אִיּוֹב 22

1 וַ֭יַּעַן אֱלִיפַ֥ז הַֽתֵּמָנִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then responded Eliphaz the Temanite, and said: —

2 הַלְאֵ֥ל יִסְכָּן־גָּ֑בֶר כִּֽי־יִסְכֹּ֖ן עָלֵ֣ימוֹ מַשְׂכִּֽיל׃

Unto GOD, can a man act as friend? Surely a discreet man befriendeth himself!

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

Is it a pleasure to the Almighty, that thou shouldst be righteous? or any profit, that thou shouldst be blameless in thy ways?

4 הֲֽ֭מִיִּרְאָ֣תְךָ יֹכִיחֶ֑ךָ יָב֥וֹא עִ֝מְּךָ֗ בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

Is it, for thy reverence, that he will accuse thee? will enter with thee into judgment?

5 הֲלֹ֣א רָעָֽתְךָ֣ רַבָּ֑ה וְאֵֽין־קֵ֝֗ץ לַעֲוֺנֹתֶֽיךָ׃

Is not, thy wickedness, great? and, without end, [are not] thine iniquities?

6 כִּֽי־תַחְבֹּ֣ל אַחֶ֣יךָ חִנָּ֑ם וּבִגְדֵ֖י עֲרוּמִּ֣ים תַּפְשִֽׁיט׃

Surely then hast been wont to put thy brother in pledge, for nothing, and, the garments of the ill-clad, hast thou stripped off:

7 לֹא־מַ֭יִם עָיֵ֣ף תַּשְׁקֶ֑ה וּ֝מֵרָעֵ֗ב תִּֽמְנַֽע־לָֽחֶם ׃

No water—to the weary, hast thou given to drink, and, from the hungry, thou hast withheld bread:

8 וְאִ֣ישׁ זְ֭רוֹעַ ל֣וֹ הָאָ֑רֶץ וּנְשׂ֥וּא פָ֝נִ֗ים יֵ֣שֶׁב בָּֽהּ׃

A man of might, to him, pertaineth the land, and, the favorite, dwelleth therein:

9 אַ֭לְמָנוֹת שִׁלַּ֣חְתָּ רֵיקָ֑ם וּזְרֹע֖וֹת יְתֹמִ֣ים יְדֻכָּֽא׃

Widows, thou hast sent away empty, and, the arms of the fatherless, thou dost crush.

10 עַל־כֵּ֭ן סְבִיבוֹתֶ֣יךָ פַחִ֑ים וִֽ֝יבַהֶלְךָ פַּ֣חַד פִּתְאֹֽם׃

For this cause, round about thee, are snares, and a dread startleth thee suddenly;

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

Or darkness—thou canst not see, and, a flood of waters, covereth thee.

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

Is not, GOD, [in] the height of the heavens? Behold, then, the head of the stars, that they are high.

13 וְֽ֭אָמַרְתָּ מַה־יָּ֣דַֽע אֵ֑ל הַבְעַ֖ד עֲרָפֶ֣ל יִשְׁפּֽוֹט׃

Wilt thou say then, What doth GOD know? Out through a thick cloud, can he judge?

14 עָבִ֣ים סֵֽתֶר־ל֭וֹ וְלֹ֣א יִרְאֶ֑ה וְח֥וּג שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם יִתְהַלָּֽךְ׃

Dark clouds, are a veil to him, and he cannot see, or, the vault of the heavens, doth he walk?

15 הַאֹ֣רַח עוֹלָ֣ם תִּשְׁמֹ֑ר אֲשֶׁ֖ר דָּרְכ֣וּ מְתֵי־אָֽוֶן׃

The path of the ancient time, wilt thou mark, which the men of iniquity trod?

16 אֲשֶֽׁר־קֻמְּט֥וּ וְלֹא־עֵ֑ת נָ֝הָ֗ר יוּצַ֥ק יְסוֹדָֽם׃

Who were snatched away before the time, and, a stream, washed away their foundation?

17 הָאֹמְרִ֣ים לָ֭אֵל ס֣וּר מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וּמַה־יִּפְעַ֖ל שַׁדַּ֣י לָֽמוֹ׃

Who had been saying unto GOD, Depart from us! and—What can the Almighty do for himself?

18 וְה֤וּא מִלֵּ֣א בָתֵּיהֶ֣ם ט֑וֹב וַעֲצַ֥ת רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים רָ֣חֲקָה מֶֽנִּי׃

Yet, he, had filled their houses with good! The counsel of the lawless, then, is far from me:

19 יִרְא֣וּ צַדִּיקִ֣ים וְיִשְׂמָ֑חוּ וְ֝נָקִ֗י יִלְעַג־לָֽמוֹ׃

The righteous shall see and rejoice, and, the innocent, shall laugh them to scorn:

20 אִם־לֹ֣א נִכְחַ֣ד קִימָ֑נוּ וְ֝יִתְרָ֗ם אָ֣כְלָה אֵֽשׁ׃

If our assailants do not vanish, then, their abundance, a fire consumeth!

21 הַסְכֶּן־נָ֣א עִמּ֑וֹ וּשְׁלם בָּ֝הֶ֗ם תְּֽבוֹאַתְךָ֥ טוֹבָֽה׃

Shew thyself to be one with him—I pray thee—and prosper, thereby, shall there come on thee blessing.

22 קַח־נָ֣א מִפִּ֣יו תּוֹרָ֑ה וְשִׂ֥ים אֲ֝מָרָ֗יו בִּלְבָבֶֽךָ׃

Accept, I beseech thee, from his mouth—instruction, —and lay up his sayings in thy heart.

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

If thou return unto the Almighty and submit thyself, if thou far remove perversity from thy tent,

24 וְשִׁית־עַל־עָפָ֥ר בָּ֑צֶר וּבְצ֖וּר נְחָלִ֣ים אוֹפִֽיר׃

Then lay up, in the dust, precious ore, and, among the stones of the torrent-beds, fine gold:

25 וְהָיָ֣ה שַׁדַּ֣י בְּצָרֶ֑יךָ וְכֶ֖סֶף תּוֹעָפ֣וֹת לָֽךְ׃

So shall, the Almighty, become, thy precious ores, yea glittering silver unto thee!

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

For, then, in the Almighty, shalt thou take exquisite delight, and shalt lift up—unto GOD—thy face;

27 תַּעְתִּ֣יר אֵ֭לָיו וְיִשְׁמָעֶ֑ךָּ וּנְדָרֶ֥יךָ תְשַׁלֵּֽם׃

Thou shalt make entreaty unto him, and he will hear thee, and, thy vows, shalt thou pay;

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

And thou shalt decree a purpose, and it shall be fulfilled unto thee, and, upon thy ways, shall have shone a light;

29 כִּֽי־הִ֭שְׁפִּילוּ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר גֵּוָ֑ה וְשַׁ֖ח עֵינַ֣יִם יוֹשִֽׁעַ׃

When men cast themselves down, then thou shalt say: Up! And, him that is of downcast eyes, shall he save;

30 יְֽמַלֵּ֥ט אִֽי־נָקִ֑י וְ֝נִמְלַ֗ט בְּבֹ֣ר כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃ פ

He shall deliver the innocent, and thou shalt escape by the pureness of thy hands.