אִיּוֹב 22

1 וַ֭יַּעַן אֱלִיפַ֥ז הַֽתֵּמָנִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,

2 הַלְאֵ֥ל יִסְכָּן־גָּ֑בֶר כִּֽי־יִסְכֹּ֖ן עָלֵ֣ימֹו מַשְׂכִּֽיל׃

“Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.

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

Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or does it benefit him that you make your ways perfect?

4 הֲ֭‌ֽמִיִּרְאָ֣תְךָ יֹכִיחֶ֑ךָ יָבֹ֥וא עִ֝מְּךָ֗ בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

Is it for your piety that he reproves you, that he enters with you into judgement?

5 הֲלֹ֣א רָעָֽתְךָ֣ רַבָּ֑ה וְאֵֽין־קֵ֝֗ץ לַעֲוֹנֹתֶֽיךָ׃

Isn’t your wickedness great? Neither is there any end to your iniquities.

6 כִּֽי־תַחְבֹּ֣ל אַחֶ֣יךָ חִנָּ֑ם וּבִגְדֵ֖י עֲרוּמִּ֣ים תַּפְשִֽׁיט׃

For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

7 לֹא־מַ֭יִם עָיֵ֣ף תַּשְׁקֶ֑ה וּ֝מֵרָעֵ֗ב תִּֽמְנַֽע־לָֽחֶם׃

You haven’t given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.

8 וְאִ֣ישׁ זְ֭רֹועַ לֹ֣ו הָאָ֑רֶץ וּנְשׂ֥וּא פָ֝נִ֗ים יֵ֣שֶׁב בָּֽהּ׃

But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honourable man, he lived in it.

9 אַ֭לְמָנֹות שִׁלַּ֣חְתָּ רֵיקָ֑ם וּזְרֹעֹ֖ות יְתֹמִ֣ים יְדֻכָּֽא׃

You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

10 עַל־כֵּ֭ן סְבִיבֹותֶ֣יךָ פַחִ֑ים וִֽ֝יבַהֶלְךָ פַּ֣חַד פִּתְאֹֽם׃

Therefore snares are around you. Sudden fear troubles you,

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

or darkness, so that you can not see, and floods of waters cover you.

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

“Isn’t God in the heights of heaven? See the height of the stars, how high they are!

13 וְֽ֭אָמַרְתָּ מַה־יָּ֣דַֽע אֵ֑ל הַבְעַ֖ד עֲרָפֶ֣ל יִשְׁפֹּֽוט׃

You say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?

14 עָבִ֣ים סֵֽתֶר־לֹ֖ו וְלֹ֣א יִרְאֶ֑ה וְח֥וּג שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם יִתְהַלָּֽךְ׃

Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he doesn’t see. He walks on the vault of the sky.’

15 הַאֹ֣רַח עֹולָ֣ם תִּשְׁמֹ֑ר אֲשֶׁ֖ר דָּרְכ֣וּ מְתֵי־אָֽוֶן׃

Will you keep the old way, which wicked men have trodden,

16 אֲשֶֽׁר־קֻמְּט֥וּ וְלֹא־עֵ֑ת נָ֝הָ֗ר יוּצַ֥ק יְסֹודָֽם׃

who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream,

17 הָאֹמְרִ֣ים לָ֭אֵל ס֣וּר מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וּמַה־יִּפְעַ֖ל שַׁדַּ֣י לָֽמֹו׃

who said to God, ‘Depart from us!’ and, ‘What can the Almighty do for us?’

18 וְה֤וּא מִלֵּ֣א בָתֵּיהֶ֣ם טֹ֑וב וַעֲצַ֥ת רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים רָ֣חֲקָה מֶֽנִּי׃

Yet he filled their houses with good things, but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

19 יִרְא֣וּ צַדִּיקִ֣ים וְיִשְׂמָ֑חוּ וְ֝נָקִ֗י יִלְעַג־לָֽמֹו׃

The righteous see it, and are glad. The innocent ridicule them,

20 אִם־לֹ֣א נִכְחַ֣ד קִימָ֑נוּ וְ֝יִתְרָ֗ם אָ֣כְלָה אֵֽשׁ׃

saying, ‘Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed their remnant.’

21 הַסְכֶּן־נָ֣א עִמֹּ֑ו וּשְׁלם בָּ֝הֶ֗ם תְּֽבֹואַתְךָ֥ טֹובָֽה׃

“Acquaint yourself with him now, and be at peace. By it, good will come to you.

22 קַח־נָ֣א מִפִּ֣יו תֹּורָ֑ה וְשִׂ֥ים אֲ֝מָרָ֗יו בִּלְבָבֶֽךָ׃

Please receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.

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

If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up, if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents.

24 וְשִׁית־עַל־עָפָ֥ר בָּ֑צֶר וּבְצ֖וּר נְחָלִ֣ים אֹופִֽיר׃

Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir amongst the stones of the brooks.

25 וְהָיָ֣ה שַׁדַּ֣י בְּצָרֶ֑יךָ וְכֶ֖סֶף תֹּועָפֹ֣ות לָֽךְ׃

The Almighty will be your treasure, and precious silver to you.

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

For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and will lift up your face to God.

27 תַּעְתִּ֣יר אֵ֭לָיו וְיִשְׁמָעֶ֑ךָּ וּנְדָרֶ֥יךָ תְשַׁלֵּֽם׃

You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You will pay your vows.

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

You will also decree a thing, and it will be established to you. Light will shine on your ways.

29 כִּֽי־הִ֭שְׁפִּילוּ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר גֵּוָ֑ה וְשַׁ֖ח עֵינַ֣יִם יֹושִֽׁעַ׃

When they cast down, you will say, ‘be lifted up.’ He will save the humble person.

30 יֽ͏ְמַלֵּ֥ט אִֽי־נָקִ֑י וְ֝נִמְלַ֗ט בְּבֹ֣ר כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃ פ

He will even deliver him who is not innocent. Yes, he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”