איוב 20
| ויען צפר הנעמתי ויאמר | 1 |
Then Zophar the Naamathite made answer and said,
| לכן שעפי ישיבוני ובעבור חושי בי | 2 |
For this cause my thoughts are troubling me and driving me on.
| מוסר כלמתי אשמע ורוח מבינתי יענני | 3 |
I have to give ear to arguments which put me to shame, and your answers to me are wind without wisdom.
| הזאת ידעת מני-עד מני שים אדם עלי-ארץ | 4 |
Have you knowledge of this from early times, when man was placed on the earth,
| כי רננת רשעים מקרוב ושמחת חנף עדי-רגע | 5 |
That the pride of the sinner is short, and the joy of the evil-doer but for a minute?
| אם-יעלה לשמים שיאו וראשו לעב יגיע | 6 |
Though he is lifted up to the heavens, and his head goes up to the clouds;
| כגללו לנצח יאבד ראיו יאמרו איו | 7 |
Like the waste from his body he comes to an end for ever: those who have seen him say, Where is he?
| כחלום יעוף ולא ימצאהו וידד כחזיון לילה | 8 |
He is gone like a dream, and is not seen again; he goes in flight like a vision of the night.
| עין שזפתו ולא תוסיף ולא-עוד תשורנו מקומו | 9 |
The eye which saw him sees him no longer; and his place has no more knowledge of him.
| בניו ירצו דלים וידיו תשבנה אונו | 10 |
His children are hoping that the poor will be kind to them, and his hands give back his wealth.
| עצמותיו מלאו עלומו ועמו על-עפר תשכב | 11 |
His bones are full of young strength, but it will go down with him into the dust.
| אם-תמתיק בפיו רעה-- יכחידנה תחת לשנו | 12 |
Though evil-doing is sweet in his mouth, and he keeps it secretly under his tongue;
| יחמל עליה ולא יעזבנה וימנענה בתוך חכו | 13 |
Though he takes care of it, and does not let it go, but keeps it still in his mouth;
| לחמו במעיו נהפך מרורת פתנים בקרבו | 14 |
His food becomes bitter in his stomach; the poison of snakes is inside him.
| חיל בלע ויקאנו מבטנו ירשנו אל | 15 |
He takes down wealth as food, and sends it up again; it is forced out of his stomach by God.
| ראש-פתנים יינק תהרגהו לשון אפעה | 16 |
He takes the poison of snakes into his mouth, the tongue of the snake is the cause of his death.
| אל-ירא בפלגות-- נהרי נחלי דבש וחמאה | 17 |
Let him not see the rivers of oil, the streams of honey and milk.
| משיב יגע ולא יבלע כחיל תמורתו ולא יעלס | 18 |
He is forced to give back the fruit of his work, and may not take it for food; he has no joy in the profit of his trading.
| כי-רצץ עזב דלים בית גזל ולא יבנהו | 19 |
Because he has been cruel to the poor, turning away from them in their trouble; because he has taken a house by force which he did not put up;
| כי לא-ידע שלו בבטנו בחמודו לא ימלט | 20 |
There is no peace for him in his wealth, and no salvation for him in those things in which he took delight.
| אין-שריד לאכלו על-כן לא-יחיל טובו | 21 |
He had never enough for his desire; for this cause his well-being will quickly come to an end.
| במלאות שפקו יצר לו כל-יד עמל תבאנו | 22 |
Even when his wealth is great, he is full of care, for the hand of everyone who is in trouble is turned against him.
| יהי למלא בטנו--ישלח-בו חרון אפו וימטר עלימו בלחומו | 23 |
God gives him his desire, and sends the heat of his wrath on him, making it come down on him like rain.
| יברח מנשק ברזל תחלפהו קשת נחושה | 24 |
He may go in flight from the iron spear, but the arrow from the bow of brass will go through him;
| שלף ויצא מגוה וברק ממררתו יהלך עליו אמים | 25 |
He is pulling it out, and it comes out of his back; and its shining point comes out of his side; he is overcome by fears.
| כל-חשך טמון לצפוניו תאכלהו אש לא-נפח ירע שריד באהלו | 26 |
All his wealth is stored up for the dark: a fire not made by man sends destruction on him, and on everything in his tent.
| יגלו שמים עונו וארץ מתקוממה לו | 27 |
The heavens make clear his sin, and the earth gives witness against him.
| יגל יבול ביתו נגרות ביום אפו | 28 |
The produce of his house is taken away into another country, like things given into the hands of others in the day of wrath.
| זה חלק-אדם רשע--מאלהים ונחלת אמרו מאל | 29 |
This is the reward of the evil man, and the heritage given to him by God.
