Chapter 15

1Eliphaz the Temanite said in reply:

אוַיַּעַן אֱלִיפַז הַתֵּימָנִי וַיֹּאמַר׃

2Does a wise man answer with windy opinions, And fill his belly with the east wind?

בהֶחָכָם יַעֲנֶה דַעַת־רוּחַ וִימַלֵּא קָדִים בִּטְנוֹ׃

3Should he argue with useless talk, With words that are of no worth?

גהוֹכֵחַ בְּדָבָר לֹא יִסְכּוֹן וּמִלִּים לֹא־יוֹעִיל בָּם׃

4You subvert piety And restrain prayer to Hashem.

af a-TAH ta-FAYR yir-AH v'-tig-RA see-KHAH lif-nay AYL

דאַף־אַתָּה תָּפֵר יִרְאָה וְתִגְרַע שִׂיחָה לִפְנֵי־אֵל׃

5Your sinfulness dictates your speech, So you choose crafty language.

הכִּי יְאַלֵּף עֲוׂנְךָ פִיךָ וְתִבְחַר לְשׁוֹן עֲרוּמִים׃

6Your own mouth condemns you—not I; Your lips testify against you.

ויַרְשִׁיעֲךָ פִיךָ וְלֹא־אָנִי וּשְׂפָתֶיךָ יַעֲנוּ־בָךְ׃

7Were you the first man born? Were you created before the hills?

זהֲרִאישׁוֹן אָדָם תִּוָּלֵד וְלִפְנֵי גְבָעוֹת חוֹלָלְתָּ׃

8Have you listened in on the council of Hashem? Have you sole possession of wisdom?

חהַבְסוֹד אֱלוֹהַ תִּשְׁמָע וְתִגְרַע אֵלֶיךָ חָכְמָה׃

9What do you know that we do not know, Or understand that we do not?

טמַה־יָּדַעְתָּ וְלֹא נֵדָע תָּבִין וְלֹא־עִמָּנוּ הוּא׃

10Among us are gray-haired old men, Older by far than your father.

יגַּם־שָׂב גַּם־יָשִׁישׁ בָּנוּ כַּבִּיר מֵאָבִיךָ יָמִים׃

11Are Hashem's consolations not enough for you, And His gentle words to you?

יאהַמְעַט מִמְּךָ תַּנְחֻמוֹת אֵל וְדָבָר לָאַט עִמָּךְ׃

12How your heart has carried you away, How your eyes have failed you,

יבמַה־יִּקָּחֲךָ לִבֶּךָ וּמַה־יִּרְזְמוּן עֵינֶיךָ׃

13That you could vent your anger on Hashem, And let such words out of your mouth!

יגכִּי־תָשִׁיב אֶל־אֵל רוּחֶךָ וְהֹצֵאתָ מִפִּיךָ מִלִּין׃

14What is man that he can be cleared of guilt, One born of woman, that he be in the right?

ידמָה־אֱנוֹשׁ כִּי־יִזְכֶּה וְכִי־יִצְדַּק יְלוּד אִשָּׁה׃

15He puts no trust in His holy ones; The heavens are not guiltless in His sight;

טוהֵן בקדשו [בִּקְדֹשָׁיו] לֹא יַאֲמִין וְשָׁמַיִם לֹא־זַכּוּ בְעֵינָיו׃

16What then of one loathsome and foul, Man, who drinks wrongdoing like water!

טזאַף כִּי־נִתְעָב וְנֶאֱלָח אִישׁ־שֹׁתֶה כַמַּיִם עַוְלָה׃

17I will hold forth; listen to me; What I have seen, I will declare—

יזאֲחַוְךָ שְׁמַע־לִי וְזֶה־חָזִיתִי וַאֲסַפֵּרָה׃

18That which wise men have transmitted from their fathers, And have not withheld,

יחאֲשֶׁר־חֲכָמִים יַגִּידוּ וְלֹא כִחֲדוּ מֵאֲבוֹתָם׃

19To whom alone the land was given, No stranger passing among them:

יטלָהֶם לְבַדָּם נִתְּנָה הָאָרֶץ וְלֹא־עָבַר זָר בְּתוֹכָם׃

20The wicked man writhes in torment all his days; Few years are reserved for the ruthless.

ככָּל־יְמֵי רָשָׁע הוּא מִתְחוֹלֵל וּמִסְפַּר שָׁנִים נִצְפְּנוּ לֶעָרִיץ׃

21Frightening sounds fill his ears; When he is at ease a robber falls upon him.

כאקוֹל־פְּחָדִים בְּאָזְנָיו בַּשָּׁלוֹם שׁוֹדֵד יְבוֹאֶנּוּ׃

22He is never sure he will come back from the dark; A sword stares him in the face.

כבלֹא־יַאֲמִין שׁוּב מִנִּי־חֹשֶׁךְ וצפו [וְצָפוּי] הוּא אֱלֵי־חָרֶב׃

23He wanders about for bread—where is it? He knows that the day of darkness has been readied for him.

כגנֹדֵד הוּא לַלֶּחֶם אַיֵּה יָדַע כִּי־נָכוֹן בְּיָדוֹ יוֹם־חֹשֶׁךְ׃

24Troubles terrify him, anxiety overpowers him, Like a king expecting a siege.

כדיְבַעֲתֻהוּ צַר וּמְצוּקָה תִּתְקְפֵהוּ כְּמֶלֶךְ עָתִיד לַכִּידוֹר׃

25For he has raised his arm against Hashem And played the hero against the Almighty.

כהכִּי־נָטָה אֶל־אֵל יָדוֹ וְאֶל־שַׁדַּי יִתְגַּבָּר׃

26He runs at Him defiantly With his thickly bossed shield.

כויָרוּץ אֵלָיו בְּצַוָּאר בַּעֲבִי גַּבֵּי מָגִנָּיו׃

27His face is covered with fat And his loins with blubber.

כזכִּי־כִסָּה פָנָיו בְּחֶלְבּוֹ וַיַּעַשׂ פִּימָה עֲלֵי־כָסֶל׃

28He dwells in cities doomed to ruin, In houses that shall not be lived in, That are destined to become heaps of rubble.

כחוַיִּשְׁכּוֹן עָרִים נִכְחָדוֹת בָּתִּים לֹא־יֵשְׁבוּ לָמוֹ אֲשֶׁר הִתְעַתְּדוּ לְגַלִּים׃

29He will not be rich; His wealth will not endure; His produce shall not bend to the earth.

כטלֹא־יֶעְשַׁר וְלֹא־יָקוּם חֵילוֹ וְלֹא־יִטֶּה לָאָרֶץ מִנְלָם׃

30He will never get away from the darkness; Flames will sear his shoots; He will pass away by the breath of His mouth.

ללֹא־יָסוּר מִנִּי־חֹשֶׁךְ יֹנַקְתּוֹ תְּיַבֵּשׁ שַׁלְהָבֶת וְיָסוּר בְּרוּחַ פִּיו׃

31He will not be trusted; He will be misled by falsehood, And falsehood will be his recompense.

לאאַל־יַאֲמֵן בשו [בַּשָּׁיו] נִתְעָה כִּי־שָׁוְא תִּהְיֶה תְמוּרָתוֹ׃

32He will wither before his time, His boughs never having flourished.

לבבְּלֹא־יוֹמוֹ תִּמָּלֵא וְכִפָּתוֹ לֹא רַעֲנָנָה׃

33He will drop his unripe grapes like a vine; He will shed his blossoms like an olive tree.

לגיַחְמֹס כַּגֶּפֶן בִּסְרוֹ וְיַשְׁלֵךְ כַּזַּיִת נִצָּתוֹ׃

34For the company of the impious is desolate; Fire consumes the tents of the briber;

לדכִּי־עֲדַת חָנֵף גַּלְמוּד וְאֵשׁ אָכְלָה אָהֳלֵי־שֹׁחַד׃

35For they have conceived mischief, given birth to evil, And their womb has produced deceit.

לההָרֹה עָמָל וְיָלֹד אָוֶן וּבִטְנָם תָּכִין מִרְמָה׃