1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: --

1 וַ֭יַּעַן אֱלִיפַ֥ז הַֽתֵּימָנִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

2 Doth a wise man answer `with' vain knowledge? And fill `with' an east wind his belly?

2 הֶֽחָכָ֗ם יַעֲנֶ֥ה דַֽעַת־ר֑וּחַ וִֽימַלֵּ֖א קָדִ֣ים בִּטְנֹֽו׃

3 To reason with a word not useful? And speeches -- no profit in them?

3 הֹוכֵ֣חַ בְּ֭דָבָר לֹ֣א יִסְכֹּ֑ון וּ֝מִלִּ֗ים לֹא־יֹועִ֥יל בָּֽם׃

4 Yea, thou dost make reverence void, And dost diminish meditation before God.

4 אַף־אַ֭תָּה תָּפֵ֣ר יִרְאָ֑ה וְתִגְרַ֥ע יחָ֗ה לִפְנֵי־אֵֽל׃

5 For thy mouth teacheth thine iniquity, And thou chooseth the tongue of the subtile.

5 כִּ֤י יְאַלֵּ֣ף עֲוֹנְךָ֣ פִ֑יךָ וְ֝תִבְחַ֗ר לְשֹׁ֣ון עֲרוּמִֽים׃

6 Thy mouth declareth thee wicked, and not I, And thy lips testify against thee.

6 יַרְשִֽׁיעֲךָ֣ פִ֣יךָ וְלֹא־אָ֑נִי וּ֝שְׂפָתֶ֗יךָ יַעֲנוּ־בָֽךְ׃

7 The first man art thou born? And before the heights wast thou formed?

7 הֲרִאישֹׁ֣ון אָ֭דָם תִּוָּלֵ֑ד וְלִפְנֵ֖י גְבָעֹ֣ות חֹולָֽלְתָּ׃

8 Of the secret counsel of God dost thou hear? And withdrawest thou unto thee wisdom?

8 הַבְסֹ֣וד אֱלֹ֣והַ תִּשְׁמָ֑ע וְתִגְרַ֖ע אֵלֶ֣יךָ חָכְמָֽה׃

9 What hast thou known, and we know not? Understandest thou -- and it is not with us?

9 מַה־יָּ֭דַעְתָּ וְלֹ֣א נֵדָ֑ע תָּ֝בִ֗ין וְֽלֹא־עִמָּ֥נוּ הֽוּא׃

10 Both the gray-headed And the very aged `are' among us -- Greater than thy father `in' days.

10 גַּם־שָׂ֣ב גַּם־יָשִׁ֣ישׁ בָּ֑נוּ כַּבִּ֖יר מֵאָבִ֣יךָ יָמִֽים׃

11 Too few for thee are the comforts of God? And a gentle word `is' with thee,

11 הַמְעַ֣ט מִ֭מְּךָ תַּנְחֻמֹ֣ות אֵ֑ל וְ֝דָבָ֗ר לָאַ֥ט עִמָּֽךְ׃

12 What -- doth thine heart take thee away? And what -- are thine eyes high?

12 מַה־יִּקָּחֲךָ֥ לִבֶּ֑ךָ וּֽמַה־יִּרְזְמ֥וּן עֵינֶֽיךָ׃

13 For thou turnest against God thy spirit? And hast brought out words from thy mouth:

13 כִּֽי־תָשִׁ֣יב אֶל־אֵ֣ל רוּחֶ֑ךָ וְהֹצֵ֖אתָ מִפִּ֣יךָ מִלִּֽין׃

14 What `is' man that he is pure, And that he is righteous, one born of woman?

14 מָֽה־אֱנֹ֥ושׁ כִּֽי־יִזְכֶּ֑ה וְכִֽי־יִ֝צְדַּ֗ק יְל֣וּד אִשָּֽׁה׃

15 Lo, in His holy ones He putteth no credence, And the heavens have not been pure in His eyes.

15 הֵ֣ן בִּקְדֹשֹׁו בִּ֭קְדֹשָׁיו לֹ֣א יַאֲמִ֑ין וְ֝שָׁמַ֗יִם לֹא־זַכּ֥וּ בְעֵינָֽיו׃

16 Also -- surely abominable and filthy Is man drinking as water perverseness.

16 אַ֭ף כִּֽי־נִתְעָ֥ב וְֽנֶאֱלָ֑ח אִישׁ־שֹׁתֶ֖ה כַמַּ֣יִם עַוְלָֽה׃

17 I shew thee -- hearken to me -- And this I have seen and declare:

17 אֲחַוְךָ֥³ שְֽׁמַֽע־לִ֑י וְזֶֽה־חָ֝זִ֗יתִי וַאֲסַפֵּֽרָה׃

18 Which the wise declare -- And have not hid -- from their fathers.

18 אֲשֶׁר־חֲכָמִ֥ים יַגִּ֑ידוּ וְלֹ֥א כִֽ֝חֲד֗וּ מֵאֲבֹותָֽם׃

19 To them alone was the land given, And a stranger passed not over into their midst:

19 לָהֶ֣ם לְ֭בַדָּם נִתְּנָ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ וְלֹא־עָ֖בַר זָ֣ר בְּתֹוכָֽם׃

20 `All days of the wicked he is paining himself, And few years have been laid up for the terrible one.

20 כָּל־יְמֵ֣י רָ֭שָׁע ה֣וּא מִתְחֹולֵ֑ל וּמִסְפַּ֥ר נִ֗ים נִצְפְּנ֥וּ לֶעָרִֽיץ׃

21 A fearful voice `is' in his ears, In peace doth a destroyer come to him.

21 קֹול־פְּחָדִ֥ים בְּאָזְנָ֑יו בַּ֝שָּׁלֹ֗ום שֹׁודֵ֥ד יְבֹואֶֽנּוּ׃

22 He believeth not to return from darkness, And watched `is' he for the sword.

22 לֹא־יַאֲמִ֣ין וּב מִנִּי־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וְצָפוּ וְצָפ֖וּי ה֣וּא אֱלֵי־חָֽרֶב׃

23 He is wandering for bread -- `Where `is' it?' He hath known that ready at his hand Is a day of darkness.

23 נֹ֘דֵ֤ד ה֣וּא לַלֶּ֣חֶם אַיֵּ֑ה יָדַ֓ע׀ כִּֽי־נָכֹ֖ון בְּיָדֹ֣ו יֹֽום־חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃

24 Terrify him do adversity and distress, They prevail over him As a king ready for a boaster.

24 יְֽ֭בַעֲתֻהוּ צַ֣ר וּמְצוּקָ֑ה תִּ֝תְקְפֵ֗הוּ כְּמֶ֤לֶךְ׀ עָתִ֬יד לַכִּידֹֽור׃

25 For he stretched out against God his hand, And against the Mighty he maketh himself mighty.

25 כִּֽי־נָטָ֣ה אֶל־אֵ֣ל יָדֹ֑ו וְאֶלשַ֝־דַּ֗י יִתְגַּבָּֽר׃

26 He runneth unto Him with a neck, With thick bosses of his shields.

26 יָר֣וּץ אֵלָ֣יו בְּצַוָּ֑אר בַּ֝עֲבִ֗י גַּבֵּ֥י מָֽגִנָּֽיו׃

27 For he hath covered his face with his fat, And maketh vigour over `his' confidence.

27 כִּֽי־כִסָּ֣ה פָנָ֣יו בְּחֶלְבֹּ֑ו וַיַּ֖עַשׂ פִּימָ֣ה עֲלֵי־כָֽסֶל׃

28 And he inhabiteth cities cut off, houses not dwelt in, That have been ready to become heaps.

28 וַיִּשְׁכֹּ֤ון׀ עָ֘רִ֤ים נִכְחָדֹ֗ות בָּ֭תִּים לֹא־יֵ֣שְׁבוּ לָ֑מֹו אֲשֶׁ֖ר הִתְעַתְּד֣וּ לְגַלִּֽים׃

29 He is not rich, nor doth his wealth rise, Nor doth he stretch out on earth their continuance.

29 לֹֽא־יֶ֖עְשַׁר וְלֹא־יָק֣וּם חֵילֹ֑ו וְלֹֽא־יִטֶּ֖ה לָאָ֣רֶץ מִנְלָֽם׃

30 He turneth not aside from darkness, His tender branch doth a flame dry up, And he turneth aside at the breath of His mouth!

30 לֹֽא־יָס֨וּר׀ מִנִּי־חֹ֗שֶׁךְ יֹֽ֭נַקְתֹּו תְּיַבֵּ֣שׁ שַׁלְהָ֑בֶת וְ֝יָס֗וּר בְּר֣וּחַ פִּֽיו׃

31 Let him not put credence in vanity, He hath been deceived, For vanity is his recompence.

31 אַל־יַאֲמֵ֣ן בַּשֹּׁו בַּשָּׁ֣יו נִתְעָ֑ה כִּישָ֝֗־וְא תִּהְיֶ֥ה תְמוּרָתֹֽו׃

32 Not in his day is it completed, And his bending branch is not green.

32 בְּֽלֹא־יֹ֭ומֹו תִּמָּלֵ֑א וְ֝כִפָּתֹ֗ו לֹ֣א רַעֲנָֽנָה׃

33 He shaketh off as a vine his unripe fruit, And casteth off as an olive his blossom.

33 יַחְמֹ֣ס כַּגֶּ֣פֶן בִּסְרֹ֑ו וְיַשְׁלֵ֥ךְ כַּ֝זַּ֗יִת נִצָּתֹֽו׃

34 For the company of the profane `is' gloomy, And fire hath consumed tents of bribery.

34 כִּֽי־עֲדַ֣ת חָנֵ֣ף גַּלְמ֑וּד וְ֝אֵ֗שׁ אָכְלָ֥ה אָֽהֳלֵי־שֹֽׁחַד׃

35 To conceive misery, and to bear iniquity, Even their heart doth prepare deceit.

35 הָרֹ֣ה עָ֭מָל וְיָ֣לֹד³ אָ֑וֶן וּ֝בִטְנָ֗ם תָּכִ֥ין מִרְמָֽה׃