< Job 4 >

1 And Eliphaz the Temanite made answer and said,
ויען אליפז התימני ויאמר
2 If one says a word, will it be a weariness to you? but who is able to keep from saying what is in his mind?
הנסה דבר אליך תלאה ועצר במלין מי יוכל
3 Truly, you have been a helper to others, and you have made feeble hands strong;
הנה יסרת רבים וידים רפות תחזק
4 He who was near to falling has been lifted up by your words, and you have given strength to bent knees.
כושל יקימון מליך וברכים כרעות תאמץ
5 But now it has come on you and it is a weariness to you; you are touched by it and your mind is troubled.
כי עתה תבוא אליך ותלא תגע עדיך ותבהל
6 Is not your fear of God your support, and your upright way of life your hope?
הלא יראתך כסלתך תקותך ותם דרכיך
7 Have you ever seen destruction come to an upright man? or when were the god-fearing ever cut off?
זכר-נא--מי הוא נקי אבד ואיפה ישרים נכחדו
8 What I have seen is that those by whom trouble has been ploughed, and evil planted, get the same for themselves.
כאשר ראיתי חרשי און וזרעי עמל יקצרהו
9 By the breath of God destruction takes them, and by the wind of his wrath they are cut off.
מנשמת אלוה יאבדו ומרוח אפו יכלו
10 Though the noise of the lion and the sounding of his voice, may be loud, the teeth of the young lions are broken.
שאגת אריה וקול שחל ושני כפירים נתעו
11 The old lion comes to his end for need of food, and the young of the she-lion go wandering in all directions.
ליש אבד מבלי-טרף ובני לביא יתפרדו
12 A word was given to me secretly, and the low sound of it came to my ears.
ואלי דבר יגנב ותקח אזני שמץ מנהו
13 In troubled thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep comes on men,
בשעפים מחזינות לילה בנפל תרדמה על-אנשים
14 Fear came on me and shaking, and my bones were full of trouble;
פחד קראני ורעדה ורב עצמותי הפחיד
15 And a breath was moving over my face; the hair of my flesh became stiff:
ורוח על-פני יחלף תסמר שערת בשרי
16 Something was present before me, but I was not able to see it clearly; there was a form before my eyes: a quiet voice came to my ears, saying:
יעמד ולא אכיר מראהו-- תמונה לנגד עיני דממה וקול אשמע
17 May a man be upright before God? or a man be clean before his Maker?
האנוש מאלוה יצדק אם מעשהו יטהר-גבר
18 Truly, he puts no faith in his servants, and he sees error in his angels;
הן בעבדיו לא יאמין ובמלאכיו ישים תהלה
19 How much more those living in houses of earth, whose bases are in the dust! They are crushed more quickly than an insect;
אף שכני בתי-חמר--אשר-בעפר יסודם ידכאום לפני-עש
20 Between morning and evening they are completely broken; they come to an end for ever, and no one takes note.
מבקר לערב יכתו מבלי משים לנצח יאבדו
21 If their tent-cord is pulled up, do they not come to an end, and without wisdom?
הלא-נסע יתרם בם ימותו ולא בחכמה

< Job 4 >