1 וַיַּעַן אֱלִיפַז הַתֵּימָנִי וַיֹּאמַר | 1 But Eliphaz the Themanite, answering, said: |
2 הֶחָכָם יַעֲנֶה דַעַת־רוּחַ וִימַלֵּא קָדִים בִּטְנֹו | 2 Will a wise man answer as if he were speaking wind, and will he fill his stomach with fire? |
3 הֹוכֵחַ בְּדָבָר לֹא יִסְכֹּון וּמִלִּים לֹא־יֹועִיל בָּם | 3 You rebuke with words he who is not equal to you, and you speak what is not expedient for you, |
4 אַף־אַתָּה תָּפֵר יִרְאָה וְתִגְרַע יחָה לִפְנֵי־אֵל | 4 to such an extent that, within yourself, you have expelled reverence and have taken away prayers from the presence of God. |
5 כִּי יְאַלֵּף עֲוֹנְךָ פִיךָ וְתִבְחַר לְשֹׁון עֲרוּמִים | 5 For your iniquity has mislead your mouth, and you imitate the tongue of blasphemers. |
6 יַרְשִׁיעֲךָ פִיךָ וְלֹא־אָנִי וּשְׂפָתֶיךָ יַעֲנוּ־בָךְ | 6 Your own mouth will condemn you, not I; and your own lips will answer you. |
7 הֲרִאישֹׁון אָדָם תִּוָּלֵד וְלִפְנֵי גְבָעֹות חֹולָלְתָּ | 7 Are you the first man who was born, or were you formed before the hills? |
8 הַבְסֹוד אֱלֹוהַ תִּשְׁמָע וְתִגְרַע אֵלֶיךָ חָכְמָה | 8 Have you heard the intentions of God, and will his wisdom be inferior to you? |
9 מַה־יָּדַעְתָּ וְלֹא נֵדָע תָּבִין וְלֹא־עִמָּנוּ הוּא | 9 What do you know, about which we are ignorant? What do you understand that we do not know? |
10 גַּם־שָׂב גַּם־יָשִׁישׁ בָּנוּ כַּבִּיר מֵאָבִיךָ יָמִים | 10 There are with us both aged and ancient men, even more senior than your fathers. |
11 הַמְעַט מִמְּךָ תַּנְחֻמֹות אֵל וְדָבָר לָאַט עִמָּךְ | 11 Is it so important that God should console you? But your own depraved words prevent this. |
12 מַה־יִּקָּחֲךָ לִבֶּךָ וּמַה־יִּרְזְמוּן עֵינֶיךָ | 12 Why does your heart exalt you, and why do you gaze with your eyes, as if thinking great things? |
13 כִּי־תָשִׁיב אֶל־אֵל רוּחֶךָ וְהֹצֵאתָ מִפִּיךָ מִלִּין | 13 Why does your spirit stir against God, so as to utter such speeches from your mouth? |
14 מָה־אֱנֹושׁ כִּי־יִזְכֶּה וְכִי־יִצְדַּק יְלוּד אִשָּׁה | 14 What is man that he should be immaculate, and that he should appear just, having been born of woman? |
15 הֵן [בִּקְדֹשֹׁו כ] (בִּקְדֹשָׁיו ק) לֹא יַאֲמִין וְשָׁמַיִם לֹא־זַכּוּ בְעֵינָיו | 15 Behold, among his holy ones not one is immutable, and even the heavens are not pure in his sight. |
16 אַף כִּי־נִתְעָב וְנֶאֱלָח אִישׁ־שֹׁתֶה כַמַּיִם עַוְלָה | 16 How much more abominable and useless is the man who drinks as if from the water of iniquity? |
17 אֲחַוְךָ שְׁמַע־לִי וְזֶה־חָזִיתִי וַאֲסַפֵּרָה | 17 I will reveal to you, so listen to me; and I will explain to you what I have seen. |
18 אֲשֶׁר־חֲכָמִים יַגִּידוּ וְלֹא כִחֲדוּ מֵאֲבֹותָם | 18 The wise acknowledge, and they do not leave behind, their fathers, |
19 לָהֶם לְבַדָּם נִתְּנָה הָאָרֶץ וְלֹא־עָבַר זָר בְּתֹוכָם | 19 to whom alone the earth has been given, and no stranger passed among them. |
20 כָּל־יְמֵי רָשָׁע הוּא מִתְחֹולֵל וּמִסְפַּר נִים נִצְפְּנוּ לֶעָרִיץ | 20 The impious is arrogant for all his days, and the number of the years of his tyranny is uncertain. |
21 קֹול־פְּחָדִים בְּאָזְנָיו בַּשָּׁלֹום שֹׁודֵד יְבֹואֶנּוּ | 21 The sound of terror is always in his ears; and when there is peace, he always suspects treason. |
22 לֹא־יַאֲמִין וּב מִנִּי־חֹשֶׁךְ [וְצָפוּ כ] (וְצָפוּי ק) הוּא אֱלֵי־חָרֶב | 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 נֹדֵד הוּא לַלֶּחֶם אַיֵּה יָדַע ׀ כִּי־נָכֹון בְּיָדֹו יֹום־חֹשֶׁךְ | 23 When he moves himself to seek bread, he knows that the day of darkness has been prepared for his hand. |
24 יְבַעֲתֻהוּ צַר וּמְצוּקָה תִּתְקְפֵהוּ כְּמֶלֶךְ ׀ עָתִיד לַכִּידֹור | 24 Tribulation will terrify him, and anguish will prevail over him, like a king who is being prepared to go to battle. |
25 כִּי־נָטָה אֶל־אֵל יָדֹו וְאֶלשַׁ־דַּי יִתְגַּבָּר | 25 For he has extended his hand against God, and he has strengthened himself against the Almighty. |
26 יָרוּץ אֵלָיו בְּצַוָּאר בַּעֲבִי גַּבֵּי מָגִנָּיו | 26 He has rushed against him with his throat exposed, and he has been armed with a fat neck. |
27 כִּי־כִסָּה פָנָיו בְּחֶלְבֹּו וַיַּעַשׂ פִּימָה עֲלֵי־כָסֶל | 27 Thickness has covered his face, and lard hangs down from his sides. |
28 וַיִּשְׁכֹּון ׀ עָרִים נִכְחָדֹות בָּתִּים לֹא־יֵשְׁבוּ לָמֹו אֲשֶׁר הִתְעַתְּדוּ לְגַלִּים | 28 He has lived in desolate cities and deserted houses, which have been turned into tombs. |
29 לֹא־יֶעְשַׁר וְלֹא־יָקוּם חֵילֹו וְלֹא־יִטֶּה לָאָרֶץ מִנְלָם | 29 He will not be enriched, nor will his basic necessities endure, nor will he establish his root in the earth. |
30 לֹא־יָסוּר ׀ מִנִּי־חֹשֶׁךְ יֹנַקְתֹּו תְּיַבֵּשׁ שַׁלְהָבֶת וְיָסוּר בְּרוּחַ פִּיו | 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 אַל־יַאֲמֵן [בַּשֹּׁו כ] (בַּשָּׁיו ק) נִתְעָה כִּישָׁ־וְא תִּהְיֶה תְמוּרָתֹו | 31 He will not believe, being vainly deceived by error, that he could be redeemed at any price. |
32 בְּלֹא־יֹומֹו תִּמָּלֵא וְכִפָּתֹו לֹא רַעֲנָנָה | 32 Before his time is completed, he will pass into ruin and his hands will wither away. |
33 יַחְמֹס כַּגֶּפֶן בִּסְרֹו וְיַשְׁלֵךְ כַּזַּיִת נִצָּתֹו | 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 כִּי־עֲדַת חָנֵף גַּלְמוּד וְאֵשׁ אָכְלָה אָהֳלֵי־שֹׁחַד | 34 For the congregation of the hypocrites is fruitless, and fire will devour the tabernacles of those who love to accept money. |
35 הָרֹה עָמָל וְיָלֹד אָוֶן וּבִטְנָם תָּכִין מִרְמָה׃ ס | 35 He has conceived sorrow, and he has brought forth iniquity, and his womb prepares deceit. |