איוב 4

1 וַיַּעַן אֱלִיפַז הַֽתֵּימָנִי וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

2 הֲנִסָּה דָבָר אֵלֶיךָ תִּלְאֶה וַעְצֹר בְּמִלִּין מִי יוּכָֽל׃

“If one ventures a word with you, will you be wearied? Yet who can keep from speaking?

3 הִנֵּה יִסַּרְתָּ רַבִּים וְיָדַיִם רָפוֹת תְּחַזֵּֽק׃

Surely you have instructed many, and have strengthened their feeble hands.

4 כּוֹשֵׁל יְקִימוּן מִלֶּיךָ וּבִרְכַּיִם כֹּרְעוֹת תְּאַמֵּֽץ׃

Your words have steadied those who stumbled; you have braced the knees that were buckling.

5 כִּי עַתָּה ׀ תָּבוֹא אֵלֶיךָ וַתֵּלֶא תִּגַּע עָדֶיךָ וַתִּבָּהֵֽל׃

But now trouble has come upon you, and you are weary. It strikes you, and you are dismayed.

6 הֲלֹא יִרְאָתְךָ כִּסְלָתֶךָ תִּקְוָתְךָ וְתֹם דְּרָכֶֽיךָ׃

Is your reverence not your confidence, and the uprightness of your ways your hope?

7 זְכׇר־נָא מִי הוּא נָקִי אָבָד וְאֵיפֹה יְשָׁרִים נִכְחָֽדוּ׃

Consider now, I plead: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Or where have the upright been destroyed?

8 כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי חֹרְשֵׁי אָוֶן וְזֹרְעֵי עָמָל יִקְצְרֻֽהוּ׃

As I have observed, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble reap the same.

9 מִנִּשְׁמַת אֱלוֹהַּ יֹאבֵדוּ וּמֵרוּחַ אַפּוֹ יִכְלֽוּ׃

By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of His anger they are consumed.

10 שַׁאֲגַת אַרְיֵה וְקוֹל שָׁחַל וְשִׁנֵּי כְפִירִים נִתָּֽעוּ׃

The lion may roar, and the fierce lion may growl, yet the teeth of the young lions are broken.

11 לַיִשׁ אֹבֵד מִבְּלִי־טָרֶף וּבְנֵי לָבִיא יִתְפָּרָֽדוּ׃

The old lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

12 וְאֵלַי דָּבָר יְגֻנָּב וַתִּקַּח אׇזְנִי שֵׁמֶץ מֶֽנְהֽוּ׃

Now a word came to me secretly; my ears caught a whisper of it.

13 בִּשְׂעִפִּים מֵחֶזְיֹנוֹת לָיְלָה בִּנְפֹל תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל־אֲנָשִֽׁים׃

In disquieting visions in the night, when deep sleep falls on men,

14 פַּחַד קְרָאַנִי וּרְעָדָה וְרֹב עַצְמוֹתַי הִפְחִֽיד׃

fear and trembling came over me and made all my bones shudder.

15 וְרוּחַ עַל־פָּנַי יַחֲלֹף תְּסַמֵּר שַׂעֲרַת בְּשָׂרִֽי׃

Then a spirit glided past my face, and the hair on my body bristled.

16 יַעֲמֹד ׀ וְֽלֹא־אַכִּיר מַרְאֵהוּ תְּמוּנָה לְנֶגֶד עֵינָי דְּמָמָה וָקוֹל אֶשְׁמָֽע׃

It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; a form loomed before my eyes, and I heard a whispering voice:

17 הַאֱנוֹשׁ מֵאֱלוֹהַּ יִצְדָּק אִם מֵעֹשֵׂהוּ יִטְהַר־גָּֽבֶר׃

‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God, or a man more pure than his Maker?

18 הֵן בַּעֲבָדָיו לֹא יַאֲמִין וּבְמַלְאָכָיו יָשִׂים תׇּהֳלָֽה׃

If God puts no trust in His servants, and He charges His angels with error,

19 אַף ׀ שֹׁכְנֵי בָֽתֵּי־חֹמֶר אֲשֶׁר־בֶּעָפָר יְסוֹדָם יְדַכְּאוּם לִפְנֵי־עָֽשׁ׃

how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who can be crushed like a moth!

20 מִבֹּקֶר לָעֶרֶב יֻכַּתּוּ מִבְּלִי מֵשִׂים לָנֶצַח יֹאבֵֽדוּ׃

They are smashed to pieces from dawn to dusk; unnoticed, they perish forever.

21 הֲלֹא־נִסַּע יִתְרָם בָּם יָמוּתוּ וְלֹא בְחׇכְמָֽה׃

Are not their tent cords pulled up, so that they die without wisdom?’