Job 22

וַ֭יַּעַן אֱלִיפַ֥ז הַֽתֵּמָנִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

הַלְאֵ֥ל יִסְכָּן־גָּ֑בֶר כִּֽי־יִסְכֹּ֖ן עָלֵ֣ימוֹ מַשְׂכִּֽיל׃

“Can a man be of use to God? Can even a wise man benefit Him?

Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?

הַחֵ֣פֶץ לְ֭שַׁדַּי כִּ֣י תִצְדָּ֑ק וְאִם־בֶּ֝֗צַע כִּֽי־תַתֵּ֥ם דְּרָכֶֽיךָ׃

Does it delight the Almighty that you are righteous? Does He profit if your ways are blameless?

Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?

הֲֽ֭מִיִּרְאָ֣תְךָ יֹכִיחֶ֑ךָ יָב֥וֹא עִ֝מְּךָ֗ בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

Is it for your reverence that He rebukes you and enters into judgment against you?

Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?

הֲלֹ֣א רָעָֽתְךָ֣ רַבָּ֑ה וְאֵֽין־קֵ֝֗ץ לַעֲוֺנֹתֶֽיךָ׃

Is not your wickedness great? Are not your iniquities endless?

Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?

כִּֽי־תַחְבֹּ֣ל אַחֶ֣יךָ חִנָּ֑ם וּבִגְדֵ֖י עֲרוּמִּ֣ים תַּפְשִֽׁיט׃

For you needlessly demanded security from your brothers and deprived the naked of their clothing.

For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

לֹא־מַ֭יִם עָיֵ֣ף תַּשְׁקֶ֑ה וּ֝מֵרָעֵ֗ב תִּֽמְנַֽע־לָֽחֶם׃

You gave no water to the weary and withheld food from the famished,

Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.

וְאִ֣ישׁ זְ֭רוֹעַ ל֣וֹ הָאָ֑רֶץ וּנְשׂ֥וּא פָ֝נִ֗ים יֵ֣שֶׁב בָּֽהּ׃

while the land belonged to a mighty man, and a man of honor lived on it.

But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.

אַ֭לְמָנוֹת שִׁלַּ֣חְתָּ רֵיקָ֑ם וּזְרֹע֖וֹת יְתֹמִ֣ים יְדֻכָּֽא׃

You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.

Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

עַל־כֵּ֭ן סְבִיבוֹתֶ֣יךָ פַחִ֑ים וִֽ֝יבַהֶלְךָ פַּ֣חַד פִּתְאֹֽם׃

Therefore snares surround you, and sudden peril terrifies you;

Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;

אוֹ־חֹ֥שֶׁךְ לֹֽא־תִרְאֶ֑ה וְֽשִׁפְעַת־מַ֥יִם תְּכַסֶּֽךָּ׃

it is so dark you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.

Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.

הֲֽלֹא־אֱ֭לוֹהַּ גֹּ֣בַהּ שָׁמָ֑יִם וּרְאֵ֤ה רֹ֖אשׁ כּוֹכָבִ֣ים כִּי־רָֽמּוּ׃

Is not God as high as the heavens? Look at the highest stars, how lofty they are!

Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!

וְֽ֭אָמַרְתָּ מַה־יָּ֣דַֽע אֵ֑ל הַבְעַ֖ד עֲרָפֶ֣ל יִשְׁפּֽוֹט׃

Yet you say: ‘What does God know? Does He judge through thick darkness?

And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?

עָבִ֣ים סֵֽתֶר־ל֭וֹ וְלֹ֣א יִרְאֶ֑ה וְח֥וּג שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם יִתְהַלָּֽךְ׃

Thick clouds veil Him so He does not see us as He traverses the vault of heaven.’

Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.

הַאֹ֣רַח עוֹלָ֣ם תִּשְׁמֹ֑ר אֲשֶׁ֖ר דָּרְכ֣וּ מְתֵי־אָֽוֶן׃

Will you stay on the ancient path that wicked men have trod?

Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?

אֲשֶֽׁר־קֻמְּט֥וּ וְלֹא־עֵ֑ת נָ֝הָ֗ר יוּצַ֥ק יְסוֹדָֽם׃

They were snatched away before their time, and their foundations were swept away by a flood.

Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:

הָאֹמְרִ֣ים לָ֭אֵל ס֣וּר מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וּמַה־יִּפְעַ֖ל שַׁדַּ֣י לָֽמוֹ׃

They said to God, ‘Depart from us. What can the Almighty do to us?’

Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?

וְה֤וּא מִלֵּ֣א בָתֵּיהֶ֣ם ט֑וֹב וַעֲצַ֥ת רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים רָ֣חֲקָה מֶֽנִּי׃

But it was He who filled their houses with good things; so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked.

Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

יִרְא֣וּ צַדִּיקִ֣ים וְיִשְׂמָ֑חוּ וְ֝נָקִ֗י יִלְעַג־לָֽמוֹ׃

The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent mock them:

The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.

אִם־לֹ֣א נִכְחַ֣ד קִימָ֑נוּ וְ֝יִתְרָ֗ם אָ֣כְלָה אֵֽשׁ׃

‘Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire has consumed their excess.’

Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.

הַסְכֶּן־נָ֣א עִמּ֑וֹ וּשְׁלם בָּ֝הֶ֗ם תְּֽבוֹאַתְךָ֥ טוֹבָֽה׃

Reconcile now and be at peace with Him; thereby good will come to you.

Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.

קַח־נָ֣א מִפִּ֣יו תּוֹרָ֑ה וְשִׂ֥ים אֲ֝מָרָ֗יו בִּלְבָבֶֽךָ׃

Receive instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart.

Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.

אִם־תָּשׁ֣וּב עַד־שַׁ֭דַּי תִּבָּנֶ֑ה תַּרְחִ֥יק עַ֝וְלָ֗ה מֵאָהֳלֶֽךָ׃

If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored. If you remove injustice from your tents

If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.

וְשִׁית־עַל־עָפָ֥ר בָּ֑צֶר וּבְצ֖וּר נְחָלִ֣ים אוֹפִֽיר׃

and consign your gold to the dust and the gold of Ophir to the stones of the ravines,

Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.

וְהָיָ֣ה שַׁדַּ֣י בְּצָרֶ֑יךָ וְכֶ֖סֶף תּוֹעָפ֣וֹת לָֽךְ׃

then the Almighty will be your gold and the finest silver for you.

Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.

כִּי־אָ֭ז עַל־שַׁדַּ֣י תִּתְעַנָּ֑ג וְתִשָּׂ֖א אֶל־אֱל֣וֹהַּ פָּנֶֽיךָ׃

Surely then you will delight in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.

For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.

תַּעְתִּ֣יר אֵ֭לָיו וְיִשְׁמָעֶ֑ךָּ וּנְדָרֶ֥יךָ תְשַׁלֵּֽם׃

You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.

Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.

וְֽתִגְזַר־א֭וֹמֶר וְיָ֣קָם לָ֑ךְ וְעַל־דְּ֝רָכֶ֗יךָ נָ֣גַֽהּ אֽוֹר׃

Your decisions will be carried out, and light will shine on your ways.

Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.

כִּֽי־הִ֭שְׁפִּילוּ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר גֵּוָ֑ה וְשַׁ֖ח עֵינַ֣יִם יוֹשִֽׁעַ׃

When men are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’ then He will save the lowly.

When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.

יְֽמַלֵּ֥ט אִֽי־נָקִ֑י וְ֝נִמְלַ֗ט בְּבֹ֣ר כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃

He will deliver even one who is not innocent, rescuing him through the cleanness of your hands.”

He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.