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

STUTTGARTENSIA-DELITZSCH	NEW JERUSALEM
1 וַיַּעַן אֱלִיפַז הַתֵּימָנִי וַיֹּאמַר	1 Eliphaz of Teman spoke next. He said:
2 הֲנִסָּה דָבָר אֵלֶיךָ תִּלְאֶה וַעְצֹר בְּמִלִּין מִי יוּכָל	2 If we say something to you, wil you bear with us? Who in any case could refrain from speaking now?
3 הִנֵּה יִסַּרְתָּ רַבִּים וְיָדַיִם רָפֹות תְּחַזֵּק	3 You have schooled many others, giving strength to feeble hands;
4 כֹּושֵׁל יְקִימוּן מִלֶּיךָ וּבִרְכַּיִם כֹּרְעֹות תְּאַמֵּץ	4 your words supported any who wavered and strengthened every failing knee.
5 כִּי עַתָּה ׀ תָּבֹוא אֵלֶיךָ וַתֵּלֶא תִּגַּע עָדֶיךָ וַתִּבָּהֵל	5 And now your turn has come, and you lose patience, at the first touch on yourself you are overwhelmed!
6 הֲלֹא יִרְאָתְךָ כִּסְלָתֶךָ תִּקְוָתְךָ וְתֹם דְּרָכֶיךָ	6 Does not your piety give you confidence, and your integrity of life give you hope?
7 זְכָר־נָא מִי הוּא נָקִי אָבָד וְאֵיפֹה יְשָׁרִים נִכְחָדוּ	7 Can you recal anyone guiltless that perished? Where then have the honest been wiped out?
8 כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי חֹרְשֵׁי אָוֶן וְזֹרְעֵי עָמָל יִקְצְרֻהוּ	8 I speak from experience: those who plough iniquity and sow disaster, reap just that.
9 מִנִּשְׁמַת אֱלֹוהַ יֹאבֵדוּ וּמֵרוּחַ אַפֹּו יִכְלוּ	9 Under the breath of God, they perish: a blast of his anger, and they are destroyed;
10 שַׁאֲגַת אַרְיֵה וְקֹול שָׁחַל וְשִׁנֵּי כְפִירִים נִתָּעוּ	10 the lion's roars, his savage growls, like the fangs of a lion cub, are broken off.
11 לַיִשׁ אֹבֵד מִבְּלִי־טָרֶף וּבְנֵי לָבִיא יִתְפָּרָדוּ	11 The lion dies for lack of prey and the lioness's whelps are dispersed.
12 וְאֵלַי דָּבָר יְגֻנָּב וַתִּקַּח אָזְנִי שֵׁמֶץ מֶנְהוּ	12 I have received a secret revelation, a whisper has come to my ears;
13 בִּשְׂעִפִּים מֵחֶזְיֹנֹות לָיְלָה בִּנְפֹל תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל־אֲנָשִׁים	13 by night when dreams confuse the mind and slumber lies heavy on everyone,
14 פַּחַד קְרָאַנִי וּרְעָדָה וְרֹב עַצְמֹותַי הִפְחִיד	14 a shiver of horror ran through me and fil ed al my bones with fright.
15 וְרוּחַ עַל־פָּנַי יַחֲלֹף תְּסַמֵּר שַׂעֲרַת בְּשָׂרִי	15 A breath slid over my face, the hairs of my body bristled.
16 יַעֲמֹד ׀ וְלֹא־אַכִּיר מַרְאֵהוּ תְּמוּנָה לְנֶגֶד עֵינָי דְּמָמָה וָקֹול אֶשְׁמָע	16 Someone stood there -- I did not know his face, but the form stayed there before my eyes. Silence --then I heard a voice,
17 הַאֱנֹושׁ מֵאֱלֹוהַ יִצְדָּק אִם מֵעֹשֵׂהוּ יִטְהַר־גָּבֶר	17 'Can a mortal seem upright to God, would anybody seem pure in the presence of his Maker?
18 הֵן בַּעֲבָדָיו לֹא יַאֲמִין וּבְמַלְאָכָיו יָשִׂים תָּהֳלָה	18 God cannot rely even on his own servants, even with his angels he finds fault.
19 אַף ׀ שֹׁכְנֵי בָתֵּי־חֹמֶר אֲשֶׁר־בֶּעָפָר יְסֹודָם יְדַכְּאוּם לִפְנֵי־עָשׁ	19 What then of those who live in houses of clay, who are founded on dust?
20 מִבֹּקֶר לָעֶרֶב יֻכַּתּוּ מִבְּלִי מֵשִׂים לָנֶצַח יֹאבֵדוּ	20 They are crushed as easily as a moth, between morning and evening they are ground to powder. Theyvanish for ever, with no one to bring them back.
21 הֲלֹא־נִסַּע יִתְרָם בָּם יָמוּתוּ וְלֹא בְחָכְמָה	21 Their tent-peg is snatched from them, and they die devoid of wisdom.'