< איוב 4 >
וַיַּעַן אֱלִיפַז הַֽתֵּימָנִי וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ | 1 |
Then Eliphaz the Thaemanite answered and said,
הֲנִסָּה דָבָר אֵלֶיךָ תִּלְאֶה וַעְצֹר בְּמִלִּין מִי יוּכָֽל׃ | 2 |
Hast you been often spoken to in distress? but who shall endure the force of your words?
הִנֵּה יִסַּרְתָּ רַבִּים וְיָדַיִם רָפוֹת תְּחַזֵּֽק׃ | 3 |
For whereas you have instructed many, and have strengthened the hands of the weak one,
כּוֹשֵׁל יְקִימוּן מִלֶּיךָ וּבִרְכַּיִם כֹּרְעוֹת תְּאַמֵּֽץ׃ | 4 |
and have supported the failing with words, and have imparted courage to feeble knees.
כִּי עַתָּה ׀ תָּבוֹא אֵלֶיךָ וַתֵּלֶא תִּגַּע עָדֶיךָ וַתִּבָּהֵֽל׃ | 5 |
Yet now [that] pain has come upon you, and touched you, you are troubled.
הֲלֹא יִרְאָתְךָ כִּסְלָתֶךָ תִּקְוָתְךָ וְתֹם דְּרָכֶֽיךָ׃ | 6 |
Is not your fear [founded] in folly, your hope also, and the mischief of your way?
זְכָר־נָא מִי הוּא נָקִי אָבָד וְאֵיפֹה יְשָׁרִים נִכְחָֽדוּ׃ | 7 |
Remember then who has perished, being pure? or when were the true-hearted utterly destroyed?
כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי חֹרְשֵׁי אָוֶן וְזֹרְעֵי עָמָל יִקְצְרֻֽהוּ׃ | 8 |
Accordingly as I have seen men plowing barren places, and they that sow them will reap sorrows for themselves.
מִנִּשְׁמַת אֱלוֹהַ יֹאבֵדוּ וּמֵרוּחַ אַפּוֹ יִכְלֽוּ׃ | 9 |
They shall perish by the command of the Lord, and shall be utterly consumed by the breath of his wrath.
שַׁאֲגַת אַרְיֵה וְקוֹל שָׁחַל וְשִׁנֵּי כְפִירִים נִתָּֽעוּ׃ | 10 |
The strength of the lion, and the voice of the lioness, and the exulting cry of serpents are quenched.
לַיִשׁ אֹבֵד מִבְּלִי־טָרֶף וּבְנֵי לָבִיא יִתְפָּרָֽדוּ׃ | 11 |
The old lion has perished for lack of food, and the lions' whelps have forsaken one another.
וְאֵלַי דָּבָר יְגֻנָּב וַתִּקַּח אָזְנִי שֵׁמֶץ מֽ͏ֶנְהֽוּ׃ | 12 |
But if there had been any truth in your words, none of these evils would have befallen you. Shall not mine ear receive excellent [revelations] from him?
בִּשְׂעִפִּים מֵחֶזְיֹנוֹת לָיְלָה בִּנְפֹל תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל־אֲנָשִֽׁים׃ | 13 |
But [as when] terror falls upon men, with dread and a sound in the night,
פַּחַד קְרָאַנִי וּרְעָדָה וְרֹב עַצְמוֹתַי הִפְחִֽיד׃ | 14 |
horror and trembling seized me, and caused all my bones greatly to shake.
וְרוּחַ עַל־פָּנַי יַחֲלֹף תְּסַמֵּר שַֽׂעֲרַת בְּשָׂרִֽי׃ | 15 |
And a spirit came before my face; and my hair and flesh quivered.
יַעֲמֹד ׀ וְֽלֹא־אַכִּיר מַרְאֵהוּ תְּמוּנָה לְנֶגֶד עֵינָי דְּמָמָה וָקוֹל אֶשְׁמָֽע׃ | 16 |
I arose and perceived it not: I looked, and there, was no form before my eyes: but I only heard a breath and a voice, [saying],
הַֽאֱנוֹשׁ מֵאֱלוֹהַ יִצְדָּק אִם מֵעֹשֵׂהוּ יִטְהַר־גָּֽבֶר׃ | 17 |
What, shall a mortal be pure before the Lord? or a man be blameless in regard to his works?
הֵן בַּעֲבָדָיו לֹא יַאֲמִין וּבְמַלְאָכָיו יָשִׂים תָּהֳלָֽה׃ | 18 |
Whereas he trust not in his servants, and perceives perverseness in his angels.
אַף ׀ שֹׁכְנֵי בָֽתֵּי־חֹמֶר אֲשֶׁר־בֶּעָפָר יְסוֹדָם יְדַכְּאוּם לִפְנֵי־עָֽשׁ׃ | 19 |
But [as for] them that dwell in houses of clay, of whom we also are formed of the same clay, he smites them like a moth.
מִבֹּקֶר לָעֶרֶב יֻכַּתּוּ מִבְּלִי מֵשִׂים לָנֶצַח יֹאבֵֽדוּ׃ | 20 |
And from the morning to evening they no longer exist: they have perished, because they can’t help themselves.
הֲלֹא־נִסַּע יִתְרָם בָּם יָמוּתוּ וְלֹא בְחָכְמָֽה׃ | 21 |
For he blows upon them, and they are withered: they have perished for lack of wisdom.