you have fortified the trembling knees.
5 כִּי עַתָּה ׀ תָּבֹוא אֵלֶיךָ וַתֵּלֶא תִּגַּע עָדֶיךָ וַתִּבָּהֵל	5 But now the scourge has overcome you, and you falter. It has touched you, and you are disturbed.
6 הֲלֹא יִרְאָתְךָ כִּסְלָתֶךָ תִּקְוָתְךָ וְתֹם דְּרָכֶיךָ	6 Where is your reverence, your fortitude, your patience, and the perfection of your ways?
7 זְכָר־נָא מִי הוּא נָקִי אָבָד וְאֵיפֹה יְשָׁרִים נִכְחָדוּ	7 Consider this, I beg you: who ever perished being innocent? Or when have the righteous been destroyed?
8 כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי חֹרְשֵׁי אָוֶן וְזֹרְעֵי עָמָל יִקְצְרֻהוּ	8 In fact, I have instead seen those who work iniquity and who sow resentments, reap them,
9 מִנִּשְׁמַת אֱלֹוהַ יֹאבֵדוּ וּמֵרוּחַ אַפֹּו יִכְלוּ	9 perishing by the breath of God, and being consumed by the wrath of his spirit.
10 שַׁאֲגַת אַרְיֵה וְקֹול שָׁחַל וְשִׁנֵּי כְפִירִים נִתָּעוּ	10 The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the lioness, and the teeth of young lions have been worn away.
11 לַיִשׁ אֹבֵד מִבְּלִי־טָרֶף וּבְנֵי לָבִיא יִתְפָּרָדוּ	11 The tiger has perished because it does not have prey, and the young lions have been scattered.
12 וְאֵלַי דָּבָר יְגֻנָּב וַתִּקַּח אָזְנִי שֵׁמֶץ מֶנְהוּ	12 Furthermore, a word was spoken to me in secret, and, as if by theft, my ears received the pulse of its whisper.
13 בִּשְׂעִפִּים מֵחֶזְיֹנֹות לָיְלָה בִּנְפֹל תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל־אֲנָשִׁים	13 In the horror of a vision by night, when men are accustomed to be overtaken by a deep sleep,
14 פַּחַד קְרָאַנִי וּרְעָדָה וְרֹב עַצְמֹותַי הִפְחִיד	14 fear and trembling seized me and all my bones were terrified.
15 וְרוּחַ עַל־פָּנַי יַחֲלֹף תְּסַמֵּר שַׂעֲרַת בְּשָׂרִי	15 And when a spirit passed before me, the hair on my body stood up.
16 יַעֲמֹד ׀ וְלֹא־אַכִּיר מַרְאֵהוּ תְּמוּנָה לְנֶגֶד עֵינָי דְּמָמָה וָקֹול אֶשְׁמָע	16 There appeared an image before my eyes, someone whose face I did not recognize, and I heard a voice like a gentle breeze.
17 הַאֱנֹושׁ מֵאֱלֹוהַ יִצְדָּק אִם מֵעֹשֵׂהוּ יִטְהַר־גָּבֶר	17 Should man be justified in relation to God, or will a man be more pure than his Maker?
18 הֵן בַּעֲבָדָיו לֹא יַאֲמִין וּבְמַלְאָכָיו יָשִׂים תָּהֳלָה	18 Behold, those who serve him are not steadfast, and in his angels he finds imperfection.
19 אַף ׀ שֹׁכְנֵי בָתֵּי־חֹמֶר אֲשֶׁר־בֶּעָפָר יְסֹודָם יְדַכְּאוּם לִפְנֵי־עָשׁ	19 How much more will those who live in houses of clay, which have an earthly foundation, be consumed like the moth?
20 מִבֹּקֶר לָעֶרֶב יֻכַּתּוּ מִבְּלִי מֵשִׂים לָנֶצַח יֹאבֵדוּ	20 From morning all the way to evening, they will be cut down, and because no one understands, they will be destroyed without ceasing.
21 הֲלֹא־נִסַּע יִתְרָם בָּם יָמוּתוּ וְלֹא בְחָכְמָה	21 But those who are left behind will be taken away from them; they will die, and not in wisdom.