1 וַיַּעַן אֱלִיפַז הַתֵּמָנִי וַיֹּאמַר | 1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said: |
2 הַלְאֵל יִסְכָּן־גָּבֶר כִּי־יִסְכֹּן עָלֵימֹו מַשְׂכִּיל | 2 Can a man be profitable to God? Though to himself a wise man be profitable! |
3 הַחֵפֶץ לְשַׁדַּי כִּי תִצְדָּק וְאִם־בֶּצַע כִּי־תַתֵּם דְּרָכֶיךָ | 3 Is it of advantage to the Almighty if you are just? Or is it a gain to him if you make your ways perfect? |
4 הֲמִיִּרְאָתְךָ יֹכִיחֶךָ יָבֹוא עִמְּךָ בַּמִּשְׁפָּט | 4 Is it because of your piety that he reproves you-- that he enters with you into judgment? |
5 הֲלֹא רָעָתְךָ רַבָּה וְאֵין־קֵץ לַעֲוֹנֹתֶיךָ | 5 Is not your wickedness manifold? Are not your iniquities endless? |
6 כִּי־תַחְבֹּל אַחֶיךָ חִנָּם וּבִגְדֵי עֲרוּמִּים תַּפְשִׁיט | 6 You have unjustly kept your kinsmen's goods in pawn, left them stripped naked of their clothing. |
7 לֹא־מַיִם עָיֵף תַּשְׁקֶה וּמֵרָעֵב תִּמְנַע־לָחֶם | 7 To the thirsty you have given no water to drink, and from the hungry you have withheld bread; |
8 וְאִישׁ זְרֹועַ לֹו הָאָרֶץ וּנְשׂוּא פָנִים יֵשֶׁב בָּהּ | 8 As if the land belonged to the man of might, and only the privileged were to dwell in it. |
9 אַלְמָנֹות שִׁלַּחְתָּ רֵיקָם וּזְרֹעֹות יְתֹמִים יְדֻכָּא | 9 You have sent widows away empty-handed, and the resources of orphans you have destroyed. |
10 עַל־כֵּן סְבִיבֹותֶיךָ פַחִים וִיבַהֶלְךָ פַּחַד פִּתְאֹם | 10 Therefore snares are round about you, and a sudden terror causes you dismay, |
11 אֹו־חֹשֶׁךְ לֹא־תִרְאֶה וְשִׁפְעַת־מַיִם תְּכַסֶּךָּ | 11 Or darkness, in which you cannot see; a deluge of waters covers you. |
12 הֲלֹא־אֱלֹוהַּ גֹּבַהּ שָׁמָיִם וּרְאֵה רֹאשׁ כֹּוכָבִים כִּי־רָמּוּ | 12 Does not God, in the heights of the heavens, behold the stars, high though they are? |
13 וְאָמַרְתָּ מַה־יָּדַע אֵל הַבְעַד עֲרָפֶל יִשְׁפֹּוט | 13 Yet you say, "What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness? |
14 עָבִים סֵתֶר־לֹו וְלֹא יִרְאֶה וְחוּג מַיִם יִתְהַלָּךְ | 14 Clouds hide him so that he cannot see; he walks upon the vault of the heavens!" |
15 הַאֹרַח עֹולָם תִּשְׁמֹר אֲשֶׁר דָּרְכוּ מְתֵי־אָוֶן | 15 Do you indeed keep to the ancient way trodden by worthless men, |
16 אֲשֶׁר־קֻמְּטוּ וְלֹא־עֵת נָהָר יוּצַק יְסֹודָם | 16 Who were snatched away before their time; whose foundations a flood swept away? |
17 הָאֹמְרִים לָאֵל סוּר מִמֶּנּוּ וּמַה־יִּפְעַל שַׁדַּי לָמֹו | 17 These men said to God, "Depart from us!" and, "What can the Almighty do to us?" |
18 וְהוּא מִלֵּא בָתֵּיהֶם טֹוב וַעֲצַת רְשָׁעִים רָחֲקָה מֶנִּי | 18 (Yet he had filled their houses with good things! But far be from me the mind of the impious!) |
19 יִרְאוּ צַדִּיקִים וְיִשְׂמָחוּ וְנָקִי יִלְעַג־לָמֹו | 19 The just look on and are gladdened, and the innocent deride them: |
20 אִם־לֹא נִכְחַד קִימָנוּ וְיִתְרָם אָכְלָה אֵשׁ | 20 "Truly these have been destroyed where they stood, and such as were left, fire has consumed!" |
21 הַסְכֶּן־נָא עִמֹּו וּשְׁלם בָּהֶם תְּבֹואַתְךָ טֹובָה | 21 Come to terms with him to be at peace. In this shall good come to you: |
22 קַח־נָא מִפִּיו תֹּורָה וְשִׂים אֲמָרָיו בִּלְבָבֶךָ | 22 Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart. |
23 אִם־תָּשׁוּב עַדשַׁ־דַּי תִּבָּנֶה תַּרְחִיק עַוְלָה מֵאָהֳלֶךָ | 23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored; if you put iniquity far from your tent, |
24 וְשִׁית־עַל־עָפָר בָּצֶר וּבְצוּר נְחָלִים אֹופִיר | 24 And treat raw gold like dust, and the fine gold of Ophir as pebbles from the brook, |
25 וְהָיָה שַׁדַּי בְּצָרֶיךָ וְכֶסֶף תֹּועָפֹות לָךְ | 25 Then the Almighty himself shall be your gold and your sparkling silver. |
26 כִּי־אָז עַל־שַׁדַּי תִּתְעַנָּג וְתִשָּׂא אֶל־אֱלֹוהַּ פָּנֶיךָ | 26 For then you shall delight in the Almighty and you shall lift up your face toward God. |
27 תַּעְתִּיר אֵלָיו וְיִשְׁמָעֶךָּ וּנְדָרֶיךָ תְשַׁלֵּם | 27 You shall entreat him and he will hear you, and your vows you shall fulfill. |
28 וְתִגְזַר־אֹומֶר וְיָקָם לָךְ וְעַל־דְּרָכֶיךָ נָגַהּ אֹור | 28 When you make a decision, it shall succeed for you, and upon your ways the light shall shine. |
29 כִּי־הִשְׁפִּילוּ וַתֹּאמֶר גֵּוָה וְשַׁח עֵינַיִם יֹושִׁעַ | 29 For he brings down the pride of the haughty, but the man of humble mien he saves. |
30 יְמַלֵּט אִי־נָקִי וְנִמְלַט בְּבֹר כַּפֶּיךָ׃ פ | 30 God delivers him who is innocent; you shall be delivered through cleanness of hands. |