1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,

1 וַ֭יַּעַן אֱלִיפַ֥ז הַֽתֵּימָנִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

2 Should a wise man make answer with vain knowledge, And fill himself with the east wind?

2 הֶֽחָכָ֗ם יַעֲנֶ֥ה דַֽעַת־ר֑וּחַ וִֽימַלֵּ֖א קָדִ֣ים בִּטְנֹֽו׃

3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk, Or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?

3 הֹוכֵ֣חַ בְּ֭דָבָר לֹ֣א יִסְכֹּ֑ון וּ֝מִלִּ֗ים לֹא־יֹועִ֥יל בָּֽם׃

4 Yea, thou doest away with fear, And hinderest devotion before God.

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

5 For thine iniquity teacheth thy mouth, And thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.

5 כִּ֤י יְאַלֵּ֣ף עֲוֹנְךָ֣ פִ֑יךָ וְ֝תִבְחַ֗ר לְשֹׁ֣ון עֲרוּמִֽים׃

6 Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; Yea, thine own lips testify against thee.

6 יַרְשִֽׁיעֲךָ֣ פִ֣יךָ וְלֹא־אָ֑נִי וּ֝שְׂפָתֶ֗יךָ יַעֲנוּ־בָֽךְ׃

7 Art thou the first man that was born? Or wast thou brought forth before the hills?

7 הֲרִאישֹׁ֣ון אָ֭דָם תִּוָּלֵ֑ד וְלִפְנֵ֖י גְבָעֹ֣ות חֹולָֽלְתָּ׃

8 Hast thou heard the secret counsel of God? And dost thou limit wisdom to thyself?

8 הַבְסֹ֣וד אֱלֹ֣והַ תִּשְׁמָ֑ע וְתִגְרַ֖ע אֵלֶ֣יךָ חָכְמָֽה׃

9 What knowest thou, that we know not? What understandest thou, which is not in us?

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

10 With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, Much elder than thy father.

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

11 Are the consolations of God too small for thee, Even the word that is gentle toward thee?

11 הַמְעַ֣ט מִ֭מְּךָ תַּנְחֻמֹ֣ות אֵ֑ל וְ֝דָבָ֗ר לָאַ֥ט עִמָּֽךְ׃

12 Why doth thy heart carry thee away? And why do thine eyes flash,

12 מַה־יִּקָּחֲךָ֥ לִבֶּ֑ךָ וּֽמַה־יִּרְזְמ֥וּן עֵינֶֽיךָ׃

13 That against God thou turnest thy spirit, And lettest words go out of thy mouth?

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

14 What is man, that he should be clean? And he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

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

15 Behold, he putteth no trust in his holy ones; Yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight:

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

16 How much less one that is abominable and corrupt, A man that drinketh iniquity like water!

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

17 I will show thee, hear thou me; And that which I have seen I will declare:

17 אֲחַוְךָ֥³ שְֽׁמַֽע־לִ֑י וְזֶֽה־חָ֝זִ֗יתִי וַאֲסַפֵּֽרָה׃

18 (Which wise men have told From their fathers, and have not hid it;

18 אֲשֶׁר־חֲכָמִ֥ים יַגִּ֑ידוּ וְלֹ֥א כִֽ֝חֲד֗וּ מֵאֲבֹותָֽם׃

19 Unto whom alone the land was given, And no stranger passed among them):

19 לָהֶ֣ם לְ֭בַדָּם נִתְּנָ֣ה הָאָ֑רֶץ וְלֹא־עָ֖בַר זָ֣ר בְּתֹוכָֽם׃

20 The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, Even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.

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

21 A sound of terrors is in his ears; In prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.

21 קֹול־פְּחָדִ֥ים בְּאָזְנָ֑יו בַּ֝שָּׁלֹ֗ום שֹׁודֵ֥ד יְבֹואֶֽנּוּ׃

22 He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, And he is waited for of the sword.

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

23 He wandereth abroad for bread, `saying', Where is it? He knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.

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

24 Distress and anguish make him afraid; They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.

24 יְֽ֭בַעֲתֻהוּ צַ֣ר וּמְצוּקָ֑ה תִּ֝תְקְפֵ֗הוּ כְּמֶ֤לֶךְ׀ עָתִ֬יד לַכִּידֹֽור׃

25 Because he hath stretched out his hand against God, And behaveth himself proudly against the Almighty;

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

26 He runneth upon him with a `stiff' neck, With the thick bosses of his bucklers;

26 יָר֣וּץ אֵלָ֣יו בְּצַוָּ֑אר בַּ֝עֲבִ֗י גַּבֵּ֥י מָֽגִנָּֽיו׃

27 Because he hath covered his face with his fatness, And gathered fat upon his loins;

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

28 And he hath dwelt in desolate cities, In houses which no man inhabited, Which were ready to become heaps;

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

29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, Neither shall their possessions be extended on the earth.

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

30 He shall not depart out of darkness; The flame shall dry up his branches, And by the breath of `God's' mouth shall he go away.

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

31 Let him not trust in vanity, deceiving himself; For vanity shall be his recompense.

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

32 It shall be accomplished before his time, And his branch shall not be green.

32 בְּֽלֹא־יֹ֭ומֹו תִּמָּלֵ֑א וְ֝כִפָּתֹ֗ו לֹ֣א רַעֲנָֽנָה׃

33 He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, And shall cast off his flower as the olive-tree.

33 יַחְמֹ֣ס כַּגֶּ֣פֶן בִּסְרֹ֑ו וְיַשְׁלֵ֥ךְ כַּ֝זַּ֗יִת נִצָּתֹֽו׃

34 For the company of the godless shall be barren, And fire shall consume the tents of bribery.

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

35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity, And their heart prepareth deceit.

35 הָרֹ֣ה עָ֭מָל וְיָ֣לֹד³ אָ֑וֶן וּ֝בִטְנָ֗ם תָּכִ֥ין מִרְמָֽה׃