1Then answered Elifaz HaTemani, and said,
2“Should a wise man make answer with windy knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?
3Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?
4Yes, you do away with fear, and impair devotion before Elohim.
5For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the tongue of the crafty.
6Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; yes, your own lips testify against you.
7Are you the first man that was born? Or were you brought forth before the hills?
8Do you hearken in the council of Eloha? And do you restrain wisdom to yourself?
9What do you know, that we do not know? What do you understand, which is not in us?
10With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, much older than your father.
11Are the consolations of God too small for you, and the word that deals gently with you?
12Why does your heart carry you away? And why do your eyes wink?
13That you turn your spirit against God, and let such words go out of your mouth.
14What is man, that he should become clean? And he that is born of a woman, that he should become righteous?
15Behold, He puts no trust in His K’doshim; yes, the heavens are not clean in His sight.
16How much less one that is abominable and impure, man who drinks iniquity like water!
17I will tell you, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare!
18Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hidden it;
19Unto whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them.
20The wicked man travails with pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.
21A sound of terrors is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.
22He believes not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.
23He wanders abroad for bread, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
24Distress and anguish overwhelm him; they prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
25Because he has stretched out his hand against God, and behaves himself proudly against Shadai;
26He runs upon him with a stiff neck, on the thick backs of his shields.
27Because he has covered his face with his fatness, and made slabs of fat on his loins;
28And he has dwelt in desolate cities, in houses which no man would inhabit, which were ready to become heaps.
29He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall their produce bend to the earth.
30He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of His mouth shall he go away.
31Let him not trust in vanity, deceiving himself; for vanity shall be his recompense.
32It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be leafy.
33He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.
34For the company of the godless shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tents of bribery.
35They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity, and their belly prepares deceit.”
אוַיַּעַן אֱלִיפַז הַתֵּימָנִי; וַיֹּאמַר,
בהֶחָכָם יַעֲנֶה דַעַת רוּחַ; וִימַלֵּא קָדִים בִּטְנוֹ.
גהוֹכֵחַ בְּדָבָר לֹא יִסְכּוֹן; וּמִלִּים לֹא יוֹעִיל בָּם.
דאַף אַתָּה תָּפֵר יִרְאָה; וְתִגְרַע שִׂיחָה לִפְנֵי אֵל.
הכִּי יְאַלֵּף עֲוֹנְךָ פִיךָ; וְתִבְחַר לְשׁוֹן עֲרוּמִים.
ויַרְשִׁיעֲךָ פִיךָ וְלֹא אָנִי; וּשְׂפָתֶיךָ יַעֲנוּ בָךְ.
זהֲרִאישׁוֹן אָדָם תִּוָּלֵד; וְלִפְנֵי גְבָעוֹת חוֹלָלְתָּ.
חהַבְסוֹד אֱלוֹהַּ תִּשְׁמָע; וְתִגְרַע אֵלֶיךָ חָכְמָה.
טמַה יָּדַעְתָּ וְלֹא נֵדָע; תָּבִין וְלֹא עִמָּנוּ הוּא.
יגַּם שָׂב גַּם יָשִׁישׁ בָּנוּ כַּבִּיר מֵאָבִיךָ יָמִים.
יאהַמְעַט מִמְּךָ תַּנְחוּמוֹת אֵל; וְדָבָר לָאַט עִמָּךְ.
יבמַה יִּקָּחֲךָ לִבֶּךָ; וּמַה יִּרְזְמוּן עֵינֶיךָ.
יגכִּי תָשִׁיב אֶל אֵל רוּחֶךָ; וְהֹצֵאתָ מִפִּיךָ מִלִּין.
ידמָה אֱנוֹשׁ כִּי יִזְכֶּה; וְכִי יִצְדַּק יְלוּד אִשָּׁה.
טוהֵן בִּקְדֹשָׁו לֹא יַאֲמִין; וְשָׁמַיִם לֹא זַכּוּ בְעֵינָיו.
טזאַף כִּי נִתְעָב וְנֶאֱלָח; אִישׁ שֹׁתֶה כַמַּיִם עַוְלָה.
יחאֲשֶׁר חֲכָמִים יַגִּידוּ; וְלֹא כִחֲדוּ מֵאֲבוֹתָם.
יטלָהֶם לְבַדָּם נִתְּנָה הָאָרֶץ; וְלֹא עָבַר זָר בְּתוֹכָם.
ככָּל יְמֵי רָשָׁע הוּא מִתְחוֹלֵל; וּמִסְפַּר שָׁנִים נִצְפְּנוּ לֶעָרִיץ.
כאקוֹל פְּחָדִים בְּאָזְנָיו; בַּשָּׁלוֹם שׁוֹדֵד יְבוֹאֶנּוּ.
כבלֹא יַאֲמִין שׁוּב מִנִּי חֹשֶׁךְ; וצפו (וְצָפוּי) הוּא אֱלֵי חָרֶב.
כגנֹדֵד הוּא לַלֶּחֶם אַיֵּה; יָדַע כִּי נָכוֹן בְּיָדוֹ יוֹם חֹשֶׁךְ.
כדיְבַעֲתֻהוּ צַר וּמְצוּקָה; תִּתְקְפֵהוּ כְּמֶלֶךְ עָתִיד לַכִּידוֹר.
כהכִּי נָטָה אֶל אֵל יָדוֹ; וְאֶל שַׁדַּי יִתְגַּבָּר.
כויָרוּץ אֵלָיו בְּצַוָּאר; בַּעֲבִי גַּבֵּי מָגִנָּיו.
כזכִּי כִסָּה פָנָיו בְּחֶלְבּוֹ; וַיַּעַשׂ פִּימָה עֲלֵי כָסֶל.
כחוַיִּשְׁכּוֹן עָרִים נִכְחָדוֹת בָּתִּים לֹא יֵשְׁבוּ לָמוֹ: אֲשֶׁר הִתְעַתְּדוּ לְגַלִּים.
כטלֹא יֶעְשַׁר וְלֹא יָקוּם חֵילוֹ; וְלֹא יִטֶּה לָאָרֶץ מִנְלָם.
ללֹא יָסוּר מִנִּי חֹשֶׁךְ יֹנַקְתּוֹ תְּיַבֵּשׁ שַׁלְהָבֶת; וְיָסוּר בְּרוּחַ פִּיו.
לאאַל יַאֲמֵן בַּשָּׁו נִתְעָה: כִּי שָׁוְא תִּהְיֶה תְמוּרָתוֹ.
לבבְּלֹא יוֹמוֹ תִּמָּלֵא; וְכִפָּתוֹ לֹא רַעֲנָנָה.
לגיַחְמֹס כַּגֶּפֶן בִּסְרוֹ; וְיַשְׁלֵךְ כַּזַּיִת נִצָּתוֹ.
לדכִּי עֲדַת חָנֵף גַּלְמוּד; וְאֵשׁ אָכְלָה אָהֳלֵי שֹׁחַד.
לההָרֹה עָמָל וְיָלֹד אָוֶן; וּבִטְנָם תָּכִין מִרְמָה.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 