1ויען אליפז התימני ויאמר׃
1Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
2החכם יענה דעת רוח וימלא קדים בטנו׃
2“Should a wise man answer with vain knowledge, and fill himself with the east wind?
3הוכח בדבר לא יסכון ומלים לא יועיל בם׃
3Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches with which he can do no good?
4אף אתה תפר יראה ותגרע שיחה לפני אל׃
4Yes, you do away with fear, and hinder devotion before God.
5כי יאלף עונך פיך ותבחר לשון ערומים׃
5For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
6ירשיעך פיך ולא אני ושפתיך יענו בך׃
6Your own mouth condemns you, and not I. Yes, your own lips testify against you.
7הראישון אדם תולד ולפני גבעות חוללת׃
7“Are you the first man who was born? Or were you brought forth before the hills?
8הבסוד אלוה תשמע ותגרע אליך חכמה׃
8Have you heard the secret counsel of God? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9מה ידעת ולא נדע תבין ולא עמנו הוא׃
9What do you know, that we don’t know? What do you understand, which is not in us?
10גם שב גם ישיש בנו כביר מאביך ימים׃
10With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, much elder than your father.
11המעט ממך תנחמות אל ודבר לאט עמך׃
11Are the consolations of God too small for you, even the word that is gentle toward you?
12מה יקחך לבך ומה ירזמון עיניך׃
12Why does your heart carry you away? Why do your eyes flash,
13כי תשיב אל אל רוחך והצאת מפיך מלין׃
13That you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of your mouth?
14מה אנוש כי יזכה וכי יצדק ילוד אשה׃
14What is man, that he should be clean? What is he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
15הן בקדשו לא יאמין ושמים לא זכו בעיניו׃
15Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones. Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight;
16אף כי נתעב ונאלח איש שתה כמים עולה׃
16how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!
17אחוך שמע לי וזה חזיתי ואספרה׃
17“I will show you, listen to me; that which I have seen I will declare:
18אשר חכמים יגידו ולא כחדו מאבותם׃
18(Which wise men have told by their fathers, and have not hidden it;
19להם לבדם נתנה הארץ ולא עבר זר בתוכם׃
19to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them):
20כל ימי רשע הוא מתחולל ומספר שנים נצפנו לעריץ׃
20the wicked man writhes in pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.
21קול פחדים באזניו בשלום שודד יבואנו׃
21A sound of terrors is in his ears. In prosperity the destroyer shall come on him.
22לא יאמין שוב מני חשך וצפו הוא אלי חרב׃
22He doesn’t believe that he shall return out of darkness. He is waited for by the sword.
23נדד הוא ללחם איה ידע כי נכון בידו יום חשך׃
23He wanders abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
24יבעתהו צר ומצוקה תתקפהו כמלך עתיד לכידור׃
24Distress and anguish make him afraid. They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
25כי נטה אל אל ידו ואל שדי יתגבר׃
25Because he has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against the Almighty;
26ירוץ אליו בצואר בעבי גבי מגניו׃
26he runs at him with a stiff neck, with the thick shields of his bucklers;
27כי כסה פניו בחלבו ויעש פימה עלי כסל׃
27because he has covered his face with his fatness, and gathered fat on his thighs.
28וישכון ערים נכחדות בתים לא ישבו למו אשר התעתדו לגלים׃
28He has lived in desolate cities, in houses which no one inhabited, which were ready to become heaps.
29לא יעשר ולא יקום חילו ולא יטה לארץ מנלם׃
29He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall their possessions be extended on the earth.
30לא יסור מני חשך ינקתו תיבש שלהבת ויסור ברוח פיו׃
30He shall not depart out of darkness. The flame shall dry up his branches. By the breath of God’s mouth shall he go away.
31אל יאמן בשו נתעה כי שוא תהיה תמורתו׃
31Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself; for emptiness shall be his reward.
32בלא יומו תמלא וכפתו לא רעננה׃
32It shall be accomplished before his time. His branch shall not be green.
33יחמס כגפן בסרו וישלך כזית נצתו׃
33He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive tree.
34כי עדת חנף גלמוד ואש אכלה אהלי שחד׃
34For the company of the godless shall be barren, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery.
35הרה עמל וילד און ובטנם תכין מרמה׃
35They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. Their heart prepares deceit.”