1 וַיַּעַן אֱלִיפַז הַתֵּמָנִי וַיֹּאמַר | 1 Then Eliphaz the Themanite answered, and said: |
2 הַלְאֵל יִסְכָּן־גָּבֶר כִּי־יִסְכֹּן עָלֵימֹו מַשְׂכִּיל | 2 Can man be compared with God, even though he were of perfect knowledge? |
3 הַחֵפֶץ לְשַׁדַּי כִּי תִצְדָּק וְאִם־בֶּצַע כִּי־תַתֵּם דְּרָכֶיךָ | 3 What doth it profit God if thou be just? or what dost thou give him if thy way be unspotted? |
4 הֲמִיִּרְאָתְךָ יֹכִיחֶךָ יָבֹוא עִמְּךָ בַּמִּשְׁפָּט | 4 Shall he reprove thee for fear, and come with thee into judgment: |
5 הֲלֹא רָעָתְךָ רַבָּה וְאֵין־קֵץ לַעֲוֹנֹתֶיךָ | 5 And not for thy manifold wickedness, and thy infinite iniquities? |
6 כִּי־תַחְבֹּל אַחֶיךָ חִנָּם וּבִגְדֵי עֲרוּמִּים תַּפְשִׁיט | 6 For thou hast taken away the pledge of thy brethren without cause, and stripped the naked of their clothing. |
7 לֹא־מַיִם עָיֵף תַּשְׁקֶה וּמֵרָעֵב תִּמְנַע־לָחֶם | 7 Thou hast not given water to the weary, thou hast withdrawn bread from the hungry. |
8 וְאִישׁ זְרֹועַ לֹו הָאָרֶץ וּנְשׂוּא פָנִים יֵשֶׁב בָּהּ | 8 In the strength of thy arm thou didst possess the land, and being the most mighty thou holdest it. |
9 אַלְמָנֹות שִׁלַּחְתָּ רֵיקָם וּזְרֹעֹות יְתֹמִים יְדֻכָּא | 9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless thou hast broken in pieces. |
10 עַל־כֵּן סְבִיבֹותֶיךָ פַחִים וִיבַהֶלְךָ פַּחַד פִּתְאֹם | 10 Therefore art thou surrounded with snares, and sudden fear troubleth thee. |
11 אֹו־חֹשֶׁךְ לֹא־תִרְאֶה וְשִׁפְעַת־מַיִם תְּכַסֶּךָּ | 11 And didst thou think that thou shouldst not see darkness, and that thou shouldst not be covered with the violence of overflowing waters? |
12 הֲלֹא־אֱלֹוהַּ גֹּבַהּ שָׁמָיִם וּרְאֵה רֹאשׁ כֹּוכָבִים כִּי־רָמּוּ | 12 Dost not thou think that God is higher than heaven, and is elevated above the height of the stars? |
13 וְאָמַרְתָּ מַה־יָּדַע אֵל הַבְעַד עֲרָפֶל יִשְׁפֹּוט | 13 And thou sayst: What doth God know? and he judgeth as it were through a mist. |
14 עָבִים סֵתֶר־לֹו וְלֹא יִרְאֶה וְחוּג מַיִם יִתְהַלָּךְ | 14 The clouds are his covert, and he doth not consider our things, and he walketh about the poles of heaven. |
15 הַאֹרַח עֹולָם תִּשְׁמֹר אֲשֶׁר דָּרְכוּ מְתֵי־אָוֶן | 15 Dost thou desire to keep the path of ages, which wicked men have trodden? |
16 אֲשֶׁר־קֻמְּטוּ וְלֹא־עֵת נָהָר יוּצַק יְסֹודָם | 16 Who were taken away before their time, and a flood hath overthrown their foundation. |
17 הָאֹמְרִים לָאֵל סוּר מִמֶּנּוּ וּמַה־יִּפְעַל שַׁדַּי לָמֹו | 17 Who said to God: Depart from us: and looked upon the Almighty as if he could do nothing: |
18 וְהוּא מִלֵּא בָתֵּיהֶם טֹוב וַעֲצַת רְשָׁעִים רָחֲקָה מֶנִּי | 18 Whereas he had filled their houses with good things: whose way of thinking be far from me. |
19 יִרְאוּ צַדִּיקִים וְיִשְׂמָחוּ וְנָקִי יִלְעַג־לָמֹו | 19 The just shall see, and shall rejoice, and the innocent shall laugh them to scorn. |
20 אִם־לֹא נִכְחַד קִימָנוּ וְיִתְרָם אָכְלָה אֵשׁ | 20 Is not their exaltation cut down, and hath not fire devoured the remnants of them? |
21 הַסְכֶּן־נָא עִמֹּו וּשְׁלם בָּהֶם תְּבֹואַתְךָ טֹובָה | 21 Submit thyself then to him, and be at peace: and thereby thou shalt have the best fruits. |
22 קַח־נָא מִפִּיו תֹּורָה וְשִׂים אֲמָרָיו בִּלְבָבֶךָ | 22 Receive the law of his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart. |
23 אִם־תָּשׁוּב עַדשַׁ־דַּי תִּבָּנֶה תַּרְחִיק עַוְלָה מֵאָהֳלֶךָ | 23 If thou wilt return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, and shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacle. |
24 וְשִׁית־עַל־עָפָר בָּצֶר וּבְצוּר נְחָלִים אֹופִיר | 24 He shall give for earth flint, and for flint torrents of gold. |
25 וְהָיָה שַׁדַּי בְּצָרֶיךָ וְכֶסֶף תֹּועָפֹות לָךְ | 25 And the Almighty shall be against thy enemies, and silver shall be heaped together for thee. |
26 כִּי־אָז עַל־שַׁדַּי תִּתְעַנָּג וְתִשָּׂא אֶל־אֱלֹוהַּ פָּנֶיךָ | 26 Then shalt thou abound in delights in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face to God. |
27 תַּעְתִּיר אֵלָיו וְיִשְׁמָעֶךָּ וּנְדָרֶיךָ תְשַׁלֵּם | 27 Thou shalt pray to him, and he will hear thee, and thou shalt pay vows. |
28 וְתִגְזַר־אֹומֶר וְיָקָם לָךְ וְעַל־דְּרָכֶיךָ נָגַהּ אֹור | 28 Thou shalt decree a thing, and it I shall come to thee, and light shall shine in thy ways. |
29 כִּי־הִשְׁפִּילוּ וַתֹּאמֶר גֵּוָה וְשַׁח עֵינַיִם יֹושִׁעַ | 29 For he that hath been humbled, shall be in glory: and he that shall bow down his eyes, he shall be saved. |
30 יְמַלֵּט אִי־נָקִי וְנִמְלַט בְּבֹר כַּפֶּיךָ׃ פ | 30 The innocent shall be saved, and he shall be saved by the cleanness of his hands. |