איוב 22

1 וַיַּעַן אֱלִיפַז הַֽתֵּמָנִי וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then answered Eliphaz the Themanite, and said,

2 הַלְאֵל יִסְכָּן־גָּבֶר כִּֽי־יִסְכֹּן עָלֵימוֹ מַשְׂכִּֽיל׃

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

3 הַחֵפֶץ לְשַׁדַּי כִּי תִצְדָּק וְאִם־בֶּצַע כִּֽי־תַתֵּם 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 הֲֽמִיִּרְאָתְךָ יֹכִיחֶךָ יָבוֹא עִמְּךָ בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

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

5 הֲלֹא רָעָֽתְךָ רַבָּה וְאֵֽין־קֵץ לַעֲוֺנֹתֶֽיךָ׃

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

6 כִּֽי־תַחְבֹּל אַחֶיךָ חִנָּם וּבִגְדֵי עֲרוּמִּים תַּפְשִֽׁיט׃

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

7 לֹא־מַיִם עָיֵף תַּשְׁקֶה וּמֵרָעֵב תִּֽמְנַֽע־לָֽחֶם׃

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

8 וְאִישׁ זְרוֹעַ לוֹ הָאָרֶץ וּנְשׂוּא פָנִים יֵשֶׁב בָּֽהּ׃

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

9 אַלְמָנוֹת שִׁלַּחְתָּ רֵיקָם וּזְרֹעוֹת יְתֹמִים יְדֻכָּֽא׃

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

10 עַל־כֵּן סְבִיבוֹתֶיךָ פַחִים וִֽיבַהֶלְךָ פַּחַד פִּתְאֹֽם׃

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

11 אוֹ־חֹשֶׁךְ לֹֽא־תִרְאֶה וְֽשִׁפְעַת־מַיִם תְּכַסֶּֽךָּ׃

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

12 הֲ‍ֽלֹא־אֱלוֹהַּ גֹּבַהּ שָׁמָיִם וּרְאֵה רֹאשׁ כּוֹכָבִים כִּי־רָֽמּוּ׃

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

13 וְֽאָמַרְתָּ מַה־יָּדַֽע אֵל הַבְעַד עֲרָפֶל יִשְׁפּֽוֹט׃

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

14 עָבִים סֵֽתֶר־לוֹ וְלֹא יִרְאֶה וְחוּג שָׁמַיִם יִתְהַלָּֽךְ׃

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

15 הַאֹרַח עוֹלָם תִּשְׁמֹר אֲשֶׁר דָּרְכוּ מְתֵי־אָֽוֶן׃

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

16 אֲשֶֽׁר־קֻמְּטוּ וְלֹא־עֵת נָהָר יוּצַק יְסוֹדָֽם׃

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

17 הָאֹמְרִים לָאֵל סוּר מִמֶּנּוּ וּמַה־יִּפְעַל שַׁדַּי לָֽמוֹ׃

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

18 וְהוּא מִלֵּא בָתֵּיהֶם טוֹב וַעֲצַת רְשָׁעִים רָחֲקָה 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 יִרְאוּ צַדִּיקִים וְיִשְׂמָחוּ וְנָקִי יִלְעַג־לָֽמוֹ׃

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

20 אִם־לֹא נִכְחַד קִימָנוּ וְיִתְרָם אָכְלָה אֵֽשׁ׃

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

21 הַסְכֶּן־נָא עִמּוֹ וּשְׁלם בָּהֶם תְּֽבוֹאַתְךָ טוֹבָֽה׃

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

22 קַח־נָא מִפִּיו תּוֹרָה וְשִׂים אֲמָרָיו בִּלְבָבֶֽךָ׃

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

23 אִם־תָּשׁוּב עַד־שַׁדַּי תִּבָּנֶה תַּרְחִיק עַוְלָה 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־עָפָר בָּצֶר וּבְצוּר נְחָלִים אוֹפִֽיר׃

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

25 וְהָיָה שַׁדַּי בְּצָרֶיךָ וְכֶסֶף תּוֹעָפוֹת לָֽךְ׃

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

26 כִּי־אָז עַל־שַׁדַּי תִּתְעַנָּג וְתִשָּׂא אֶל־אֱלוֹהַּ פָּנֶֽיךָ׃

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

27 תַּעְתִּיר אֵלָיו וְיִשְׁמָעֶךָּ וּנְדָרֶיךָ תְשַׁלֵּֽם׃

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

28 וְֽתִגְזַר־אוֹמֶר וְיָקָם לָךְ וְעַל־דְּרָכֶיךָ נָגַֽהּ אֽוֹר׃

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

29 כִּֽי־הִשְׁפִּילוּ וַתֹּאמֶר גֵּוָה וְשַׁח עֵינַיִם יוֹשִֽׁעַ׃

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

30 יֽ͏ְמַלֵּט אִֽי־נָקִי וְנִמְלַט בְּבֹר כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃

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