< Job 15 >

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
וַ֭יַּעַן אֱלִיפַ֥ז הַֽתֵּימָנִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
2 "Should a wise man answer with vain knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind?
הֶֽחָכָ֗ם יַעֲנֶ֥ה דַֽעַת־ר֑וּחַ וִֽימַלֵּ֖א קָדִ֣ים בִּטְנֽוֹ׃
3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches with which he can do no good?
הוֹכֵ֣חַ בְּ֭דָבָר לֹ֣א יִסְכּ֑וֹן וּ֝מִלִּ֗ים לֹא־יוֹעִ֥יל בָּֽם׃
4 Yes, you do away with fear, and hinder devotion before God.
אַף־אַ֭תָּה תָּפֵ֣ר יִרְאָ֑ה וְתִגְרַ֥ע שִׂ֝יחָ֗ה לִפְנֵי־אֵֽל׃
5 For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
כִּ֤י יְאַלֵּ֣ף עֲוֹנְךָ֣ פִ֑יךָ וְ֝תִבְחַ֗ר לְשׁ֣וֹן עֲרוּמִֽים׃
6 Your own mouth condemns you, and not I. Yes, your own lips testify against you.
יַרְשִֽׁיעֲךָ֣ פִ֣יךָ וְלֹא־אָ֑נִי וּ֝שְׂפָתֶ֗יךָ יַעֲנוּ־בָֽךְ׃
7 "Are you the first man who was born? Or were you brought forth before the hills?
הֲרִאישׁ֣וֹן אָ֭דָם תִּוָּלֵ֑ד וְלִפְנֵ֖י גְבָע֣וֹת חוֹלָֽלְתָּ׃
8 Have you heard the secret counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
הַבְס֣וֹד אֱל֣וֹהַ תִּשְׁמָ֑ע וְתִגְרַ֖ע אֵלֶ֣יךָ חָכְמָֽה׃
9 What do you know, that we do not know? What do you understand, which is not in us?
מַה־יָּ֭דַעְתָּ וְלֹ֣א נֵדָ֑ע תָּ֝בִ֗ין וְֽלֹא־עִמָּ֥נוּ הֽוּא׃
10 With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, much elder than your father.
גַּם־שָׂ֣ב גַּם־יָשִׁ֣ישׁ בָּ֑נוּ כַּבִּ֖יר מֵאָבִ֣יךָ יָמִֽים׃
11 Are the consolations of God too small for you, even the word that is gentle toward you?
הַמְעַ֣ט מִ֭מְּךָ תַּנְחֻמ֣וֹת אֵ֑ל וְ֝דָבָ֗ר לָאַ֥ט עִמָּֽךְ׃
12 Why does your heart carry you away? Why do your eyes flash,
מַה־יִּקָּחֲךָ֥ לִבֶּ֑ךָ וּֽמַה־יִּרְזְמ֥וּן עֵינֶֽיךָ׃
13 That you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of your mouth?
כִּֽי־תָשִׁ֣יב אֶל־אֵ֣ל רוּחֶ֑ךָ וְהֹצֵ֖אתָ מִפִּ֣יךָ מִלִּֽין׃
14 What is man, that he should be clean? What is he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
מָֽה־אֱנ֥וֹשׁ כִּֽי־יִזְכֶּ֑ה וְכִֽי־יִ֝צְדַּ֗ק יְל֣וּד אִשָּֽׁה׃
15 Look, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight;
הֵ֣ן בִּ֭קְדֹשָׁיו לֹ֣א יַאֲמִ֑ין וְ֝שָׁמַ֗יִם לֹא־זַכּ֥וּ בְעֵינָֽיו׃
16 how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water.
אַ֭ף כִּֽי־נִתְעָ֥ב וְֽנֶאֱלָ֑ח אִישׁ־שֹׁתֶ֖ה כַמַּ֣יִם עַוְלָֽה׃
17 "I will show you, listen to me; that which I have seen I will declare:
אֲחַוְךָ֥ שְֽׁמַֽע־לִ֑י וְזֶֽה־חָ֝זִ֗יתִי וַאֲסַפֵּֽרָה׃
18 (Which wise men have told by their fathers, and have not hidden it;
אֲשֶׁר־חֲכָמִ֥ים יַגִּ֑ידוּ וְלֹ֥א כִֽ֝חֲד֗וּ מֵאֲבוֹתָֽם׃
19 to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them):
לָהֶ֣ם לְ֭בַדָּם נִתְּנָ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ וְלֹא־עָ֖בַר זָ֣ר בְּתוֹכָֽם׃
20 the wicked man writhes in pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.
כָּל־יְמֵ֣י רָ֭שָׁע ה֣וּא מִתְחוֹלֵ֑ל וּמִסְפַּ֥ר שָׁ֝נִ֗ים נִצְפְּנ֥וּ לֶעָרִֽיץ׃
21 A sound of terrors is in his ears. In prosperity the destroyer shall come on him.
קוֹל־פְּחָדִ֥ים בְּאָזְנָ֑יו בַּ֝שָּׁל֗וֹם שׁוֹדֵ֥ד יְבוֹאֶֽנּוּ׃
22 He doesn't believe that he shall return out of darkness. He is waited for by the sword.
לֹא־יַאֲמִ֣ין שׁ֭וּב מִנִּי־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וְצָפ֖וּי ה֣וּא אֱלֵי־חָֽרֶב׃
23 He wanders abroad for bread, saying, 'Where is it?' He knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
נֹ֘דֵ֤ד ה֣וּא לַלֶּ֣חֶם אַיֵּ֑ה יָדַ֓ע ׀ כִּֽי־נָכ֖וֹן בְּיָד֣וֹ יֽוֹם־חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃
24 Distress and anguish make him afraid. They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
יְֽ֭בַעֲתֻהוּ צַ֣ר וּמְצוּקָ֑ה תִּ֝תְקְפֵ֗הוּ כְּמֶ֤לֶךְ ׀ עָתִ֬יד לַכִּידֽוֹר׃
25 Because he has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against Shaddai;
כִּֽי־נָטָ֣ה אֶל־אֵ֣ל יָד֑וֹ וְאֶל־שַׁ֝דַּ֗י יִתְגַּבָּֽר׃
26 he runs at him with a stiff neck, with the thick shields of his bucklers;
יָר֣וּץ אֵלָ֣יו בְּצַוָּ֑אר בַּ֝עֲבִ֗י גַּבֵּ֥י מָֽגִנָּֽיו׃
27 because he has covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat on his thighs.
כִּֽי־כִסָּ֣ה פָנָ֣יו בְּחֶלְבּ֑וֹ וַיַּ֖עַשׂ פִּימָ֣ה עֲלֵי־כָֽסֶל׃
28 He has lived in desolate cities, in houses which no one inhabited, which were ready to become heaps.
וַיִּשְׁכּ֤וֹן ׀ עָ֘רִ֤ים נִכְחָד֗וֹת בָּ֭תִּים לֹא־יֵ֣שְׁבוּ לָ֑מוֹ אֲשֶׁ֖ר הִתְעַתְּד֣וּ לְגַלִּֽים׃
29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall their possessions be extended on the earth.
לֹֽא־יֶ֭עְשַׁר וְלֹא־יָק֣וּם חֵיל֑וֹ וְלֹֽא־יִטֶּ֖ה לָאָ֣רֶץ מִנְלָֽם׃
30 He shall not depart out of darkness. The flame shall dry up his branches. By the breath of God's mouth shall he go away.
לֹֽא־יָס֨וּר ׀ מִנִּי־חֹ֗שֶׁךְ יֹֽ֭נַקְתּוֹ תְּיַבֵּ֣שׁ שַׁלְהָ֑בֶת וְ֝יָס֗וּר בְּר֣וּחַ פִּֽיו׃
31 Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself; for emptiness shall be his reward.
אַל־יַאֲמֵ֣ן בַּשָּׁ֣יו נִתְעָ֑ה כִּי־שָׁ֝֗וְא תִּהְיֶ֥ה תְמוּרָתֽוֹ׃
32 It shall be accomplished before his time. His branch shall not be green.
בְּֽלֹא־י֭וֹמוֹ תִּמָּלֵ֑א וְ֝כִפָּת֗וֹ לֹ֣א רַעֲנָֽנָה׃
33 He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive tree.
יַחְמֹ֣ס כַּגֶּ֣פֶן בִּסְר֑וֹ וְיַשְׁלֵ֥ךְ כַּ֝זַּ֗יִת נִצָּתֽוֹ׃
34 For the company of the godless shall be barren, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery.
כִּֽי־עֲדַ֣ת חָנֵ֣ף גַּלְמ֑וּד וְ֝אֵ֗שׁ אָכְלָ֥ה אָֽהֳלֵי־שֹֽׁחַד׃
35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. Their heart prepares deceit."
הָרֹ֣ה עָ֭מָל וְיָ֣לֹד אָ֑וֶן וּ֝בִטְנָ֗ם תָּכִ֥ין מִרְמָֽה׃ ס

< Job 15 >