איוב 4

1 וַיַּעַן אֱלִיפַז הַֽתֵּימָנִי וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then spake Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:

2 הֲנִסָּה דָבָר אֵלֶיךָ תִּלְאֶה וַעְצֹר בְּמִלִּין מִי יוּכָֽל׃

If one attempt a word with thee, wilt thou be offended? But who can refrain from speaking?

3 הִנֵּה יִסַּרְתָּ רַבִּים וְיָדַיִם רָפוֹת תְּחַזֵּֽק׃

Behold, thou hast admonished many; Thou hast strengthened feeble hands;

4 כּוֹשֵׁל יְקִימוּן מִלֶּיךָ וּבִרְכַּיִם כֹּרְעוֹת תְּאַמֵּֽץ׃

Thy words have upheld him that was falling, And thou hast given strength to 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 confounded!

6 הֲלֹא יִרְאָתְךָ כִּסְלָתֶךָ תִּקְוָתְךָ וְתֹם דְּרָכֶֽיךָ׃

Is not thy fear of God thy hope, And the uprightness of thy ways thy confidence?

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

Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished being innocent? Or where have the righteous been cut off?

8 כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי חֹרְשֵׁי אָוֶן וְזֹרְעֵי עָמָל יִקְצְרֻֽהוּ׃

According to what I have seen, they who plough iniquity, And sow mischief, reap the same.

9 מִנִּשְׁמַת אֱלוֹהַ יֹאבֵדוּ וּמֵרוּחַ אַפּוֹ יִכְלֽוּ׃

By the blast of God they perish, And by the breath of his nostrils they are 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 fierce lion perisheth for lack of prey, And the whelps of the lioness are scattered abroad.

12 וְאֵלַי דָּבָר יְגֻנָּב וַתִּקַּח אָזְנִי שֵׁמֶץ מֽ͏ֶנְהֽוּ׃

A word was once secretly brought to me, And mine ear caught a whisper thereof.

13 בִּשְׂעִפִּים מֵחֶזְיֹנוֹת לָיְלָה בִּנְפֹל תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל־אֲנָשִֽׁים׃

Amid thoughts from visions of the night, When deep sleep falleth upon men,

14 פַּחַד קְרָאַנִי וּרְעָדָה וְרֹב עַצְמוֹתַי הִפְחִֽיד׃

A fear and a horror came upon me, 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 rose on end;

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

It stood still, but its form I could not discern; An image was before mine eyes; There was silence, and I heard a voice:

17 הַֽאֱנוֹשׁ מֵאֱלוֹהַ יִצְדָּק אִם מֵעֹשֵׂהוּ יִטְהַר־גָּֽבֶר׃

“Shall mortal man be more just than God? Shall man be more pure than his Maker?

18 הֵן בַּעֲבָדָיו לֹא יַאֲמִין וּבְמַלְאָכָיו יָשִׂים תָּהֳלָֽה׃

Behold, he putteth no trust in his ministering spirits, And his angels he chargeth with frailty.

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

What then are they who dwell in houses of clay, Whose foundation is in the dust, Who crumble to pieces, as if moth-eaten!

20 מִבֹּקֶר לָעֶרֶב יֻכַּתּוּ מִבְּלִי מֵשִׂים לָנֶצַח יֹאבֵֽדוּ׃

Between morning and evening are they destroyed; They perish for ever, and none regardeth it.

21 הֲלֹא־נִסַּע יִתְרָם בָּם יָמוּתוּ וְלֹא בְחָכְמָֽה׃

The excellency that is in them is torn away; They die before they have become wise.”