< 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 בִּטְנֹֽו׃
3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches with which he can do no good?
הֹוכֵ֣חַ בְּ֭דָבָר לֹ֣א יִסְכֹּ֑ון וּ֝מִלִּ֗ים לֹא־יֹועִ֥יל 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 לְשֹׁ֣ון 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 out before the hills?
הֲרִאישֹׁ֣ון אָ֭דָם תִּוָּלֵ֑ד וְלִפְנֵ֖י גְבָעֹ֣ות חֹולָֽלְתָּ׃
8 Have you heard the secret counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
הַבְסֹ֣וד אֱלֹ֣והַ תִּשְׁמָ֑ע וְתִגְרַ֖ע אֵלֶ֣יךָ חָכְמָֽה׃
9 What do you know that we don’t 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 older 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 תַּנְחֻמֹ֣ות 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־אֱנֹ֥ושׁ כִּֽי־יִזְכֶּ֑ה וְכִֽי־יִ֝צְדַּ֗ק יְל֣וּד אִשָּֽׁה׃
15 Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight;
הֵ֣ן בִּקְדֹשֹׁו (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 מֵאֲבֹותָֽם׃
19 to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them):
לָהֶ֣ם לְ֭בַדָּם נִתְּנָ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ וְלֹא־עָ֖בַר זָ֣ר בְּתֹוכָֽם׃
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 מִתְחֹולֵ֑ל וּמִסְפַּ֥ר שָׁ֝נִ֗ים נִצְפְּנ֥וּ לֶעָרִֽיץ׃
21 A sound of terrors is in his ears. In prosperity the destroyer will come on him.
קֹול־פְּחָדִ֥ים בְּאָזְנָ֑יו בַּ֝שָּׁלֹ֗ום שֹׁודֵ֥ד יְבֹואֶֽנּוּ׃
22 He doesn’t believe that he will return out of darkness. He is waited for by the sword.
לֹא־יַאֲמִ֣ין שׁ֭וּב מִנִּי־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וְצָפוּ (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־נָכֹ֖ון בְּיָדֹ֣ו יֹֽום־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 לַכִּידֹֽור׃
25 Because he has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty,
כִּֽי־נָטָ֣ה אֶל־אֵ֣ל יָדֹ֑ו 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 בְּחֶלְבֹּ֑ו וַיַּ֖עַשׂ פִּימָ֣ה עֲלֵי־כָֽסֶל׃
28 He has lived in desolate cities, in houses which no one inhabited, which were ready to become heaps.
וַיִּשְׁכֹּ֤ון ׀ עָ֘רִ֤ים נִכְחָדֹ֗ות בָּ֭תִּים לֹא־יֵ֣שְׁבוּ לָ֑מֹו אֲשֶׁ֖ר הִתְעַתְּד֣וּ לְגַלִּֽים׃
29 He will not be rich, neither will his substance continue, neither will their possessions be extended on the earth.
לֹֽא־יֶ֖עְשַׁר וְלֹא־יָק֣וּם חֵילֹ֑ו וְלֹֽא־יִטֶּ֖ה לָאָ֣רֶץ מִנְלָֽם׃
30 He will not depart out of darkness. The flame will dry up his branches. He will go away by the breath of God’s mouth.
לֹֽא־יָס֨וּר ׀ מִנִּי־חֹ֗שֶׁךְ יֹֽ֭נַקְתֹּו תְּיַבֵּ֣שׁ שַׁלְהָ֑בֶת וְ֝יָס֗וּר בְּר֣וּחַ פִּֽיו׃
31 Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself, for emptiness will be his reward.
אַל־יַאֲמֵ֣ן בַּשֹּׁו (בַּשָּׁ֣יו) נִתְעָ֑ה כִּי־שָׁ֝֗וְא תִּהְיֶ֥ה תְמוּרָתֹֽו׃
32 It will be accomplished before his time. His branch will not be green.
בְּֽלֹא־יֹ֭ומֹו תִּמָּלֵ֑א וְ֝כִפָּתֹ֗ו לֹ֣א רַעֲנָֽנָה׃
33 He will shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and will cast off his flower as the olive tree.
יַחְמֹ֣ס כַּגֶּ֣פֶן בִּסְרֹ֑ו וְיַשְׁלֵ֥ךְ כַּ֝זַּ֗יִת נִצָּתֹֽו׃
34 For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.
כִּֽי־עֲדַ֣ת חָנֵ֣ף גַּלְמ֑וּד וְ֝אֵ֗שׁ אָכְלָ֥ה אָֽהֳלֵי־שֹֽׁחַד׃
35 They conceive mischief and produce iniquity. Their heart prepares deceit.”
הָרֹ֣ה עָ֭מָל וְיָ֣לֹד אָ֑וֶן וּ֝בִטְנָ֗ם תָּכִ֥ין מִרְמָֽה׃ ס

< Job 15 >