< איוב 20 >
וַיַּעַן צֹפַר הַֽנַּעֲמָתִי וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ | 1 |
Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:
לָכֵן שְׂעִפַּי יְשִׁיבוּנִי וּבַעֲבוּר חוּשִׁי בִֽי׃ | 2 |
“So my anxious thoughts compel me to answer, because of the turmoil within me.
מוּסַר כְּלִמָּתִי אֶשְׁמָע וְרוּחַ מִֽבִּינָתִי יַעֲנֵֽנִי׃ | 3 |
I have heard a rebuke that insults me, and my understanding prompts a reply.
הֲזֹאת יָדַעְתָּ מִנִּי־עַד מִנִּי שִׂים אָדָם עֲלֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃ | 4 |
Do you not know that from antiquity, since man was placed on the earth,
כִּי רִנְנַת רְשָׁעִים מִקָּרוֹב וְשִׂמְחַת חָנֵף עֲדֵי־רָֽגַע׃ | 5 |
the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary?
אִם־יַעֲלֶה לַשָּׁמַיִם שִׂיאוֹ וְרֹאשׁוֹ לָעָב יַגִּֽיעַ׃ | 6 |
Though his arrogance reaches the heavens, and his head touches the clouds,
כְּֽגֶלְלוֹ לָנֶצַח יֹאבֵד רֹאָיו יֹאמְרוּ אַיּֽוֹ׃ | 7 |
he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who had seen him will ask, ‘Where is he?’
כַּחֲלוֹם יָעוּף וְלֹא יִמְצָאוּהוּ וְיֻדַּד כְּחֶזְיוֹן לָֽיְלָה׃ | 8 |
He will fly away like a dream, never to be found; he will be chased away like a vision in the night.
עַיִן שְׁזָפַתּוּ וְלֹא תוֹסִיף וְלֹֽא־עוֹד תְּשׁוּרֶנּוּ מְקוֹמֽוֹ׃ | 9 |
The eye that saw him will see him no more, and his place will no longer behold him.
בָּנָיו יְרַצּוּ דַלִּים וְיָדָיו תָּשֵׁבְנָה אוֹנֽוֹ׃ | 10 |
His sons will seek the favor of the poor, for his own hands must return his wealth.
עַצְמוֹתָיו מָלְאוּ עֲלוּמָו וְעִמּוֹ עַל־עָפָר תִּשְׁכָּֽב׃ | 11 |
The youthful vigor that fills his bones will lie down with him in the dust.
אִם־תַּמְתִּיק בְּפִיו רָעָה יַכְחִידֶנָּה תַּחַת לְשֹׁנֽוֹ׃ | 12 |
Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he conceals it under his tongue,
יַחְמֹל עָלֶיהָ וְלֹא יַעַזְבֶנָּה וְיִמְנָעֶנָּה בְּתוֹךְ חִכּֽוֹ׃ | 13 |
though he cannot bear to let it go and keeps it in his mouth,
לַחְמוֹ בְּמֵעָיו נֶהְפָּךְ מְרוֹרַת פְּתָנִים בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃ | 14 |
yet in his stomach his food sours into the venom of cobras within him.
חַיִל בָּלַע וַיְקִאֶנּוּ מִבִּטְנוֹ יֹרִשֶׁנּוּ אֵֽל׃ | 15 |
He swallows wealth but vomits it out; God will force it from his stomach.
רֹאשׁ־פְּתָנִים יִינָק תַּהַרְגֵהוּ לְשׁוֹן אֶפְעֶֽה׃ | 16 |
He will suck the poison of cobras; the fangs of a viper will kill him.
אַל־יֵרֶא בִפְלַגּוֹת נַהֲרֵי נַחֲלֵי דְּבַשׁ וְחֶמְאָֽה׃ | 17 |
He will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream.
מֵשִׁיב יָגָע וְלֹא יִבְלָע כְּחֵיל תְּמוּרָתוֹ וְלֹא יַעֲלֹֽס׃ | 18 |
He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming it; he cannot enjoy the profits of his trading.
כִּֽי־רִצַּץ עָזַב דַּלִּים בַּיִת גָּזַל וְלֹא יִבְנֵֽהוּ׃ | 19 |
For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor; he has seized houses he did not build.
כִּי ׀ לֹא־יָדַע שָׁלֵו בְּבִטְנוֹ בַּחֲמוּדוֹ לֹא יְמַלֵּֽט׃ | 20 |
Because his appetite is never satisfied, he cannot escape with his treasure.
אֵין־שָׂרִיד לְאׇכְלוֹ עַל־כֵּן לֹא־יָחִיל טוּבֽוֹ׃ | 21 |
Nothing is left for him to consume; thus his prosperity will not endure.
בִּמְלֹאות שִׂפְקוֹ יֵצֶר לוֹ כׇּל־יַד עָמֵל תְּבֹאֶֽנּוּ׃ | 22 |
In the midst of his plenty, he will be distressed; the full force of misery will come upon him.
יְהִי ׀ לְמַלֵּא בִטְנוֹ יְֽשַׁלַּח־בּוֹ חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ וְיַמְטֵר עָלֵימוֹ בִּלְחוּמֽוֹ׃ | 23 |
When he has filled his stomach, God will vent His fury upon him, raining it down on him as he eats.
יִבְרַח מִנֵּשֶׁק בַּרְזֶל תַּחְלְפֵהוּ קֶשֶׁת נְחוּשָֽׁה׃ | 24 |
Though he flees from an iron weapon, a bronze-tipped arrow will pierce him.
שָׁלַף וַיֵּצֵא מִגֵּוָה וּבָרָק מִֽמְּרֹרָתוֹ יַהֲלֹךְ עָלָיו אֵמִֽים׃ | 25 |
It is drawn out of his back, the gleaming point from his liver. Terrors come over him.
כׇּל־חֹשֶׁךְ טָמוּן לִצְפּוּנָיו תְּאׇכְלֵהוּ אֵשׁ לֹא־נֻפָּח יֵרַע שָׂרִיד בְּאׇהֳלֽוֹ׃ | 26 |
Total darkness is reserved for his treasures. A fire unfanned will consume him and devour what is left in his tent.
יְגַלּוּ שָׁמַיִם עֲוֺנוֹ וְאֶרֶץ מִתְקוֹמָמָה לֽוֹ׃ | 27 |
The heavens will expose his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him.
יִגֶל יְבוּל בֵּיתוֹ נִגָּרוֹת בְּיוֹם אַפּֽוֹ׃ | 28 |
The possessions of his house will be removed, flowing away on the day of God’s wrath.
זֶה ׀ חֵלֶק־אָדָם רָשָׁע מֵאֱלֹהִים וְנַחֲלַת אִמְרוֹ מֵאֵֽל׃ | 29 |
This is the wicked man’s portion from God, the inheritance God has appointed him.”