Holman Christian Standard Bible

Hebrew Study Bible

1Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

1וַ֭יַּעַן אֱלִיפַ֥ז הַֽתֵּמָנִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

2Can a man be of any use to God? Can even a wise man be of use to Him?

2הַלְאֵ֥ל יִסְכָּן־ גָּ֑בֶר כִּֽי־ יִסְכֹּ֖ן עָלֵ֣ימוֹ מַשְׂכִּֽיל׃

3Does it delight the Almighty if you are righteous? Does He profit if you perfect your behavior?

3הַחֵ֣פֶץ לְ֭שַׁדַּי כִּ֣י תִצְדָּ֑ק וְאִם־ בֶּ֝֗צַע כִּֽי־ תַתֵּ֥ם דְּרָכֶֽיךָ׃

4Does He correct you and take you to court because of your piety?

4הֲֽ֭מִיִּרְאָ֣תְךָ יֹכִיחֶ֑ךָ יָב֥וֹא עִ֝מְּךָ֗ בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

5Isn't your wickedness abundant and aren't your iniquities endless?

5הֲלֹ֣א רָעָֽתְךָ֣ רַבָּ֑ה וְאֵֽין־ קֵ֝֗ץ לַעֲוֺנֹתֶֽיךָ׃

6For you took collateral from your brothers without cause, stripping off their clothes and leaving them naked.

6כִּֽי־ תַחְבֹּ֣ל אַחֶ֣יךָ חִנָּ֑ם וּבִגְדֵ֖י עֲרוּמִּ֣ים תַּפְשִֽׁיט׃

7You gave no water to the thirsty and withheld food from the famished,

7לֹא־ מַ֭יִם עָיֵ֣ף תַּשְׁקֶ֑ה וּ֝מֵרָעֵ֗ב תִּֽמְנַֽע־ לָֽחֶם׃

8while the land belonged to a powerful man and an influential man lived on it.

8וְאִ֣ישׁ זְ֭רוֹעַ ל֣וֹ הָאָ֑רֶץ וּנְשׂ֥וּא פָ֝נִ֗ים יֵ֣שֶׁב בָּֽהּ׃

9You sent widows away empty-handed, and the strength of the fatherless was crushed.

9אַ֭לְמָנוֹת שִׁלַּ֣חְתָּ רֵיקָ֑ם וּזְרֹע֖וֹת יְתֹמִ֣ים יְדֻכָּֽא׃

10Therefore snares surround you, and sudden dread terrifies you,

10עַל־ כֵּ֭ן סְבִיבוֹתֶ֣יךָ פַחִ֑ים וִֽ֝יבַהֶלְךָ פַּ֣חַד פִּתְאֹֽם׃

11or darkness, so you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.

11אוֹ־ חֹ֥שֶׁךְ לֹֽא־ תִרְאֶ֑ה וְֽשִׁפְעַת־ מַ֥יִם תְּכַסֶּֽךָּ׃

12Isn't God as high as the heavens? And look at the highest stars--how lofty they are!

12הֲ‍ֽלֹא־ אֱ֭לוֹהַּ גֹּ֣בַהּ שָׁמָ֑יִם וּרְאֵ֤ה רֹ֖אשׁ כּוֹכָבִ֣ים כִּי־ רָֽמּוּ׃

13Yet you say: "What does God know? Can He judge through thick darkness?

13וְֽ֭אָמַרְתָּ מַה־ יָּ֣דַֽע אֵ֑ל הַבְעַ֖ד עֲרָפֶ֣ל יִשְׁפּֽוֹט׃

14Clouds veil Him so that He cannot see, as He walks on the circle of the sky."

14עָבִ֣ים סֵֽתֶר־ ל֭וֹ וְלֹ֣א יִרְאֶ֑ה וְח֥וּג שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם יִתְהַלָּֽךְ׃

15Will you continue on the ancient path that wicked men have walked?

15הַאֹ֣רַח עוֹלָ֣ם תִּשְׁמֹ֑ר אֲשֶׁ֖ר דָּרְכ֣וּ מְתֵי־ אָֽוֶן׃

16They were snatched away before their time, and their foundations were washed away by a river.

16אֲשֶֽׁר־ קֻמְּט֥וּ וְלֹא־ עֵ֑ת נָ֝הָ֗ר יוּצַ֥ק יְסוֹדָֽם׃

17They were the ones who said to God, "Leave us alone!" and "What can the Almighty do to us?"

17הָאֹמְרִ֣ים לָ֭אֵל ס֣וּר מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וּמַה־ יִּפְעַ֖ל שַׁדַּ֣י לָֽמוֹ׃

18But it was He who filled their houses with good things. The counsel of the wicked is far from me!

18וְה֤וּא מִלֵּ֣א בָתֵּיהֶ֣ם ט֑וֹב וַעֲצַ֥ת רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים רָ֣חֲקָה מֶֽנִּי׃

19The righteous see this and rejoice; the innocent mock them, saying,

19יִרְא֣וּ צַדִּיקִ֣ים וְיִשְׂמָ֑חוּ וְ֝נָקִ֗י יִלְעַג־ לָֽמוֹ׃

20"Surely our opponents are destroyed, and fire has consumed what they left behind."

20אִם־ לֹ֣א נִכְחַ֣ד קִימָ֑נוּ וְ֝יִתְרָ֗ם אָ֣כְלָה אֵֽשׁ׃

21Come to terms with God and be at peace; in this way good will come to you.

21הַסְכֶּן־ נָ֣א עִמּ֑וֹ וּשְׁלם‪‬ בָּ֝הֶ֗ם תְּֽבוֹאַתְךָ֥ טוֹבָֽה׃

22Receive instruction from His mouth, and place His sayings in your heart.

22קַח־ נָ֣א מִפִּ֣יו תּוֹרָ֑ה וְשִׂ֥ים אֲ֝מָרָ֗יו בִּלְבָבֶֽךָ׃

23If you return to the Almighty, you will be renewed. If you banish injustice from your tent

23אִם־ תָּשׁ֣וּב עַד־ שַׁ֭דַּי תִּבָּנֶ֑ה תַּרְחִ֥יק עַ֝וְלָ֗ה מֵאָהֳלֶֽךָ׃

24and consign your gold to the dust, the gold of Ophir to the stones in the wadis,

24וְשִׁית־ עַל־ עָפָ֥ר בָּ֑צֶר וּבְצ֖וּר נְחָלִ֣ים אוֹפִֽיר׃

25the Almighty will be your gold and your finest silver.

25וְהָיָ֣ה שַׁדַּ֣י בְּצָרֶ֑יךָ וְכֶ֖סֶף תּוֹעָפ֣וֹת לָֽךְ׃

26Then you will delight in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.

26כִּי־ אָ֭ז עַל־ שַׁדַּ֣י תִּתְעַנָּ֑ג וְתִשָּׂ֖א אֶל־ אֱל֣וֹהַּ פָּנֶֽיךָ׃

27You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.

27תַּעְתִּ֣יר אֵ֭לָיו וְיִשְׁמָעֶ֑ךָּ וּנְדָרֶ֥יךָ תְשַׁלֵּֽם׃

28When you make a decision, it will be carried out, and light will shine on your ways.

28וְֽתִגְזַר־ א֭וֹמֶר וְיָ֣קָם לָ֑ךְ וְעַל־ דְּ֝רָכֶ֗יךָ נָ֣גַֽהּ אֽוֹר׃

29When others are humiliated and you say, "Lift them up," God will save the humble.

29כִּֽי־ הִ֭שְׁפִּילוּ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר גֵּוָ֑ה וְשַׁ֖ח עֵינַ֣יִם יוֹשִֽׁעַ׃

30He will even rescue the guilty one, who will be rescued by the purity of your hands.

30יְֽמַלֵּ֥ט‪‬ אִֽי־ נָקִ֑י וְ֝נִמְלַ֗ט בְּבֹ֣ר כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃ פ

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

Greek and Hebrew Study Bible courtesy Bible Hub and the Discovery Bible team.