אִיּוֹב 22

1 וַ֭יַּעַן אֱלִיפַ֥ז הַֽתֵּמָנִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:

2 הַלְאֵ֥ל יִסְכָּן־גָּ֑בֶר כִּֽי־יִסְכֹּ֖ן עָלֵ֣ימוֹ מַשְׂכִּֽיל׃

Can a man be profitable unto God? Or can he that is wise be profitable unto Him?

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

Is it any advantage to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? Or is it gain to Him, that thou makest thy ways blameless?

4 הֲֽ֭מִיִּרְאָ֣תְךָ יֹכִיחֶ֑ךָ יָב֥וֹא עִ֝מְּךָ֗ בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

Is it for thy fear of Him that He reproveth thee, that He entereth with thee into judgment?

5 הֲלֹ֣א רָעָֽתְךָ֣ רַבָּ֑ה וְאֵֽין־קֵ֝֗ץ לַעֲוֹנֹתֶֽיךָ׃

Is not thy wickedness great? And are not thine iniquities without end?

6 כִּֽי־תַחְבֹּ֣ל אַחֶ֣יךָ חִנָּ֑ם וּבִגְדֵ֖י עֲרוּמִּ֣ים תַּפְשִֽׁיט׃

For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother 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 thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.

8 וְאִ֣ישׁ זְ֭רוֹעַ ל֣וֹ הָאָ֑רֶץ וּנְשׂ֥וּא פָ֝נִ֗ים יֵ֣שֶׁב בָּֽהּ׃

And as a mighty man, who hath the earth, and as a man of rank, who dwelleth in it,

9 אַ֭לְמָנוֹת שִׁלַּ֣חְתָּ רֵיקָ֑ם וּזְרֹע֖וֹת יְתֹמִ֣ים יְדֻכָּֽא׃

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

10 עַל־כֵּ֭ן סְבִיבוֹתֶ֣יךָ פַחִ֑ים וִֽ֝יבַהֶלְךָ פַּ֣חַד פִּתְאֹֽם׃

Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden dread affrighted thee,

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

Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and abundance of waters cover thee.

12 הֲֽלֹא־אֱ֭לוֹהַּ גֹּ֣בַהּ שָׁמָ֑יִם וּרְאֵ֤ה רֹ֖אשׁ כּוֹכָבִ֣ים כִּי־רָֽמּוּ׃

Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the topmost of the stars, how high they are!

13 וְֽ֭אָמַרְתָּ מַה־יָּ֣דַֽע אֵ֑ל הַבְעַ֖ד עֲרָפֶ֣ל יִשְׁפּֽוֹט׃

And thou sayest: 'What doth God know? Can He judge through the dark cloud?

14 עָבִ֣ים סֵֽתֶר־ל֭וֹ וְלֹ֣א יִרְאֶ֑ה וְח֥וּג שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם יִתְהַלָּֽךְ׃

Thick clouds are a covering to Him, that He seeth not; and He walketh in the circuit of heaven.'

15 הַאֹ֣רַח עוֹלָ֣ם תִּשְׁמֹ֑ר אֲשֶׁ֖ר דָּרְכ֣וּ מְתֵי־אָֽוֶן׃

Wilt thou keep the old way which wicked men have trodden?

16 אֲשֶֽׁר־קֻמְּט֥וּ וְלֹא־עֵ֑ת נָ֝הָ֗ר יוּצַ֥ק יְסוֹדָֽם׃

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

17 הָאֹמְרִ֣ים לָ֭אֵל ס֣וּר מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וּמַה־יִּפְעַ֖ל שַׁדַּ֣י לָֽמוֹ׃

Who said unto God: 'Depart from us'; and what could the Almighty do unto them?

18 וְה֤וּא מִלֵּ֣א בָתֵּיהֶ֣ם ט֑וֹב 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־לָֽמוֹ׃

The righteous saw it, and were glad, and the innocent laugh them to scorn:

20 אִם־לֹ֣א נִכְחַ֣ד קִימָ֑נוּ וְ֝יִתְרָ֗ם אָ֣כְלָה אֵֽשׁ׃

'Surely their substance is cut off, and their abundance the fire hath consumed.'

21 הַסְכֶּן־נָ֣א עִמּ֑וֹ וּשְׁלם בָּ֝הֶ֗ם תְּֽבוֹאַתְךָ֥ טוֹבָֽה׃

Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace; thereby shall thine increase be good.

22 קַח־נָ֣א מִפִּ֣יו תּוֹרָ֑ה וְשִׂ֥ים אֲ֝מָרָ֗יו בִּלְבָבֶֽךָ׃

Receive, I pray thee, instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in thy heart.

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

If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up — if thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents,

24 וְשִׁית־עַל־עָפָ֥ר בָּ֑צֶר וּבְצ֖וּר נְחָלִ֣ים אוֹפִֽיר׃

And lay thy treasure in the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks;

25 וְהָיָ֣ה שַׁדַּ֣י בְּצָרֶ֑יךָ וְכֶ֖סֶף תּוֹעָפ֣וֹת לָֽךְ׃

And the Almighty be thy treasure, and precious silver unto thee;

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

Then surely shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.

27 תַּעְתִּ֣יר אֵ֭לָיו וְיִשְׁמָעֶ֑ךָּ וּנְדָרֶ֥יךָ תְשַׁלֵּֽם׃

Thou shalt make thy prayer unto Him, and He will hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows;

28 וְֽתִגְזַר־א֭וֹמֶר וְיָ֣קָם לָ֑ךְ וְעַל־דְּ֝רָכֶ֗יךָ נָ֣גַֽהּ אֽוֹר׃

Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee, and light shall shine upon thy ways.

29 כִּֽי־הִ֭שְׁפִּילוּ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר גֵּוָ֑ה וְשַׁ֖ח עֵינַ֣יִם יוֹשִֽׁעַ׃

When they cast thee down, thou shalt say: 'There is lifting up'; for the humble person He saveth.

30 יְֽמַלֵּ֥ט אִֽי־נָקִ֑י וְ֝נִמְלַ֗ט בְּבֹ֣ר כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃ פ

He delivereth him that is innocent, yea, thou shalt be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands.