Job 22

vayya'an elifaz hattemani vayyomar

Eliphaz the Temanite said in reply:

hale'el yiskon-gaver ki-yiskon alemo maskil

Can an individual be of use to God, An intellect provide benefit?

hakhefets leshadday ki titsdaq ve'im-betsa ki-tattem derakhekha

Does Shaddai gain if you are righteous, Or profit if your conduct is blameless?

hamiyyiratekha yokhikhekha yavo immekha bammishpat

Is it because of your piety that you are arraigned, And entered into God’s judgment?

halo ra'atekha rabbah ve'en-qets la'avonotekha

You know that your wickedness is great, And that your iniquities have no limit.

ki-takhbol akhekha khinnam uvigde arummim tafshit

You exact pledges from your fellows without reason, And leave them naked, stripped of their clothes;

lo-mayim ayef tashqeh umera'ev timna-lakhem

You do not give the thirsty water to drink; You deny bread to the hungry.

ve'ish zeroa lo ha'arets unesu fanim yeshev bah

The land belongs to the strong; The privileged occupy it.

almanot shillakhta reqam uzero'ot yetomim yedukka

You have sent away widows empty-handed; The strength of the fatherless is broken.

al-ken sevivotekha fakhim vivahelkha pakhad pitom

Therefore snares are all around you, And sudden terrors frighten you,

o-khoshekh lo-tireh veshifat-mayim tekhassekka

Or darkness, so you cannot see; A flood of waters covers you.

halo-eloah govah shamayim ure'eh rosh kokhavim ki-rammu

God is in the heavenly heights; See the highest stars, how lofty!

ve'amarta mah-yyada el havad arafel yishpot

You say, “What can God know? Is it possible to govern through the dense cloud?

avim seter-lo velo yireh vekhug shamayim yithallakh

The clouds form an opaque screen As [God] moves about the circuit of heaven.”

ha'orakh olam tishmor asher darekhu mete-aven

Have you observed the immemorial path That evildoers have trodden;

asher-qummetu velo-et nahar yutsaq yesodam

How they were shriveled up before their time And their foundation poured out like a river?

ha'omerim la'el sur mimmennu umah-yyifal shadday lamo

They said to God, “Leave us alone; What can Shaddai do about it?”

vehu mille vattehem tov va'atsat resha'im rakhaqah menni

But it was this One who filled their houses with good things. (The thoughts of the wicked are beyond me!)

yiru tsaddiqim veyismakhu venaqi yilag-lamo

The righteous, seeing the fate of the wicked, rejoiced; The innocent laughed with scorn.

im-lo nikhkhad qimanu veyitram okhlah esh

Surely their substance was destroyed, And their remnant consumed by fire.

hasken-na immo ushelam bahem tevo'atkha tovah

Be close to [God] and wholehearted; Good things will come to you thereby.

qakh-na mippiv torah vesim amarayw bilvavekha

Accept instruction from God’s mouth; Lay up those words in your heart.

im-tashuv ad-shadday tibbaneh tarkhiq avlah me'oholekha

If you return to Shaddai you will be restored, If you banish iniquity from your tent;

veshit-al-afar batser ukhetsur nekhalim ofir

If you regard treasure as dirt, Ophir-gold as stones of the wadi,

vehayah shadday betsarekha vekhesef to'afot lakh

And Shaddai be your treasure And precious silver for you,

ki-az al-shadday titannag vetissa el-eloah panekha

When you seek the favor of Shaddai, And lift up your face to God,

tatir elayw veyishma'ekka unedarekha teshallem

You will offer prayer, and be heard, And you will pay your vows.

vetigzar-omer veyaqom-lakh ve'al-derakhekha nagah or

You will decree and it will be fulfilled, And light will shine upon your affairs.

ki-hishpilu vattomer gevah veshakh enayim yoshia

When others sink low, you will say it is pride; For [God] saves the humble.

yemallet i-naqi venimlat bevor kappekha

The guilty will be delivered— Through the cleanness of your hands.