איוב 4

1 וַיַּעַן אֱלִיפַז הַֽתֵּימָנִי וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

2 הֲנִסָּה דָבָר אֵלֶיךָ תִּלְאֶה וַעְצֹר בְּמִלִּין מִי יוּכָֽל׃

[If] we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking?

3 הִנֵּה יִסַּרְתָּ רַבִּים וְיָדַיִם רָפוֹת תְּחַזֵּֽק׃

Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.

4 כּוֹשֵׁל יְקִימוּן מִלֶּיךָ וּבִרְכַּיִם כֹּרְעוֹת תְּאַמֵּֽץ׃

Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.

5 כִּי עַתָּה ׀ תָּבוֹא אֵלֶיךָ וַתֵּלֶא תִּגַּע עָדֶיךָ וַתִּבָּהֵֽל׃

But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

6 הֲלֹא יִרְאָתְךָ כִּסְלָתֶךָ תִּקְוָתְךָ וְתֹם דְּרָכֶֽיךָ׃

[Is] not [this] thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?

7 זְכָר־נָא מִי הוּא נָקִי אָבָד וְאֵיפֹה יְשָׁרִים נִכְחָֽדוּ׃

Remember, I pray thee, who [ever] perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?

8 כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי חֹרְשֵׁי אָוֶן וְזֹרְעֵי עָמָל יִקְצְרֻֽהוּ׃

Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.

9 מִנִּשְׁמַת אֱלוֹהַ יֹאבֵדוּ וּמֵרוּחַ אַפּוֹ יִכְלֽוּ׃

By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.

10 שַׁאֲגַת אַרְיֵה וְקוֹל שָׁחַל וְשִׁנֵּי כְפִירִים נִתָּֽעוּ׃

The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.

11 לַיִשׁ אֹבֵד מִבְּלִי־טָרֶף וּבְנֵי לָבִיא יִתְפָּרָֽדוּ׃

The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion’s whelps are scattered abroad.

12 וְאֵלַי דָּבָר יְגֻנָּב וַתִּקַּח אָזְנִי שֵׁמֶץ מֽ͏ֶנְהֽוּ׃

Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof.

13 בִּשְׂעִפִּים מֵחֶזְיֹנוֹת לָיְלָה בִּנְפֹל תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל־אֲנָשִֽׁים׃

In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,

14 פַּחַד קְרָאַנִי וּרְעָדָה וְרֹב עַצְמוֹתַי הִפְחִֽיד׃

Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.

15 וְרוּחַ עַל־פָּנַי יַחֲלֹף תְּסַמֵּר שַֽׂעֲרַת בְּשָׂרִֽי׃

Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up:

16 יַעֲמֹד ׀ וְֽלֹא־אַכִּיר מַרְאֵהוּ תְּמוּנָה לְנֶגֶד עֵינָי דְּמָמָה וָקוֹל אֶשְׁמָֽע׃

It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image [was] before mine eyes, [there was] silence, and I heard a voice, [saying],

17 הַֽאֱנוֹשׁ מֵאֱלוֹהַ יִצְדָּק אִם מֵעֹשֵׂהוּ יִטְהַר־גָּֽבֶר׃

Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?

18 הֵן בַּעֲבָדָיו לֹא יַאֲמִין וּבְמַלְאָכָיו יָשִׂים תָּהֳלָֽה׃

Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:

19 אַף ׀ שֹׁכְנֵי בָֽתֵּי־חֹמֶר אֲשֶׁר־בֶּעָפָר יְסוֹדָם יְדַכְּאוּם לִפְנֵי־עָֽשׁ׃

How much less [in] them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation [is] in the dust, [which] are crushed before the moth?

20 מִבֹּקֶר לָעֶרֶב יֻכַּתּוּ מִבְּלִי מֵשִׂים לָנֶצַח יֹאבֵֽדוּ׃

They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding [it].

21 הֲלֹא־נִסַּע יִתְרָם בָּם יָמוּתוּ וְלֹא בְחָכְמָֽה׃

Doth not their excellency [which is] in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.