וַ֭יַּעַן אֱלִיפַ֥ז הַֽתֵּמָנִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ Eliphaz the Temanite said in reply:
הַלְאֵ֥ל יִסְכׇּן־גָּ֑בֶר כִּֽי־יִסְכֹּ֖ן עָלֵ֣ימוֹ מַשְׂכִּֽיל׃ Can a man be of use to God,
A wise man benefit Him?
הַחֵ֣פֶץ לְ֭שַׁדַּי כִּ֣י תִצְדָּ֑ק וְאִם־בֶּ֝֗צַע כִּֽי־תַתֵּ֥ם דְּרָכֶֽיךָ׃ Does Shaddai gain if you are righteous?
Does He profit if your conduct is blameless?
הֲֽ֭מִיִּרְאָ֣תְךָ יֹכִיחֶ֑ךָ יָב֥וֹא עִ֝מְּךָ֗ בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃ Is it because of your piety that He arraigns you,
And enters into judgment with you?
הֲלֹ֣א רָעָֽתְךָ֣ רַבָּ֑ה וְאֵֽין־קֵ֝֗ץ לַעֲוֺנֹתֶֽיךָ׃ You know that your wickedness is great,
And that your iniquities have no limit.
כִּֽי־תַחְבֹּ֣ל אַחֶ֣יךָ חִנָּ֑ם וּבִגְדֵ֖י עֲרוּמִּ֣ים תַּפְשִֽׁיט׃ You exact pledges from your fellows without reason,
And leave them naked, stripped of their clothes;
לֹא־מַ֭יִם עָיֵ֣ף תַּשְׁקֶ֑ה וּ֝מֵרָעֵ֗ב תִּֽמְנַֽע־לָֽחֶם׃ You do not give the thirsty water to drink;
You deny bread to the hungry.
וְאִ֣ישׁ זְ֭רוֹעַ ל֣וֹ הָאָ֑רֶץ וּנְשׂ֥וּא פָ֝נִ֗ים יֵ֣שֶׁב בָּֽהּ׃ The land belongs to the strong;
The privileged occupy it.
אַ֭לְמָנוֹת שִׁלַּ֣חְתָּ רֵיקָ֑ם וּזְרֹע֖וֹת יְתֹמִ֣ים יְדֻכָּֽא׃ You have sent away widows empty-handed;
The strength of the fatherless is broken.
עַל־כֵּ֭ן סְבִיבוֹתֶ֣יךָ פַחִ֑ים וִ֝יבַהֶלְךָ֗ פַּ֣חַד פִּתְאֹֽם׃ Therefore snares are all around you,
And sudden terrors frighten you,
אוֹ־חֹ֥שֶׁךְ לֹֽא־תִרְאֶ֑ה וְֽשִׁפְעַת־מַ֥יִם תְּכַסֶּֽךָּ׃ Or darkness, so you cannot see;
A flood of waters covers you.
הֲֽלֹא־אֱ֭לוֹהַּ גֹּ֣בַהּ שָׁמָ֑יִם וּרְאֵ֤ה רֹ֖אשׁ כּוֹכָבִ֣ים כִּי־רָֽמּוּ׃ God is in the heavenly heights;
See the highest stars, how lofty!
וְֽ֭אָמַרְתָּ מַה־יָּ֣דַֽע אֵ֑ל הַבְעַ֖ד עֲרָפֶ֣ל יִשְׁפּֽוֹט׃ You say, “What can God know?
Can He govern through the dense cloud?
עָבִ֣ים סֵֽתֶר־ל֭וֹ וְלֹ֣א יִרְאֶ֑ה וְח֥וּג שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם יִתְהַלָּֽךְ׃ The clouds screen Him so He cannot see
As He moves about the circuit of heaven.”
הַאֹ֣רַח עוֹלָ֣ם תִּשְׁמ֑וֹר אֲשֶׁ֖ר דָּרְכ֣וּ מְתֵי־אָֽוֶן׃ Have you observed the immemorial path
That evil men have trodden;
אֲשֶֽׁר־קֻמְּט֥וּ וְלֹא־עֵ֑ת נָ֝הָ֗ר יוּצַ֥ק יְסוֹדָֽם׃ How they were shriveled up before their time
And their foundation poured out like a river?
הָאֹמְרִ֣ים לָ֭אֵל ס֣וּר מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וּמַה־יִּפְעַ֖ל שַׁדַּ֣י לָֽמוֹ׃ They said to God, “Leave us alone;
What can Shaddai do about it?”
וְה֤וּא מִלֵּ֣א בָתֵּיהֶ֣ם ט֑וֹב וַעֲצַ֥ת רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים רָ֣חֲקָה מֶֽנִּי׃ But it was He who filled their houses with good things.
(The thoughts of the wicked are beyond me!)
יִרְא֣וּ צַדִּיקִ֣ים וְיִשְׂמָ֑חוּ וְ֝נָקִ֗י יִלְעַג־לָֽמוֹ׃ The righteous, seeing it,aReferring to v. 16. rejoiced;
The innocent laughed with scorn.
אִם־לֹ֣א נִכְחַ֣ד קִימָ֑נוּ וְ֝יִתְרָ֗ם אָ֣כְלָה אֵֽשׁ׃ Surely their substance was destroyed,
And their remnant consumed by fire.
הַסְכֶּן־נָ֣א עִמּ֣וֹ וּשְׁלָ֑ם בָּ֝הֶ֗ם תְּֽבוֹאַתְךָ֥ טוֹבָֽה׃ Be close to Him and wholehearted;
Good things will come to you thereby.
קַח־נָ֣א מִפִּ֣יו תּוֹרָ֑ה וְשִׂ֥ים אֲ֝מָרָ֗יו בִּלְבָבֶֽךָ׃ Accept instruction from His mouth;
Lay up His words in your heart.
אִם־תָּשׁ֣וּב עַד־שַׁ֭דַּי תִּבָּנֶ֑ה תַּרְחִ֥יק עַ֝וְלָ֗ה מֵאׇהֳלֶֽךָ׃ If you return to Shaddai you will be restored,
If you banish iniquity from your tent;
וְשִׁית־עַל־עָפָ֥ר בָּ֑צֶר וּכְצ֖וּר נְחָלִ֣ים אוֹפִֽיר׃ If you regard treasure as dirt,
Ophir-gold as stones of the wadi,
וְהָיָ֣ה שַׁדַּ֣י בְּצָרֶ֑יךָ וְכֶ֖סֶף תּוֹעָפ֣וֹת לָֽךְ׃ And Shaddai be your treasure
And precious silver for you,
כִּי־אָ֭ז עַל־שַׁדַּ֣י תִּתְעַנָּ֑ג וְתִשָּׂ֖א אֶל־אֱל֣וֹהַּ פָּנֶֽיךָ׃ When you seek the favor of Shaddai,
And lift up your face to God,
תַּעְתִּ֣יר אֵ֭לָיו וְיִשְׁמָעֶ֑ךָּ וּנְדָרֶ֥יךָ תְשַׁלֵּֽם׃ You will pray to Him, and He will listen to you,
And you will pay your vows.
וְֽתִגְזַר־אֹ֭מֶר וְיָ֣קׇם לָ֑ךְ וְעַל־דְּ֝רָכֶ֗יךָ נָ֣גַהּ אֽוֹר׃ You will decree and it will be fulfilled,
And light will shine upon your affairs.
כִּֽי־הִ֭שְׁפִּילוּ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר גֵּוָ֑ה וְשַׁ֖ח עֵינַ֣יִם יוֹשִֽׁעַ׃ When others sink low, you will say it is pride;
For He saves the humble.
יְמַלֵּ֥ט אִֽי־נָקִ֑י וְ֝נִמְלַ֗ט בְּבֹ֣ר כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃ {פ}
He will deliver the guilty;
He will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.