Tanach · Writings

Job 15/איוב ט״ו

אוַ֭יַּעַן אֱלִיפַ֥ז הַֽתֵּימָנִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

1Eliphaz the Temanite said in reply:

בהֶחָכָ֗ם יַעֲנֶ֥ה דַעַת־ר֑וּחַ וִימַלֵּ֖א קָדִ֣ים בִּטְנֽוֹ׃

2Does a wise man answer with windy opinions,And fill his belly with the east wind?

גהוֹכֵ֣חַ בְּ֭דָבָר לֹ֣א יִסְכּ֑וֹן וּ֝מִלִּ֗ים לֹא־יוֹעִ֥יל בָּֽם׃

3Should he argue with useless talk,With words that are of no worth?

דאַף־אַ֭תָּה תָּפֵ֣ר יִרְאָ֑ה וְתִגְרַ֥ע שִׂ֝יחָ֗ה לִפְנֵי־אֵֽל׃

4You subvert pietyAnd restrain prayer to God.

הכִּ֤י יְאַלֵּ֣ף עֲוֺנְךָ֣ פִ֑יךָ וְ֝תִבְחַ֗ר לְשׁ֣וֹן עֲרוּמִֽים׃

5Your sinfulness dictates your speech,So you choose crafty language.

ויַרְשִׁיעֲךָ֣ פִ֣יךָ וְלֹא־אָ֑נִי וּ֝שְׂפָתֶ֗יךָ יַעֲנוּ־בָֽךְ׃

6Your own mouth condemns you—not I;Your lips testify against you.

זהֲרִאישׁ֣וֹן אָ֭דָם תִּוָּלֵ֑ד וְלִפְנֵ֖י גְבָע֣וֹת חוֹלָֽלְתָּ׃

7Were you the first human born?Were you created before the hills?

חהַבְס֣וֹד אֱל֣וֹהַּ תִּשְׁמָ֑ע וְתִגְרַ֖ע אֵלֶ֣יךָ חׇכְמָֽה׃

8Have you listened in on the council of God?Have you sole possession of wisdom?

טמַה־יָּ֭דַעְתָּ וְלֹ֣א נֵדָ֑ע תָּ֝בִ֗ין וְֽלֹא־עִמָּ֥נוּ הֽוּא׃

9What do you know that we do not know,Or understand that we do not?

יגַּם־שָׂ֣ב גַּם־יָשִׁ֣ישׁ בָּ֑נוּ כַּבִּ֖יר מֵאָבִ֣יךָ יָמִֽים׃

10Among us are gray-haired aged men,Older by far than your father.

יאהַמְעַ֣ט מִ֭מְּךָ תַּנְחוּמ֣וֹת אֵ֑ל וְ֝דָבָ֗ר לָאַ֥ט עִמָּֽךְ׃

11Are God’s consolations not enough for you,And those gentle words to you?

יבמַה־יִּקָּחֲךָ֥ לִבֶּ֑ךָ וּֽמַה־יִּרְזְמ֥וּן עֵינֶֽיךָ׃

12How your heart has carried you away,How your eyes have failed^a you,

יגכִּֽי־תָשִׁ֣יב אֶל־אֵ֣ל רוּחֶ֑ךָ וְהֹצֵ֖אתָ מִפִּ֣יךָ מִלִּֽין׃

13That you could vent your anger on God,And let such words out of your mouth!

ידמָה־אֱנ֥וֹשׁ כִּֽי־יִזְכֶּ֑ה וְכִי־יִ֝צְדַּ֗ק יְל֣וּד אִשָּֽׁה׃

14What are mortals that they can be cleared of guilt,Those born of woman, that they be in the right?

טוהֵ֣ן בִּ֭קְדֹשָׁו לֹ֣א יַאֲמִ֑ין וְ֝שָׁמַ֗יִם לֹא־זַכּ֥וּ בְעֵינָֽיו׃

15[God] puts no trust in the holy ones;The heavens are not guiltless in God’s sight;

טזאַ֭ף כִּי־נִתְעָ֥ב וְֽנֶאֱלָ֑ח אִישׁ־שֹׁתֶ֖ה כַמַּ֣יִם עַוְלָֽה׃

16What then of those loathsome and foul,The ones^b who drink wrongdoing like water!

יזאֲחַוְךָ֥ שְֽׁמַֽע־לִ֑י וְזֶֽה־חָ֝זִ֗יתִי וַאֲסַפֵּֽרָה׃

17I will hold forth; listen to me;What I have seen, I will declare—

יחאֲשֶׁר־חֲכָמִ֥ים יַגִּ֑ידוּ וְלֹ֥א כִ֝חֲד֗וּ מֵאֲבוֹתָֽם׃

18That which the wise have transmitted from their ancestors,And have not withheld,

יטלָהֶ֣ם לְ֭בַדָּם נִתְּנָ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ וְלֹא־עָ֖בַר זָ֣ר בְּתוֹכָֽם׃

19To whom alone the land was given,No stranger passing among them:

ככׇּל־יְמֵ֣י רָ֭שָׁע ה֣וּא מִתְחוֹלֵ֑ל וּמִסְפַּ֥ר שָׁ֝נִ֗ים נִצְפְּנ֥וּ לֶעָרִֽיץ׃

20The wicked man writhes in torment all his days;Few years are reserved for the ruthless.

כאקוֹל־פְּחָדִ֥ים בְּאׇזְנָ֑יו בַּ֝שָּׁל֗וֹם שׁוֹדֵ֥ד יְבוֹאֶֽנּוּ׃

21Frightening sounds fill his ears;When he is at ease a robber falls upon him.

כבלֹא־יַאֲמִ֣ין שׁ֭וּב מִנִּי־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ (וצפו) [וְצָפ֖וּי] ה֣וּא אֱלֵי־חָֽרֶב׃

22He is never sure he will come back from the dark;A sword stares him in the face.

כגנֹ֘דֵ֤ד ה֣וּא לַלֶּ֣חֶם אַיֵּ֑ה יָדַ֓ע׀ כִּי־נָכ֖וֹן בְּיָד֣וֹ יֽוֹם־חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃

23He wanders about for bread—where is it?He knows that the day of darkness has been readied for him.

כדיְֽ֭בַעֲתֻהוּ צַ֣ר וּמְצוּקָ֑ה תִּ֝תְקְפֵ֗הוּ כְּמֶ֤לֶךְ׀ עָתִ֬יד לַכִּידֽוֹר׃

24Troubles terrify him, anxiety overpowers him,Like a king expecting a siege.^c

כהכִּֽי־נָטָ֣ה אֶל־אֵ֣ל יָד֑וֹ וְאֶל־שַׁ֝דַּ֗י יִתְגַּבָּֽר׃

25For he has raised his arm against GodAnd played the hero against the Almighty.

כויָר֣וּץ אֵלָ֣יו בְּצַוָּ֑אר בַּ֝עֲבִ֗י גַּבֵּ֥י מָגִנָּֽיו׃

26He runs at [God] defiantly^d With his thickly bossed shield.

כזכִּֽי־כִסָּ֣ה פָנָ֣יו בְּחֶלְבּ֑וֹ וַיַּ֖עַשׂ פִּימָ֣ה עֲלֵי־כָֽסֶל׃

27His face is covered with fatAnd his loins with blubber.^e

כחוַיִּשְׁכּ֤וֹן׀ עָ֘רִ֤ים נִכְחָד֗וֹת בָּ֭תִּים לֹא־יֵ֣שְׁבוּ לָ֑מוֹ אֲשֶׁ֖ר הִתְעַתְּד֣וּ לְגַלִּֽים׃

28He dwells in cities doomed to ruin,In houses that shall not be lived in,That are destined to become heaps of rubble.

כטלֹֽא־יֶ֭עְשַׁר וְלֹא־יָק֣וּם חֵיל֑וֹ וְלֹא־יִטֶּ֖ה לָאָ֣רֶץ מִנְלָֽם׃

29He will not be rich;His wealth will not endure;His produce shall not bend to the earth.^f

ללֹֽא־יָס֨וּר׀ מִנִּי־חֹ֗שֶׁךְ יֹ֭נַקְתּוֹ תְּיַבֵּ֣שׁ שַׁלְהָ֑בֶת וְ֝יָס֗וּר בְּר֣וּחַ פִּֽיו׃

30He will never get away from the darkness;Flames will sear his shoots;He will pass away by the breath of God’s mouth.

לאאַל־יַאֲמֵ֣ן בַּשָּׁ֣ו נִתְעָ֑ה כִּי־שָׁ֝֗וְא תִּהְיֶ֥ה תְמוּרָתֽוֹ׃

31He will not be trusted;He will be misled by falsehood,And falsehood will be his recompense.^g

לבבְּֽלֹא־י֭וֹמוֹ תִּמָּלֵ֑א וְ֝כִפָּת֗וֹ לֹ֣א רַעֲנָֽנָה׃

32He will wither before his time,His boughs never having flourished.

לגיַחְמֹ֣ס כַּגֶּ֣פֶן בִּסְר֑וֹ וְיַשְׁלֵ֥ךְ כַּ֝זַּ֗יִת נִצָּתֽוֹ׃

33He will drop his unripe grapes like a vine;He will shed his blossoms like an olive tree.

לדכִּֽי־עֲדַ֣ת חָנֵ֣ף גַּלְמ֑וּד וְ֝אֵ֗שׁ אָכְלָ֥ה אׇהֳלֵי־שֹֽׁחַד׃

34For the company of the impious is desolate;Fire consumes the tents of the briber;

לההָרֹ֣ה עָ֭מָל וְיָ֣לֹֽד אָ֑וֶן וּ֝בִטְנָ֗ם תָּכִ֥ין מִרְמָֽה׃

35For they have conceived mischief, given birth to evil,And their womb has produced deceit.