איוב 22
| ויען אליפז התמני ויאמר׃ | 1 |
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
| הלאל יסכן גבר כי יסכן עלימו משכיל׃ | 2 |
“Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
| החפץ לשדי כי תצדק ואם בצע כי תתם דרכיך׃ | 3 |
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or does it benefit him that you make your ways perfect?
| המיראתך יכיחך יבוא עמך במשפט׃ | 4 |
Is it for your piety that he reproves you, that he enters with you into judgment?
| הלא רעתך רבה ואין קץ לעונתיך׃ | 5 |
Isn’t your wickedness great? Neither is there any end to your iniquities.
| כי תחבל אחיך חנם ובגדי ערומים תפשיט׃ | 6 |
For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
| לא מים עיף תשקה ומרעב תמנע לחם׃ | 7 |
You haven’t given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
| ואיש זרוע לו הארץ ונשוא פנים ישב בה׃ | 8 |
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honorable man, he lived in it.
| אלמנות שלחת ריקם וזרעות יתמים ידכא׃ | 9 |
You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
| על כן סביבותיך פחים ויבהלך פחד פתאם׃ | 10 |
Therefore snares are around you. Sudden fear troubles you,
| או חשך לא תראה ושפעת מים תכסך׃ | 11 |
or darkness, so that you can not see, and floods of waters cover you.
| הלא אלוה גבה שמים וראה ראש כוכבים כי רמו׃ | 12 |
“Isn’t God in the heights of heaven? See the height of the stars, how high they are!
| ואמרת מה ידע אל הבעד ערפל ישפוט׃ | 13 |
You say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?
| עבים סתר לו ולא יראה וחוג שמים יתהלך׃ | 14 |
Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he doesn’t see. He walks on the vault of the sky.’
| הארח עולם תשמר אשר דרכו מתי און׃ | 15 |
Will you keep the old way, which wicked men have trodden,
| אשר קמטו ולא עת נהר יוצק יסודם׃ | 16 |
who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream,
| האמרים לאל סור ממנו ומה יפעל שדי למו׃ | 17 |
who said to God, ‘Depart from us!’ and, ‘What can the Almighty do for us?’
| והוא מלא בתיהם טוב ועצת רשעים רחקה מני׃ | 18 |
Yet he filled their houses with good things, but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
| יראו צדיקים וישמחו ונקי ילעג למו׃ | 19 |
The righteous see it, and are glad. The innocent ridicule them,
| אם לא נכחד קימנו ויתרם אכלה אש׃ | 20 |
saying, ‘Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed their remnant.’
| הסכן נא עמו ושלם בהם תבואתך טובה׃ | 21 |
“Acquaint yourself with him now, and be at peace. By it, good will come to you.
| קח נא מפיו תורה ושים אמריו בלבבך׃ | 22 |
Please receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.
| אם תשוב עד שדי תבנה תרחיק עולה מאהלך׃ | 23 |
If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up, if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents.
| ושית על עפר בצר ובצור נחלים אופיר׃ | 24 |
Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
| והיה שדי בצריך וכסף תועפות לך׃ | 25 |
The Almighty will be your treasure, and precious silver to you.
| כי אז על שדי תתענג ותשא אל אלוה פניך׃ | 26 |
For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and will lift up your face to God.
| תעתיר אליו וישמעך ונדריך תשלם׃ | 27 |
You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You will pay your vows.
| ותגזר אומר ויקם לך ועל דרכיך נגה אור׃ | 28 |
You will also decree a thing, and it will be established to you. Light will shine on your ways.
| כי השפילו ותאמר גוה ושח עינים יושע׃ | 29 |
When they cast down, you will say, ‘be lifted up.’ He will save the humble person.
| ימלט אי נקי ונמלט בבר כפיך׃ | 30 |
He will even deliver him who is not innocent. Yes, he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”
