Job 4

וַ֭יַּעַן אֱלִיפַ֥ז הַֽתֵּימָנִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

הֲנִסָּ֬ה דָבָ֣ר אֵלֶ֣יךָ תִּלְאֶ֑ה וַעְצֹ֥ר בְּ֝מִלִּ֗ין מִ֣י יוּכָֽל׃

“If one ventures a word with you, will you be wearied? Yet who can keep from speaking?

If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking?

הִ֭נֵּה יִסַּ֣רְתָּ רַבִּ֑ים וְיָדַ֖יִם רָפ֣וֹת תְּחַזֵּֽק׃

Surely you have instructed many, and have strengthened their feeble hands.

Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.

כּ֭וֹשֵׁל יְקִימ֣וּן מִלֶּ֑יךָ וּבִרְכַּ֖יִם כֹּרְע֣וֹת תְּאַמֵּֽץ׃

Your words have steadied those who stumbled; you have braced the knees that were buckling.

Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.

כִּ֤י עַתָּ֨ה ׀ תָּב֣וֹא אֵלֶ֣יךָ וַתֵּ֑לֶא תִּגַּ֥ע עָ֝דֶ֗יךָ וַתִּבָּהֵֽל׃

But now trouble has come upon you, and you are weary. It strikes you, and you are dismayed.

But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

הֲלֹ֣א יִ֭רְאָתְךָ כִּסְלָתֶ֑ךָ תִּ֝קְוָתְךָ֗ וְתֹ֣ם דְּרָכֶֽיךָ׃

Is your reverence not your confidence, and the uprightness of your ways your hope?

Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?

זְכָר־נָ֗א מִ֤י ה֣וּא נָקִ֣י אָבָ֑ד וְ֝אֵיפֹ֗ה יְשָׁרִ֥ים נִכְחָֽדוּ׃

Consider now, I plead: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Or where have the upright been destroyed?

Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?

כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר רָ֭אִיתִי חֹ֣רְשֵׁי אָ֑וֶן וְזֹרְעֵ֖י עָמָ֣ל יִקְצְרֻֽהוּ׃

As I have observed, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble reap the same.

Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.

מִנִּשְׁמַ֣ת אֱל֣וֹהַ יֹאבֵ֑דוּ וּמֵר֖וּחַ אַפּ֣וֹ יִכְלֽוּ׃

By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of His anger they are consumed.

By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.

שַׁאֲגַ֣ת אַ֭רְיֵה וְק֣וֹל שָׁ֑חַל וְשִׁנֵּ֖י כְפִירִ֣ים נִתָּֽעוּ׃

The lion may roar, and the fierce lion may growl, yet the teeth of the young lions are broken.

The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.

לַ֭יִשׁ אֹבֵ֣ד מִבְּלִי־טָ֑רֶף וּבְנֵ֥י לָ֝בִ֗יא יִתְפָּרָֽדוּ׃

The old lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion’s whelps are scattered abroad.

וְ֭אֵלַי דָּבָ֣ר יְגֻנָּ֑ב וַתִּקַּ֥ח אָ֝זְנִ֗י שֵׁ֣מֶץ מֶֽנְהֽוּ׃

Now a word came to me secretly; my ears caught a whisper of it.

Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof.

בִּ֭שְׂעִפִּים מֵחֶזְיֹנ֣וֹת לָ֑יְלָה בִּנְפֹ֥ל תַּ֝רְדֵּמָ֗ה עַל־אֲנָשִֽׁים׃

In disquieting visions in the night, when deep sleep falls on men,

In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,

פַּ֣חַד קְ֭רָאַנִי וּרְעָדָ֑ה וְרֹ֖ב עַצְמוֹתַ֣י הִפְחִֽיד׃

fear and trembling came over me and made all my bones shudder.

Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.

וְ֭רוּחַ עַל־פָּנַ֣י יַחֲלֹ֑ף תְּ֝סַמֵּ֗ר שַֽׂעֲרַ֥ת בְּשָׂרִֽי׃

Then a spirit glided past my face, and the hair on my body bristled.

Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up:

יַעֲמֹ֤ד ׀ וְֽלֹא־אַכִּ֬יר מַרְאֵ֗הוּ תְּ֭מוּנָה לְנֶ֣גֶד עֵינָ֑י דְּמָמָ֖ה וָק֣וֹל אֶשְׁמָֽע׃

It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; a form loomed before my eyes, and I heard a whispering voice:

It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,

הַֽ֭אֱנוֹשׁ מֵאֱל֣וֹהַ יִצְדָּ֑ק אִ֥ם מֵ֝עֹשֵׂ֗הוּ יִטְהַר־גָּֽבֶר׃

‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God, or a man more pure than his Maker?

Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?

הֵ֣ן בַּ֭עֲבָדָיו לֹ֣א יַאֲמִ֑ין וּ֝בְמַלְאָכָ֗יו יָשִׂ֥ים תָּהֳלָֽה׃

If God puts no trust in His servants, and He charges His angels with error,

Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:

אַ֤ף ׀ שֹׁכְנֵ֬י בָֽתֵּי־חֹ֗מֶר אֲשֶׁר־בֶּעָפָ֥ר יְסוֹדָ֑ם יְ֝דַכְּא֗וּם לִפְנֵי־עָֽשׁ׃

how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who can be crushed like a moth!

How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?

מִבֹּ֣קֶר לָעֶ֣רֶב יֻכַּ֑תּוּ מִבְּלִ֥י מֵ֝שִׂ֗ים לָנֶ֥צַח יֹאבֵֽדוּ׃

They are smashed to pieces from dawn to dusk; unnoticed, they perish forever.

They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it.

הֲלֹא־נִסַּ֣ע יִתְרָ֣ם בָּ֑ם יָ֝מ֗וּתוּ וְלֹ֣א בְחָכְמָֽה׃

Are not their tent cords pulled up, so that they die without wisdom?’

Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.