איוב 22
| ויען אליפז התמני ויאמר | 1 |
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
| הלאל יסכן-גבר-- כי-יסכן עלימו משכיל | 2 |
“Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
| החפץ לשדי כי תצדק ואם-בצע כי-תתם דרכיך | 3 |
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or does it benefit him that you make your ways perfect?
| המיראתך יכיחך יבוא עמך במשפט | 4 |
Is it for your piety that he reproves you, that he enters with you into judgment?
| הלא רעתך רבה ואין-קץ לעונתיך | 5 |
Isn’t your wickedness great? Neither is there any end to your iniquities.
| כי-תחבל אחיך חנם ובגדי ערומים תפשיט | 6 |
For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
| לא-מים עיף תשקה ומרעב תמנע-לחם | 7 |
You haven’t given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
| ואיש זרוע לו הארץ ונשוא פנים ישב בה | 8 |
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honorable man, he lived in it.
| אלמנות שלחת ריקם וזרעות יתמים ידכא | 9 |
You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
| על-כן סביבותיך פחים ויבהלך פחד פתאם | 10 |
Therefore snares are around you. Sudden fear troubles you,
| או-חשך לא-תראה ושפעת-מים תכסך | 11 |
or darkness, so that you can not see, and floods of waters cover you.
| הלא-אלוה גבה שמים וראה ראש כוכבים כי-רמו | 12 |
“Isn’t God in the heights of heaven? See the height of the stars, how high they are!
| ואמרת מה-ידע אל הבעד ערפל ישפוט | 13 |
You say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?
| עבים סתר-לו ולא יראה וחוג שמים יתהלך | 14 |
Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he doesn’t see. He walks on the vault of the sky.’
| הארח עולם תשמור-- אשר דרכו מתי-און | 15 |
Will you keep the old way, which wicked men have trodden,
| אשר-קמטו ולא-עת נהר יוצק יסודם | 16 |
who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream,
| האמרים לאל סור ממנו ומה-יפעל שדי למו | 17 |
who said to God, ‘Depart from us!’ and, ‘What can the Almighty do for us?’
| והוא מלא בתיהם טוב ועצת רשעים רחקה מני | 18 |
Yet he filled their houses with good things, but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
| יראו צדיקים וישמחו ונקי ילעג-למו | 19 |
The righteous see it, and are glad. The innocent ridicule them,
| אם-לא נכחד קימנו ויתרם אכלה אש | 20 |
saying, ‘Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed their remnant.’
| הסכן-נא עמו ושלם בהם תבואתך טובה | 21 |
“Acquaint yourself with him now, and be at peace. By it, good will come to you.
| קח-נא מפיו תורה ושים אמריו בלבבך | 22 |
Please receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.
| אם-תשוב עד-שדי תבנה תרחיק עולה מאהלך | 23 |
If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up, if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents.
| ושית-על-עפר בצר ובצור נחלים אופיר | 24 |
Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
| והיה שדי בצריך וכסף תועפות לך | 25 |
The Almighty will be your treasure, and precious silver to you.
| כי-אז על-שדי תתענג ותשא אל-אלוה פניך | 26 |
For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and will lift up your face to God.
| תעתיר אליו וישמעך ונדריך תשלם | 27 |
You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You will pay your vows.
| ותגזר-אמר ויקם לך ועל-דרכיך נגה אור | 28 |
You will also decree a thing, and it will be established to you. Light will shine on your ways.
| כי-השפילו ותאמר גוה ושח עינים יושע | 29 |
When they cast down, you will say, ‘be lifted up.’ He will save the humble person.
| ימלט אי-נקי ונמלט בבר כפיך | 30 |
He will even deliver him who is not innocent. Yes, he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”
