אִיּוֹב 15

1 וַ֭יַּעַן אֱלִיפַ֥ז הַֽתֵּימָנִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

And Eliphaz the Temanite answers and says:

2 הֶֽחָכָ֗ם יַעֲנֶ֥ה דַֽעַת־ר֑וּחַ וִֽימַלֵּ֖א קָדִ֣ים בִּטְנֹֽו׃

“Does a wise man answer [with] vain knowledge? And fill his belly [with] an east wind?

3 הֹוכֵ֣חַ בְּ֭דָבָר לֹ֣א יִסְכֹּ֑ון וּ֝מִלִּ֗ים לֹא־יֹועִ֥יל בָּֽם׃

To reason with a word not useful? And speeches—no profit in them?

4 אַף־אַ֭תָּה תָּפֵ֣ר יִרְאָ֑ה וְתִגְרַ֥ע שִׂ֝יחָ֗ה לִפְנֵי־אֵֽל׃

Indeed, you make reverence void, and diminish meditation before God.

5 כִּ֤י יְאַלֵּ֣ף עֲוֹנְךָ֣ פִ֑יךָ וְ֝תִבְחַ֗ר לְשֹׁ֣ון עֲרוּמִֽים׃

For your mouth teaches your iniquity, And you choose the tongue of the cunning.

6 יַרְשִֽׁיעֲךָ֣ פִ֣יךָ וְלֹא־אָ֑נִי וּ֝שְׂפָתֶ֗יךָ יַעֲנוּ־בָֽךְ׃

Your mouth declares you wicked, and not I, And your lips testify against you.

7 הֲרִאישֹׁ֣ון אָ֭דָם תִּוָּלֵ֑ד וְלִפְנֵ֖י גְבָעֹ֣ות חֹולָֽלְתָּ׃

Are you the first man born? And were you formed before the heights?

8 הַבְסֹ֣וד אֱלֹ֣והַ תִּשְׁמָ֑ע וְתִגְרַ֖ע אֵלֶ֣יךָ חָכְמָֽה׃

Do you hear of the secret counsel of God? And withdraw wisdom to you?

9 מַה־יָּ֭דַעְתָּ וְלֹ֣א נֵדָ֑ע תָּ֝בִ֗ין וְֽלֹא־עִמָּ֥נוּ הֽוּא׃

What have you known, and we do not know? [What] do you understand, and it is not with us?

10 גַּם־שָׂ֣ב גַּם־יָשִׁ֣ישׁ בָּ֑נוּ כַּבִּ֖יר מֵאָבִ֣יךָ יָמִֽים׃

Both the gray-headed And the very aged [are] among us—Greater than your father [in] days.

11 הַמְעַ֣ט מִ֭מְּךָ תַּנְחֻמֹ֣ות אֵ֑ל וְ֝דָבָ֗ר לָאַ֥ט עִמָּֽךְ׃

Are the comforts of God too few for you? And a gentle word [is] with you,

12 מַה־יִּקָּחֲךָ֥ לִבֶּ֑ךָ וּֽמַה־יִּרְזְמ֥וּן עֵינֶֽיךָ׃

Why does your heart take you away? And why are your eyes high?

13 כִּֽי־תָשִׁ֣יב אֶל־אֵ֣ל רוּחֶ֑ךָ וְהֹצֵ֖אתָ מִפִּ֣יךָ מִלִּֽין׃

Do you turn your spirit against God? And have brought out words from your mouth:

14 מָֽה־אֱנֹ֥ושׁ כִּֽי־יִזְכֶּ֑ה וְכִֽי־יִ֝צְדַּ֗ק יְל֣וּד אִשָּֽׁה׃

What [is] man that he is pure, And that he is righteous, one born of woman?

15 הֵ֣ן בִּקְדֹשֹׁו (בִּ֭קְדֹשָׁיו) לֹ֣א יַאֲמִ֑ין וְ֝שָׁמַ֗יִם לֹא־זַכּ֥וּ בְעֵינָֽיו׃

Behold, He puts no credence in His holy ones, And the heavens have not been pure in His eyes.

16 אַ֭ף כִּֽי־נִתְעָ֥ב וְֽנֶאֱלָ֑ח אִישׁ־שֹׁתֶ֖ה כַמַּ֣יִם עַוְלָֽה׃

Also—surely abominable and filthy Is man drinking perverseness as water.

17 אֲחַוְךָ֥ שְֽׁמַֽע־לִ֑י וְזֶֽה־חָ֝זִ֗יתִי וַאֲסַפֵּֽרָה׃

I show you—listen to me—And this I have seen and declare,

18 אֲשֶׁר־חֲכָמִ֥ים יַגִּ֑ידוּ וְלֹ֥א כִֽ֝חֲד֗וּ מֵאֲבֹותָֽם׃

Which the wise declare—And have not hid—from their fathers.

19 לָהֶ֣ם לְ֭בַדָּם נִתְּנָ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ וְלֹא־עָ֖בַר זָ֣ר בְּתֹוכָֽם׃

To them alone was the land given, And a stranger did not pass over into their midst:

20 כָּל־יְמֵ֣י רָ֭שָׁע ה֣וּא מִתְחֹולֵ֑ל וּמִסְפַּ֥ר שָׁ֝נִ֗ים נִצְפְּנ֥וּ לֶעָרִֽיץ׃

All [the] days of the wicked he is paining himself, And few years have been laid up for the terrible one.

21 קֹול־פְּחָדִ֥ים בְּאָזְנָ֑יו בַּ֝שָּׁלֹ֗ום שֹׁודֵ֥ד יְבֹואֶֽנּוּ׃

A fearful voice [is] in his ears, In peace a destroyer comes to him.

22 לֹא־יַאֲמִ֣ין שׁ֭וּב מִנִּי־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וְצָפוּ (וְצָפ֖וּי) ה֣וּא אֱלֵי־חָֽרֶב׃

He does not believe to return from darkness, And he watches for the sword.

23 נֹ֘דֵ֤ד ה֣וּא לַלֶּ֣חֶם אַיֵּ֑ה יָדַ֓ע ׀ כִּֽי־נָכֹ֖ון בְּיָדֹ֣ו יֹֽום־חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃

He is wandering for bread: Where [is] it? He has known that ready at his hand Is a day of darkness.

24 יְֽ֭בַעֲתֻהוּ צַ֣ר וּמְצוּקָ֑ה תִּ֝תְקְפֵ֗הוּ כְּמֶ֤לֶךְ ׀ עָתִ֬יד לַכִּידֹֽור׃

Adversity and distress terrify him, They prevail over him as a king ready for a boaster.

25 כִּֽי־נָטָ֣ה אֶל־אֵ֣ל יָדֹ֑ו וְאֶל־שַׁ֝דַּ֗י יִתְגַּבָּֽר׃

For he stretched out his hand against God, And against the Mighty he makes himself mighty.

26 יָר֣וּץ אֵלָ֣יו בְּצַוָּ֑אר בַּ֝עֲבִ֗י גַּבֵּ֥י מָֽגִנָּֽיו׃

He runs to Him with a neck, With thick bosses of his shields.

27 כִּֽי־כִסָּ֣ה פָנָ֣יו בְּחֶלְבֹּ֑ו וַיַּ֖עַשׂ פִּימָ֣ה עֲלֵי־כָֽסֶל׃

For he has covered his face with his fat, And makes vigor over [his] confidence.

28 וַיִּשְׁכֹּ֤ון ׀ עָ֘רִ֤ים נִכְחָדֹ֗ות בָּ֭תִּים לֹא־יֵ֣שְׁבוּ לָ֑מֹו אֲשֶׁ֖ר הִתְעַתְּד֣וּ לְגַלִּֽים׃

And he inhabits cities cut off, houses not dwelt in, That have been ready to become heaps.

29 לֹֽא־יֶ֖עְשַׁר וְלֹא־יָק֣וּם חֵילֹ֑ו וְלֹֽא־יִטֶּ֖ה לָאָ֣רֶץ מִנְלָֽם׃

He is not rich, nor does his wealth rise, Nor does he stretch out their continuance on earth.

30 לֹֽא־יָס֨וּר ׀ מִנִּי־חֹ֗שֶׁךְ יֹֽ֭נַקְתֹּו תְּיַבֵּ֣שׁ שַׁלְהָ֑בֶת וְ֝יָס֗וּר בְּר֣וּחַ פִּֽיו׃

He does not turn aside from darkness, A flame dries up his tender branch, And he turns aside at the breath of His mouth!

31 אַל־יַאֲמֵ֣ן בַּשֹּׁו (בַּשָּׁ֣יו) נִתְעָ֑ה כִּי־שָׁ֝֗וְא תִּהְיֶ֥ה תְמוּרָתֹֽו׃

Do not let him put credence in vanity, He has been deceived, For vanity is his exchange.

32 בְּֽלֹא־יֹ֭ומֹו תִּמָּלֵ֑א וְ֝כִפָּתֹ֗ו לֹ֣א רַעֲנָֽנָה׃

It is not completed in his day, And his bending branch is not green.

33 יַחְמֹ֣ס כַּגֶּ֣פֶן בִּסְרֹ֑ו וְיַשְׁלֵ֥ךְ כַּ֝זַּ֗יִת נִצָּתֹֽו׃

He shakes off his unripe fruit as a vine, And casts off his blossom as an olive.

34 כִּֽי־עֲדַ֣ת חָנֵ֣ף גַּלְמ֑וּד וְ֝אֵ֗שׁ אָכְלָ֥ה אָֽהֳלֵי־שֹֽׁחַד׃

For the company of the profane [is] barren, And fire has consumed tents of bribery.

35 הָרֹ֣ה עָ֭מָל וְיָ֣לֹד אָ֑וֶן וּ֝בִטְנָ֗ם תָּכִ֥ין מִרְמָֽה׃ ס

To conceive misery, and to bear iniquity, Even their heart prepares deceit.”