1 ויען אליפז התימני ויאמר | 1 But Eliphaz the Themanite, answering, said: |
2 החכם יענה דעת רוח וימלא קדים בטנו | 2 Will a wise man answer as if he were speaking wind, and will he fill his stomach with fire? |
3 הוכח בדבר לא יסכון ומלים לא יועיל בם | 3 You rebuke with words he who is not equal to you, and you speak what is not expedient for you, |
4 אף אתה תפר יראה ותגרע שיחה לפני אל | 4 to such an extent that, within yourself, you have expelled reverence and have taken away prayers from the presence of God. |
5 כי יאלף עונך פיך ותבחר לשון ערומים | 5 For your iniquity has mislead your mouth, and you imitate the tongue of blasphemers. |
6 ירשיעך פיך ולא אני ושפתיך יענו בך | 6 Your own mouth will condemn you, not I; and your own lips will answer you. |
7 הראישון אדם תולד ולפני גבעות חוללת | 7 Are you the first man who was born, or were you formed before the hills? |
8 הבסוד אלוה תשמע ותגרע אליך חכמה | 8 Have you heard the intentions of God, and will his wisdom be inferior to you? |
9 מה ידעת ולא נדע תבין ולא עמנו הוא | 9 What do you know, about which we are ignorant? What do you understand that we do not know? |
10 גם שב גם ישיש בנו כביר מאביך ימים | 10 There are with us both aged and ancient men, even more senior than your fathers. |
11 המעט ממך תנחמות אל ודבר לאט עמך | 11 Is it so important that God should console you? But your own depraved words prevent this. |
12 מה יקחך לבך ומה ירזמון עיניך | 12 Why does your heart exalt you, and why do you gaze with your eyes, as if thinking great things? |
13 כי תשיב אל אל רוחך והצאת מפיך מלין | 13 Why does your spirit stir against God, so as to utter such speeches from your mouth? |
14 מה אנוש כי יזכה וכי יצדק ילוד אשה | 14 What is man that he should be immaculate, and that he should appear just, having been born of woman? |
15 הן בקדשו לא יאמין ושמים לא זכו בעיניו | 15 Behold, among his holy ones not one is immutable, and even the heavens are not pure in his sight. |
16 אף כי נתעב ונאלח איש שתה כמים עולה | 16 How much more abominable and useless is the man who drinks as if from the water of iniquity? |
17 אחוך שמע לי וזה חזיתי ואספרה | 17 I will reveal to you, so listen to me; and I will explain to you what I have seen. |
18 אשר חכמים יגידו ולא כחדו מאבותם | 18 The wise acknowledge, and they do not leave behind, their fathers, |
19 להם לבדם נתנה הארץ ולא עבר זר בתוכם | 19 to whom alone the earth has been given, and no stranger passed among them. |
20 כל ימי רשע הוא מתחולל ומספר שנים נצפנו לעריץ | 20 The impious is arrogant for all his days, and the number of the years of his tyranny is uncertain. |
21 קול פחדים באזניו בשלום שודד יבואנו | 21 The sound of terror is always in his ears; and when there is peace, he always suspects treason. |
22 לא יאמין שוב מני חשך וצפו הוא אלי חרב | 22 He does not believe that it is possible for him to be turned from darkness into the light, for he sees around him the sword on every side. |
23 נדד הוא ללחם איה ידע כי נכון בידו יום חשך | 23 When he moves himself to seek bread, he knows that the day of darkness has been prepared for his hand. |
24 יבעתהו צר ומצוקה תתקפהו כמלך עתיד לכידור | 24 Tribulation will terrify him, and anguish will prevail over him, like a king who is being prepared to go to battle. |
25 כי נטה אל אל ידו ואל שדי יתגבר | 25 For he has extended his hand against God, and he has strengthened himself against the Almighty. |
26 ירוץ אליו בצואר בעבי גבי מגניו | 26 He has rushed against him with his throat exposed, and he has been armed with a fat neck. |
27 כי כסה פניו בחלבו ויעש פימה עלי כסל | 27 Thickness has covered his face, and lard hangs down from his sides. |
28 וישכון ערים נכחדות בתים לא ישבו למו אשר התעתדו לגלים | 28 He has lived in desolate cities and deserted houses, which have been turned into tombs. |
29 לא יעשר ולא יקום חילו ולא יטה לארץ מנלם | 29 He will not be enriched, nor will his basic necessities endure, nor will he establish his root in the earth. |
30 לא יסור מני חשך ינקתו תיבש שלהבת ויסור ברוח פיו | 30 He will not withdraw from the darkness; the flame will burn up his branches, and he will be defeated by the breath of his own mouth. |
31 אל יאמן בשו נתעה כי שוא תהיה תמורתו | 31 He will not believe, being vainly deceived by error, that he could be redeemed at any price. |
32 בלא יומו תמלא וכפתו לא רעננה | 32 Before his time is completed, he will pass into ruin and his hands will wither away. |
33 יחמס כגפן בסרו וישלך כזית נצתו | 33 He will be wounded like a grapevine, when its cluster is in first flower, and like an olive tree that casts off its flower. |
34 כי עדת חנף גלמוד ואש אכלה אהלי שחד | 34 For the congregation of the hypocrites is fruitless, and fire will devour the tabernacles of those who love to accept money. |
35 הרה עמל וילד און ובטנם תכין מרמה | 35 He has conceived sorrow, and he has brought forth iniquity, and his womb prepares deceit. |