< אִיּוֹב 4 >
וַ֭יַּעַן אֱלִיפַ֥ז הַֽתֵּימָנִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ | 1 |
Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
הֲנִסָּ֬ה דָבָ֣ר אֵלֶ֣יךָ תִּלְאֶ֑ה וַעְצֹ֥ר בְּ֝מִלִּ֗ין מִ֣י יוּכָֽל׃ | 2 |
“If one ventures a word with you, will you be wearied? Yet who can keep from speaking?
הִ֭נֵּה יִסַּ֣רְתָּ רַבִּ֑ים וְיָדַ֖יִם רָפֹ֣ות תְּחַזֵּֽק׃ | 3 |
Surely you have instructed many, and have strengthened their feeble hands.
כֹּ֖ושֵׁל יְקִימ֣וּן מִלֶּ֑יךָ וּבִרְכַּ֖יִם כֹּרְעֹ֣ות תְּאַמֵּֽץ׃ | 4 |
Your words have steadied those who stumbled; you have braced the knees that were buckling.
כִּ֤י עַתָּ֨ה ׀ תָּבֹ֣וא אֵלֶ֣יךָ וַתֵּ֑לֶא תִּגַּ֥ע עָ֝דֶ֗יךָ וַתִּבָּהֵֽל׃ | 5 |
But now trouble has come upon you, and you are weary. It strikes you, and you are dismayed.
הֲלֹ֣א יִ֭רְאָתְךָ כִּסְלָתֶ֑ךָ תִּ֝קְוָתְךָ֗ וְתֹ֣ם דְּרָכֶֽיךָ׃ | 6 |
Is your reverence not your confidence, and the uprightness of your ways your hope?
זְכָר־נָ֗א מִ֤י ה֣וּא נָקִ֣י אָבָ֑ד וְ֝אֵיפֹ֗ה יְשָׁרִ֥ים נִכְחָֽדוּ׃ | 7 |
Consider now, I plead: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Or where have the upright been destroyed?
כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר רָ֭אִיתִי חֹ֣רְשֵׁי אָ֑וֶן וְזֹרְעֵ֖י עָמָ֣ל יִקְצְרֻֽהוּ׃ | 8 |
As I have observed, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble reap the same.
מִנִּשְׁמַ֣ת אֱלֹ֣והַ יֹאבֵ֑דוּ וּמֵר֖וּחַ אַפֹּ֣ו יִכְלֽוּ׃ | 9 |
By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of His anger they are consumed.
שַׁאֲגַ֣ת אַ֭רְיֵה וְקֹ֣ול שָׁ֑חַל וְשִׁנֵּ֖י כְפִירִ֣ים נִתָּֽעוּ׃ | 10 |
The lion may roar, and the fierce lion may growl, yet the teeth of the young lions are broken.
לַ֭יִשׁ אֹבֵ֣ד מִבְּלִי־טָ֑רֶף וּבְנֵ֥י לָ֝בִ֗יא יִתְפָּרָֽדוּ׃ | 11 |
The old lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
וְ֭אֵלַי דָּבָ֣ר יְגֻנָּ֑ב וַתִּקַּ֥ח אָ֝זְנִ֗י שֵׁ֣מֶץ מֽ͏ֶנְהֽוּ׃ | 12 |
Now a word came to me secretly; my ears caught a whisper of it.
בִּ֭שְׂעִפִּים מֵחֶזְיֹנֹ֣ות לָ֑יְלָה בִּנְפֹ֥ל תַּ֝רְדֵּמָ֗ה עַל־אֲנָשִֽׁים׃ | 13 |
In disquieting visions in the night, when deep sleep falls on men,
פַּ֣חַד קְ֭רָאַנִי וּרְעָדָ֑ה וְרֹ֖ב עַצְמֹותַ֣י הִפְחִֽיד׃ | 14 |
fear and trembling came over me and made all my bones shudder.
וְ֭רוּחַ עַל־פָּנַ֣י יַחֲלֹ֑ף תְּ֝סַמֵּ֗ר שַֽׂעֲרַ֥ת בְּשָׂרִֽי׃ | 15 |
Then a spirit glided past my face, and the hair on my body bristled.
יַעֲמֹ֤ד ׀ וְֽלֹא־אַכִּ֬יר מַרְאֵ֗הוּ תְּ֭מוּנָה לְנֶ֣גֶד עֵינָ֑י דְּמָמָ֖ה וָקֹ֣ול אֶשְׁמָֽע׃ | 16 |
It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; a form loomed before my eyes, and I heard a whispering voice:
הַֽ֭אֱנֹושׁ מֵאֱלֹ֣והַ יִצְדָּ֑ק אִ֥ם מֵ֝עֹשֵׂ֗הוּ יִטְהַר־גָּֽבֶר׃ | 17 |
‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God, or a man more pure than his Maker?
הֵ֣ן בַּ֭עֲבָדָיו לֹ֣א יַאֲמִ֑ין וּ֝בְמַלְאָכָ֗יו יָשִׂ֥ים תָּהֳלָֽה׃ | 18 |
If God puts no trust in His servants, and He charges His angels with error,
אַ֤ף ׀ שֹׁכְנֵ֬י בָֽתֵּי־חֹ֗מֶר אֲשֶׁר־בֶּעָפָ֥ר יְסֹודָ֑ם יְ֝דַכְּא֗וּם לִפְנֵי־עָֽשׁ׃ | 19 |
how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who can be crushed like a moth!
מִבֹּ֣קֶר לָעֶ֣רֶב יֻכַּ֑תּוּ מִבְּלִ֥י מֵ֝שִׂ֗ים לָנֶ֥צַח יֹאבֵֽדוּ׃ | 20 |
They are smashed to pieces from dawn to dusk; unnoticed, they perish forever.
הֲלֹא־נִסַּ֣ע יִתְרָ֣ם בָּ֑ם יָ֝מ֗וּתוּ וְלֹ֣א בְחָכְמָֽה׃ | 21 |
Are not their tent cords pulled up, so that they die without wisdom?’