The Bible
וַ֭יַּעַן אֱלִיפַ֥ז הַֽתֵּימָנִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
הֶֽחָכָ֗ם יַעֲנֶ֥ה דַֽעַת־ר֑וּחַ וִֽימַלֵּ֖א קָדִ֣ים בִּטְנֽוֹ׃
“Does a wise man answer with empty counsel or fill his belly with the hot east wind?
Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?
הוֹכֵ֣חַ בְּ֭דָבָר לֹ֣א יִסְכּ֑וֹן וּ֝מִלִּ֗ים לֹא־יוֹעִ֥יל בָּֽם׃
Should he argue with useless words or speeches that serve no purpose?
Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?
אַף־אַ֭תָּה תָּפֵ֣ר יִרְאָ֑ה וְתִגְרַ֥ע שִׂ֝יחָ֗ה לִפְנֵי־אֵֽל׃
But you even undermine the fear of God and hinder meditation before Him.
Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God.
כִּ֤י יְאַלֵּ֣ף עֲוֺנְךָ֣ פִ֑יךָ וְ֝תִבְחַ֗ר לְשׁ֣וֹן עֲרוּמִֽים׃
For your iniquity instructs your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
יַרְשִֽׁיעֲךָ֣ פִ֣יךָ וְלֹא־אָ֑נִי וּ֝שְׂפָתֶ֗יךָ יַעֲנוּ־בָֽךְ׃
Your own mouth, not mine, condemns you; your own lips testify against you.
Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.
הֲרִאישׁ֣וֹן אָ֭דָם תִּוָּלֵ֑ד וְלִפְנֵ֖י גְבָע֣וֹת חוֹלָֽלְתָּ׃
Were you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills?
Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills?
הַבְס֣וֹד אֱל֣וֹהַ תִּשְׁמָ֑ע וְתִגְרַ֖ע אֵלֶ֣יךָ חָכְמָֽה׃
Do you listen in on the council of God or limit wisdom to yourself?
Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?
מַה־יָּ֭דַעְתָּ וְלֹ֣א נֵדָ֑ע תָּ֝בִ֗ין וְֽלֹא־עִמָּ֥נוּ הֽוּא׃
What do you know that we do not? What do you understand that is not clear to us?
What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us?
גַּם־שָׂ֣ב גַּם־יָשִׁ֣ישׁ בָּ֑נוּ כַּבִּ֖יר מֵאָבִ֣יךָ יָמִֽים׃
Both the gray-haired and the aged are on our side—men much older than your father.
With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.
הַמְעַ֣ט מִ֭מְּךָ תַּנְחֻמ֣וֹת אֵ֑ל וְ֝דָבָ֗ר לָאַ֥ט עִמָּֽךְ׃
Are the consolations of God not enough for you, even words spoken gently to you?
Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?
מַה־יִּקָּחֲךָ֥ לִבֶּ֑ךָ וּֽמַה־יִּרְזְמ֥וּן עֵינֶֽיךָ׃
Why has your heart carried you away, and why do your eyes flash,
Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at,
כִּֽי־תָשִׁ֣יב אֶל־אֵ֣ל רוּחֶ֑ךָ וְהֹצֵ֖אתָ מִפִּ֣יךָ מִלִּֽין׃
so that you turn your spirit against God and pour such words from your mouth?
That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth?
מָֽה־אֱנ֥וֹשׁ כִּֽי־יִזְכֶּ֑ה וְכִֽי־יִ֝צְדַּ֗ק יְל֣וּד אִשָּֽׁה׃
What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?
What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
הֵ֣ן (בקדשו) [בִּ֭קְדֹשָׁיו] לֹ֣א יַאֲמִ֑ין וְ֝שָׁמַ֗יִם לֹא־זַכּ֥וּ בְעֵינָֽיו׃
If God puts no trust in His holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in His eyes,
Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.
אַ֭ף כִּֽי־נִתְעָ֥ב וְֽנֶאֱלָ֑ח אִישׁ־שֹׁתֶ֖ה כַמַּ֣יִם עַוְלָֽה׃
how much less man, who is vile and corrupt, who drinks injustice like water?
How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?
אֲחַוְךָ֥ שְֽׁמַֽע־לִ֑י וְזֶֽה־חָ֝זִ֗יתִי וַאֲסַפֵּֽרָה׃
Listen to me and I will inform you. I will describe what I have seen,
I will shew thee, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare;
אֲשֶׁר־חֲכָמִ֥ים יַגִּ֑ידוּ וְלֹ֥א כִֽ֝חֲד֗וּ מֵאֲבוֹתָֽם׃
what was declared by wise men and was not concealed from their fathers,
Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it:
לָהֶ֣ם לְ֭בַדָּם נִתְּנָ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ וְלֹא־עָ֖בַר זָ֣ר בְּתוֹכָֽם׃
to whom alone the land was given when no foreigner passed among them.
Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.
כָּל־יְמֵ֣י רָ֭שָׁע ה֣וּא מִתְחוֹלֵ֑ל וּמִסְפַּ֥ר שָׁ֝נִ֗ים נִצְפְּנ֥וּ לֶעָרִֽיץ׃
A wicked man writhes in pain all his days; only a few years are reserved for the ruthless.
The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.
קוֹל־פְּחָדִ֥ים בְּאָזְנָ֑יו בַּ֝שָּׁל֗וֹם שׁוֹדֵ֥ד יְבוֹאֶֽנּוּ׃
Sounds of terror fill his ears; in his prosperity the destroyer attacks him.
A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.
לֹא־יַאֲמִ֣ין שׁ֭וּב מִנִּי־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ (וצפו) [וְצָפ֖וּי] ה֣וּא אֱלֵי־חָֽרֶב׃
He despairs of his return from darkness; he is marked for the sword.
He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.
נֹ֘דֵ֤ד ה֣וּא לַלֶּ֣חֶם אַיֵּ֑ה יָדַ֓ע ׀ כִּֽי־נָכ֖וֹן בְּיָד֣וֹ יֽוֹם־חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃
He wanders about as food for vultures; he knows the day of darkness is at hand.
He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
יְֽ֭בַעֲתֻהוּ צַ֣ר וּמְצוּקָ֑ה תִּ֝תְקְפֵ֗הוּ כְּמֶ֤לֶךְ ׀ עָתִ֬יד לַכִּידֽוֹר׃
Distress and anguish terrify him, overwhelming him like a king poised to attack.
Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
כִּֽי־נָטָ֣ה אֶל־אֵ֣ל יָד֑וֹ וְאֶל־שַׁ֝דַּ֗י יִתְגַּבָּֽר׃
For he has stretched out his hand against God and has vaunted himself against the Almighty,
For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.
יָר֣וּץ אֵלָ֣יו בְּצַוָּ֑אר בַּ֝עֲבִ֗י גַּבֵּ֥י מָֽגִנָּֽיו׃
rushing headlong at Him with a thick, studded shield.
He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:
כִּֽי־כִסָּ֣ה פָנָ֣יו בְּחֶלְבּ֑וֹ וַיַּ֖עַשׂ פִּימָ֣ה עֲלֵי־כָֽסֶל׃
Though his face is covered with fat and his waistline bulges with flesh,
Because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks.
וַיִּשְׁכּ֤וֹן ׀ עָ֘רִ֤ים נִכְחָד֗וֹת בָּ֭תִּים לֹא־יֵ֣שְׁבוּ לָ֑מוֹ אֲשֶׁ֖ר הִתְעַתְּד֣וּ לְגַלִּֽים׃
he will dwell in ruined cities, in abandoned houses destined to become rubble.
And he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps.
לֹֽא־יֶ֭עְשַׁר וְלֹא־יָק֣וּם חֵיל֑וֹ וְלֹֽא־יִטֶּ֖ה לָאָ֣רֶץ מִנְלָֽם׃
He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not overspread the land.
He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.
לֹֽא־יָס֨וּר ׀ מִנִּי־חֹ֗שֶׁךְ יֹֽ֭נַקְתּוֹ תְּיַבֵּ֣שׁ שַׁלְהָ֑בֶת וְ֝יָס֗וּר בְּר֣וּחַ פִּֽיו׃
He will not escape from the darkness; the flame will wither his shoots, and the breath of God’s mouth will carry him away.
He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.
אַל־יַאֲמֵ֣ן (בשו) [בַּשָּׁ֣יו] נִתְעָ֑ה כִּי־שָׁ֝֗וְא תִּהְיֶ֥ה תְמוּרָתֽוֹ׃
Let him not deceive himself with trust in emptiness, for emptiness will be his reward.
Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.
בְּֽלֹא־י֭וֹמוֹ תִּמָּלֵ֑א וְ֝כִפָּת֗וֹ לֹ֣א רַעֲנָֽנָה׃
It will be paid in full before his time, and his branch will not flourish.
It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.
יַחְמֹ֣ס כַּגֶּ֣פֶן בִּסְר֑וֹ וְיַשְׁלֵ֥ךְ כַּ֝זַּ֗יִת נִצָּתֽוֹ׃
He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes, like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms.
He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.
כִּֽי־עֲדַ֣ת חָנֵ֣ף גַּלְמ֑וּד וְ֝אֵ֗שׁ אָכְלָ֥ה אָֽהֳלֵי־שֹֽׁחַד׃
For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.
For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.
הָרֹ֣ה עָ֭מָל וְיָ֣לֹד אָ֑וֶן וּ֝בִטְנָ֗ם תָּכִ֥ין מִרְמָֽה׃
They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb is pregnant with deceit.”
They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.