Eliphaz: The Innocent Prosper
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?
הִ֭נֵּה יִסַּ֣רְתָּ רַבִּ֑ים וְיָדַ֖יִם רָפ֣וֹת תְּחַזֵּֽק׃
Surely you have instructed many, and have strengthened their feeble hands.
כּ֭וֹשֵׁל יְקִימ֣וּן מִלֶּ֑יךָ וּבִרְכַּ֖יִם כֹּרְע֣וֹת תְּאַמֵּֽץ׃
Your words have steadied those who stumbled; you have braced the knees that were buckling.
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.
הֲלֹ֣א יִ֭רְאָתְךָ כִּסְלָתֶ֑ךָ תִּ֝קְוָתְךָ֗ וְתֹ֣ם דְּרָכֶֽיךָ׃
Is your reverence not your confidence, and the uprightness of your ways your hope?
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?
כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר רָ֭אִיתִי חֹ֣רְשֵׁי אָ֑וֶן וְזֹרְעֵ֖י עָמָ֣ל יִקְצְרֻֽהוּ׃
As I have observed, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble 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.
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.
לַ֭יִשׁ אֹבֵ֣ד מִבְּלִי־טָ֑רֶף וּבְנֵ֥י לָ֝בִ֗יא יִתְפָּרָֽדוּ׃
The old lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
וְ֭אֵלַי דָּבָ֣ר יְגֻנָּ֑ב וַתִּקַּ֥ח אָ֝זְנִ֗י שֵׁ֣מֶץ מֶֽנְהֽוּ׃
Now a word came to me secretly; my ears caught a whisper of it.
בִּ֭שְׂעִפִּים מֵחֶזְיֹנ֣וֹת לָ֑יְלָה בִּנְפֹ֥ל תַּ֝רְדֵּמָ֗ה עַל־אֲנָשִֽׁים׃
In disquieting visions in the night, when deep sleep falls on men,
פַּ֣חַד קְ֭רָאַנִי וּרְעָדָ֑ה וְרֹ֖ב עַצְמוֹתַ֣י הִפְחִֽיד׃
fear and trembling came over me and made all my bones shudder.
וְ֭רוּחַ עַל־פָּנַ֣י יַחֲלֹ֑ף תְּ֝סַמֵּ֗ר שַֽׂעֲרַ֥ת בְּשָׂרִֽי׃
Then a spirit glided past my face, and the hair on my body bristled.
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:
הַֽ֭אֱנוֹשׁ מֵאֱל֣וֹהַ יִצְדָּ֑ק אִ֥ם מֵ֝עֹשֵׂ֗הוּ יִטְהַר־גָּֽבֶר׃
‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God, or a man 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,
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!
מִבֹּ֣קֶר לָעֶ֣רֶב יֻכַּ֑תּוּ מִבְּלִ֥י מֵ֝שִׂ֗ים לָנֶ֥צַח יֹאבֵֽדוּ׃
They are smashed to pieces from dawn to dusk; unnoticed, they perish forever.
הֲלֹא־נִסַּ֣ע יִתְרָ֣ם בָּ֑ם יָ֝מ֗וּתוּ וְלֹ֣א בְחָכְמָֽה׃
Are not their tent cords pulled up, so that they die without wisdom?’