אִיּוֹב 22

1 וַ֭יַּעַן אֱלִיפַ֥ז הַֽתֵּמָנִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then answered Eliphaz the Themanite, and said,

2 הַלְאֵ֥ל יִסְכָּן־גָּ֑בֶר כִּֽי־יִסְכֹּ֖ן עָלֵ֣ימֹו מַשְׂכִּֽיל׃

Can a man be serviceable unto God? Truly the intelligent is serviceable unto himself.

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

Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? or is it any gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?

4 הֲ֭‌ֽמִיִּרְאָ֣תְךָ יֹכִיחֶ֑ךָ יָבֹ֥וא עִ֝מְּךָ֗ בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

Is it out of fear of thee that he will reproach thee? or go with thee into judgment?

5 הֲלֹ֣א רָעָֽתְךָ֣ רַבָּ֑ה וְאֵֽין־קֵ֝֗ץ לַעֲוֹנֹתֶֽיךָ׃

Is not thy evil great? and no end to thy iniquities?

6 כִּֽי־תַחְבֹּ֣ל אַחֶ֣יךָ חִנָּ֑ם וּבִגְדֵ֖י עֲרוּמִּ֣ים תַּפְשִֽׁיט׃

For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brothers for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

7 לֹא־מַ֭יִם עָיֵ֣ף תַּשְׁקֶ֑ה וּ֝מֵרָעֵ֗ב תִּֽמְנַֽע־לָֽחֶם׃

Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and from the hungry thou hast withholden bread.

8 וְאִ֣ישׁ זְ֭רֹועַ לֹ֣ו הָאָ֑רֶץ וּנְשׂ֥וּא פָ֝נִ֗ים יֵ֣שֶׁב בָּֽהּ׃

But as for the man of a strong arm, he obtained the land, and the highly honored could dwell therein.

9 אַ֭לְמָנֹות שִׁלַּ֣חְתָּ רֵיקָ֑ם וּזְרֹעֹ֖ות יְתֹמִ֣ים יְדֻכָּֽא׃

Widows hast thou sent away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

10 עַל־כֵּ֭ן סְבִיבֹותֶ֣יךָ פַחִ֑ים וִֽ֝יבַהֶלְךָ פַּ֣חַד פִּתְאֹֽם׃

Therefore are snares round about thee, and sudden dread terrifieth thee.

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

Or seest thou not the darkness? and the abundance of water which covereth thee?

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

Is not God in the height of heaven? and beholding the highest elevation of the stars, however high they are?

13 וְֽ֭אָמַרְתָּ מַה־יָּ֣דַֽע אֵ֑ל הַבְעַ֖ד עֲרָפֶ֣ל יִשְׁפֹּֽוט׃

But thou sayest, “What doth God know? can he judge behind the darkness?

14 עָבִ֣ים סֵֽתֶר־לֹ֖ו וְלֹ֣א יִרְאֶ֑ה וְח֥וּג שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם יִתְהַלָּֽךְ׃

Thick clouds are a covering for him, so that he will not see; and he walketh along on the circle of heaven.”

15 הַאֹ֣רַח עֹולָ֣ם תִּשְׁמֹ֑ר אֲשֶׁ֖ר דָּרְכ֣וּ מְתֵי־אָֽוֶן׃

Wilt thou [thus] observe the path of ancient times which the men of injustice have trodden?

16 אֲשֶֽׁר־קֻמְּט֥וּ וְלֹא־עֵ֑ת נָ֝הָ֗ר יוּצַ֥ק יְסֹודָֽם׃

Who were shrivelled up before their time, whose foundation was flooded away like a river;

17 הָאֹמְרִ֣ים לָ֭אֵל ס֣וּר מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וּמַה־יִּפְעַ֖ל שַׁדַּ֣י לָֽמֹו׃

Who said unto God, “'Depart from us:” and what wrought the Almighty for them?

18 וְה֤וּא מִלֵּ֣א בָתֵּיהֶ֣ם טֹ֑וב וַעֲצַ֥ת רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים רָ֣חֲקָה מֶֽנִּי׃

And yet it was he that filled their houses with good things; but the counsel of the wicked be [still] far from me.

19 יִרְא֣וּ צַדִּיקִ֣ים וְיִשְׂמָ֑חוּ וְ֝נָקִ֗י יִלְעַג־לָֽמֹו׃

The righteous will see it, and be glad; and the innocent will laugh them to scorn.

20 אִם־לֹ֣א נִכְחַ֣ד קִימָ֑נוּ וְ֝יִתְרָ֗ם אָ֣כְלָה אֵֽשׁ׃

“Is not he destroyed that rose up against us, and hath not the fire consumed what they had left?”

21 הַסְכֶּן־נָ֣א עִמֹּ֑ו וּשְׁלם בָּ֝הֶ֗ם תְּֽבֹואַתְךָ֥ טֹובָֽה׃

Do but become acquainted with him, and be at peace: thereby will happiness come unto thee.

22 קַח־נָ֣א מִפִּ֣יו תֹּורָ֑ה וְשִׂ֥ים אֲ֝מָרָ֗יו בִּלְבָבֶֽךָ׃

Do but accept instruction from his mouth, and lay up his saying in thy heart.

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

If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, so thou wilt but remove wrong-doing far away from thy tents.

24 וְשִׁית־עַל־עָפָ֥ר בָּ֑צֶר וּבְצ֖וּר נְחָלִ֣ים אֹופִֽיר׃

And throw down in the dust precious metals, and [the gold of] Ophir to the stones of the brooks:

25 וְהָיָ֣ה שַׁדַּ֣י בְּצָרֶ֑יךָ וְכֶ֖סֶף תֹּועָפֹ֣ות לָֽךְ׃

Then will the Almighty be thy precious metal, and brightly-shining silver unto thee.

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

For then wilt thou have in the Almighty thy delight, and thou canst lift up unto God thy face.

27 תַּעְתִּ֣יר אֵ֭לָיו וְיִשְׁמָעֶ֑ךָּ וּנְדָרֶ֥יךָ תְשַׁלֵּֽם׃

Thou wilt make entreaty unto him, and he will hear thee, and thy vows wilt thou pay.

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

And if thou decree a thing, it will be fulfilled unto thee; and upon thy ways the light will shine.

29 כִּֽי־הִ֭שְׁפִּילוּ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר גֵּוָ֑ה וְשַׁ֖ח עֵינַ֣יִם יֹושִֽׁעַ׃

For when men are brought low, thou wilt say, Pride [hath done it]; but those of lowly eyes [God] will help.

30 יֽ͏ְמַלֵּ֥ט אִֽי־נָקִ֑י וְ֝נִמְלַ֗ט בְּבֹ֣ר כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃ פ

He will even deliver him who is not guiltless: and thou wilt be delivered by the purity of thy hands.