אִיּוֹב 22

1 וַ֭יַּעַן אֱלִיפַ֥ז הַֽתֵּמָנִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then Eliphaz the Themanite responded by saying:

2 הַלְאֵ֥ל יִסְכָּן־גָּ֑בֶר כִּֽי־יִסְכֹּ֖ן עָלֵ֣ימֹו מַשְׂכִּֽיל׃

Can man be compared with God, even if he were perfect in knowledge?

3 הַחֵ֣פֶץ לְ֭שַׁדַּי כִּ֣י תִצְדָּ֑ק וְאִם־בֶּ֝֗צַע כִּֽי־תַתֵּ֥ם דְּרָכֶֽיךָ׃

What advantage is it to God, if you were just? Or what do you provide for him, if your way should be immaculate?

4 הֲ֭‌ֽמִיִּרְאָ֣תְךָ יֹכִיחֶ֑ךָ יָבֹ֥וא עִ֝מְּךָ֗ בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

Will he reprove you and take you to judgment for being afraid,

5 הֲלֹ֣א רָעָֽתְךָ֣ רַבָּ֑ה וְאֵֽין־קֵ֝֗ץ לַעֲוֹנֹתֶֽיךָ׃

and not because of your many evil deeds and your infinite unfairness?

6 כִּֽי־תַחְבֹּ֣ל אַחֶ֣יךָ חִנָּ֑ם וּבִגְדֵ֖י עֲרוּמִּ֣ים תַּפְשִֽׁיט׃

For you have taken away the collateral of your brothers without cause, and stripped them naked of their clothing.

7 לֹא־מַ֭יִם עָיֵ֣ף תַּשְׁקֶ֑ה וּ֝מֵרָעֵ֗ב תִּֽמְנַֽע־לָֽחֶם׃

You have not given water to the weary; you have taken bread away from the hungry.

8 וְאִ֣ישׁ זְ֭רֹועַ לֹ֣ו הָאָ֑רֶץ וּנְשׂ֥וּא פָ֝נִ֗ים יֵ֣שֶׁב בָּֽהּ׃

By the strength of your arm, you took possession of the land, and you retain it by being the strongest.

9 אַ֭לְמָנֹות שִׁלַּ֣חְתָּ רֵיקָ֑ם וּזְרֹעֹ֖ות יְתֹמִ֣ים יְדֻכָּֽא׃

You have sent widows away empty, and you have crushed the shoulders of orphans.

10 עַל־כֵּ֭ן סְבִיבֹותֶ֣יךָ פַחִ֑ים וִֽ֝יבַהֶלְךָ פַּ֣חַד פִּתְאֹֽם׃

Because of this, you are surrounded by traps, and unexpected fears will disturb you.

11 אֹו־חֹ֥שֶׁךְ לֹֽא־תִרְאֶ֑ה וְֽשִׁפְעַת־מַ֥יִם תְּכַסֶּֽךָּ׃

And did you think that you would not see darkness and that you were not to be overwhelmed by the onrush of overflowing waters?

12 הֲ‍ֽלֹא־אֱ֭לֹוהַּ גֹּ֣בַהּ שָׁמָ֑יִם וּרְאֵ֤ה רֹ֖אשׁ כֹּוכָבִ֣ים כִּי־רָֽמּוּ׃

Have you not considered that God is higher than the heavens and is lifted above the height of the stars?

13 וְֽ֭אָמַרְתָּ מַה־יָּ֣דַֽע אֵ֑ל הַבְעַ֖ד עֲרָפֶ֣ל יִשְׁפֹּֽוט׃

And you say: “Well, what does God know?” and, “He judges, as if through a fog,”

14 עָבִ֣ים סֵֽתֶר־לֹ֖ו וְלֹ֣א יִרְאֶ֑ה וְח֥וּג שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם יִתְהַלָּֽךְ׃

and, “The clouds are his hiding-place,” and, “He does not examine us closely,” and, “He makes his rounds at the limits of the heavens.”

15 הַאֹ֣רַח עֹולָ֣ם תִּשְׁמֹ֑ר אֲשֶׁ֖ר דָּרְכ֣וּ מְתֵי־אָֽוֶן׃

Do you not want to tend the path of the ages, which wicked men have spurned?

16 אֲשֶֽׁר־קֻמְּט֥וּ וְלֹא־עֵ֑ת נָ֝הָ֗ר יוּצַ֥ק יְסֹודָֽם׃

These were taken away before their time, and a flood overthrew their foundation.

17 הָאֹמְרִ֣ים לָ֭אֵל ס֣וּר מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וּמַה־יִּפְעַ֖ל שַׁדַּ֣י לָֽמֹו׃

They said to God, “Withdraw from us,” and they treated the Almighty as if he could do nothing,

18 וְה֤וּא מִלֵּ֣א בָתֵּיהֶ֣ם טֹ֑וב וַעֲצַ֥ת רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים רָ֣חֲקָה מֶֽנִּי׃

though he had filled their houses with good things. May their way of thinking be far from me.

19 יִרְא֣וּ צַדִּיקִ֣ים וְיִשְׂמָ֑חוּ וְ֝נָקִ֗י יִלְעַג־לָֽמֹו׃

The just will see and will rejoice, and the innocent will mock them.

20 אִם־לֹ֣א נִכְחַ֣ד קִימָ֑נוּ וְ֝יִתְרָ֗ם אָ֣כְלָה אֵֽשׁ׃

Has not their haughtiness been cut down, and has not fire devoured the remnants of them?

21 הַסְכֶּן־נָ֣א עִמֹּ֑ו וּשְׁלם בָּ֝הֶ֗ם תְּֽבֹואַתְךָ֥ טֹובָֽה׃

So, repose yourself with him and be at peace, and, in this way, you will have the best fruits.

22 קַח־נָ֣א מִפִּ֣יו תֹּורָ֑ה וְשִׂ֥ים אֲ֝מָרָ֗יו בִּלְבָבֶֽךָ׃

Accept the law from his mouth, and place his words in your heart.

23 אִם־תָּשׁ֣וּב עַד־שַׁ֭דַּי תִּבָּנֶ֑ה תַּרְחִ֥יק עַ֝וְלָ֗ה מֵאָהֳלֶֽךָ׃

If you will return to the Almighty, you will be rebuilt, and you will put sinfulness far from your tabernacle.

24 וְשִׁית־עַל־עָפָ֥ר בָּ֑צֶר וּבְצ֖וּר נְחָלִ֣ים אֹופִֽיר׃

He will give you stone in place of dirt, and torrents of gold in place of stone.

25 וְהָיָ֣ה שַׁדַּ֣י בְּצָרֶ֑יךָ וְכֶ֖סֶף תֹּועָפֹ֣ות לָֽךְ׃

And the Almighty will be against your enemies, and silver will be gathered together for you.

26 כִּי־אָ֭ז עַל־שַׁדַּ֣י תִּתְעַנָּ֑ג וְתִשָּׂ֖א אֶל־אֱלֹ֣והַּ פָּנֶֽיךָ׃

Then will you flock together in delight over the Almighty, and you will lift up your face to God.

27 תַּעְתִּ֣יר אֵ֭לָיו וְיִשְׁמָעֶ֑ךָּ וּנְדָרֶ֥יךָ תְשַׁלֵּֽם׃

You will plead with him, and he will listen to you, and you will pay your vows.

28 וְֽתִגְזַר־אֹ֖ומֶר וְיָ֣קָם לָ֑ךְ וְעַל־דְּ֝רָכֶ֗יךָ נָ֣גַֽהּ אֹֽור׃

You will decide on something, and it will come to you, and the light will shine in your ways.

29 כִּֽי־הִ֭שְׁפִּילוּ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר גֵּוָ֑ה וְשַׁ֖ח עֵינַ֣יִם יֹושִֽׁעַ׃

For he who had been humbled, will be in glory; and he who will lower his eyes, will be the one saved.

30 יֽ͏ְמַלֵּ֥ט אִֽי־נָקִ֑י וְ֝נִמְלַ֗ט בְּבֹ֣ר כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃ פ

The innocent will be saved, and he will be saved with purity in his hands.