1
וַיַּעַן אֱלִיפַז הַתֵּימָנִי וַיֹּאמַר
Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
Ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Ἐλιφὰς ὁ Θαιμανίτης, λέγει,
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2
הֲנִסָּה דָבָר אֵלֶיךָ תִּלְאֶה וַעְצֹר בְּמִלִּין מִי יוּכָל
If one venture a word unto thee, wilt thou be weary? But who can withhold himself from speaking?
Μὴ πολλάκις σοι λελάληται ἐν κόπῳ; ἰσχὺν δὲ ῥημάτων σου τίς ὑποίσει;
Hast thou been often spoken to in distress? But who shall endure the force of thy words?
3
הִנֵּה יִסַּרְתָּ רַבִּים וְיָדַיִם רָפוֹת תְּחַזֵּק
Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.
Εἰ γὰρ σὺ ἐνουθέτησας πολλοὺς, καὶ χεῖρας ἀσθενοῦς παρεκάλεσας,
For whereas thou hast instructed many, And hast strengthened the hands of the weak one,
4
כּוֹשֵׁל יְקִימוּן מִלֶּיךָ וּבִרְכַּיִם כֹּרְעוֹת תְּאַמֵּץ
Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.
ἀσθενοῦντάς τε ἐξανέστησας ῥήμασι, γόνασί τε ἀδυνατοῦσι θάρσος περιέθηκας.
And hast supported the failing with words, And hast imparted courage to feeble knees.
5
כִּי עַתָּה תָּבוֹא אֵלֶיךָ וַתֵּלֶא תִּגַּע עָדֶיךָ וַתִּבָּהֵל
But now it is come upon thee, and thou art weary; it toucheth thee, and thou art affrighted.
Νῦν δὲ ἥκει ἐπὶ σὲ πόνος καὶ ἥψατό σου, σὺ ἐσπούδασας.
Yet now [that] pain has come upon thee, and touched thee, thou art troubled.
6
הֲלֹא יִרְאָתְךָ כִּסְלָתֶךָ תִּקְוָתְךָ וְתֹם דְּרָכֶיךָ
Is not thy fear of G-d thy confidence, and thy hope the integrity of thy ways?
Πότερον οὐχ ὁ φόβος σου ἐστὶν ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ, καὶ ἡ ἐλπίς σου καὶ ἡ κακία τῆς ὁδοῦ σου;
Is not thy fear [founded] in folly, Thy hope also, and the mischief of thy way?
7
זְכָר־נָא מִי הוּא נָקִי אָבָד וְאֵיפֹה יְשָׁרִים נִכְחָדוּ
Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? Or where were the upright cut off?
Μνήσθητι οὖν, τίς καθαρὸς ὢν ἀπώλετο, ἢ πότε ἀληθινοὶ ὁλόῤῥιζοι ἀπώλοντο;
Remember then who has perished, being pure? Or when were the truehearted utterly destroyed?
8
כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי חֹרְשֵׁי אָוֶן וְזֹרְעֵי עָמָל יִקְצְרֻהוּ
According as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow mischief, reap the same.
Καθʼ ὃν τρόπον εἶδον τοὺς ἀροτριῶντας τὰ ἄτοπα, οἱ δὲ σπείροντες αὐτὰ ὀδύνας θεριοῦσιν ἑαυτοῖς.
Accordingly as I have seen men plowing barren places, And they that sow them will reap sorrows for themselves.
9
מִנִּשְׁמַת אֱלוֹהַ יֹאבֵדוּ וּמֵרוּחַ אַפּוֹ יִכְלוּ
By the breath of G-d they perish, and by the blast of His anger are they consumed.
Ἀπὸ προστάγματος Κυρίου ἀπολοῦνται, ἀπὸ δὲ πνεύματος ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ ἀφανισθήσονται.
They shall perish by the command of the Lord, And shall be utterly consumed by the breath of his wrath.
10
שַׁאֲגַת אַרְיֵה וְקוֹל שָׁחַל וְשִׁנֵּי כְפִירִים נִתָּעוּ
The lion roareth, and the fierce lion howleth--yet the teeth of the young lions are broken.
Σθένος λέοντος, φωνὴ δὲ λεαίνης, γαυρίαμα δὲ δρακόντων ἐσβέσθη.
The strength of the lion, and the voice of the lioness, And the exulting cry of serpents are quenched.
11
לַיִשׁ אֹבֵד מִבְּלִי־טָרֶף וּבְנֵי לָבִיא יִתְפָּרָדוּ
The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the whelps of the lioness are scattered abroad.
Μυρμηκολέων ὤλετο παρὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν βορὰν, σκύμνοι δὲ λεόντων ἔλιπον ἀλλήλους.
The old lion has perished for want of food, And the lions’ whelps have forsaken one another.
12
וְאֵלַי דָּבָר יְגֻנָּב וַתִּקַּח אָזְנִי שֵׁמֶץ מ͏ֶנְהוּ
Now a word was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a whisper thereof.
Εἰ δέ τι ῥῆμα ἀληθινὸν ἐγεγόνει ἐν λόγοις σου, οὐθὲν ἄν σοι τούτων κακὸν ἀπήντησε· πότερον οὐ δέξεταί μου τὸ οὖς ἐξαίσια παρʼ αὐτοῦ;
But if there had been any truth in thy words, None of these evils would have befallen thee. Shall not mine ear receive excellent [revelations] from him?
13
בִּשְׂעִפִּים מֵחֶזְיֹנוֹת לָיְלָה בִּנְפֹל תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל־אֲנָשִׁים
In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,
Φόβῳ δὲ καὶ ἤχῳ νυκτερινῇ ἐπιπίπτων φόβος ἐπʼ ἀνθρώπους,
But [as when] terror falls upon men, With dread and a sound in the night,
14
פַּחַד קְרָאַנִי וּרְעָדָה וְרֹב עַצְמוֹתַי הִפְחִיד
Fear came upon me, and trembling, and all my bones were made to shake.
φρίκη μοι συνήντησεν καὶ τρόμος, καὶ μεγάλως μου τὰ ὀστᾶ διέσεισε,
Horror and trembling seized me, And caused all my bones greatly to shake.
15
וְרוּחַ עַל־פָּנַי יַחֲלֹף תְּסַמֵּר שַׂעֲרַת בְּשָׂרִי
Then a spirit passed before my face, that made the hair of my flesh to stand up.
καὶ πνεῦμα ἐπὶ πρόσωπόν μου ἐπῆλθεν, ἔφριξαν δέ μου τρίχες καὶ σάρκες.
And a spirit came before my face; And my hair and flesh quivered.
16
יַעֲמֹד וְלֹא־אַכִּיר מַרְאֵהוּ תְּמוּנָה לְנֶגֶד עֵינָי דְּמָמָה וָקוֹל אֶשְׁמָע
It stood still, but I could not discern the appearance thereof; a form was before mine eyes; I heard a still voice:
Ἀνέστην καὶ οὐκ ἐπέγνων, εἶδον καὶ οὐκ ἦν μορφὴ πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν μου, ἀλλʼ ἢ αὖραν καὶ φωνὴν ἤκουον.
I arose and perceived it not: I looked, and there was no form before my eyes: But I only heard a breath and a voice, [saying],
17
הַאֱנוֹשׁ מֵאֱלוֹהַ יִצְדָּק אִם מֵעֹשֵׂהוּ יִטְהַר־גָּבֶר
'Shall mortal man be just before G-d? Shall a man be pure before his Maker?
Τί γάρ; μὴ καθαρὸς ἔσται βροτὸς ἐναντίον τοῦ Κυρίου; ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ ἄμεμπτος ἀνήρ;
What, shall a mortal be pure before the Lord? Or a man be blameless in regard to his works?
18
הֵן בַּעֲבָדָיו לֹא יַאֲמִין וּבְמַלְאָכָיו יָשִׂים תָּהֳלָה
Behold, He putteth no trust in His servants, and His angels He chargeth with folly;
Εἰ κατὰ παίδων αὐτοῦ οὐ πιστεύει, κατὰ δὲ ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ σκολιόν τι ἐπενόησε.
Whereas he trusts not in his servants, And perceives perverseness in his angels.
19
אַף שֹׁכְנֵי בָתֵּי־חֹמֶר אֲשֶׁר־בֶּעָפָר יְסוֹדָם יְדַכְּאוּם לִפְנֵי־עָשׁ
How much more them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed before the moth!
Τοὺς δὲ κατοικοῦντας οἰκίας πηλίνας, ἐξ ὧν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ πηλοῦ ἐσμεν, ἔπαισεν αὐτοὺς σητὸς τρόπον,
But [as for] them that dwell in houses of clay, Of whom we also are formed of the same clay, He smites them like a moth.
20
מִבֹּקֶר לָעֶרֶב יֻכַּתּוּ מִבְּלִי מֵשִׂים לָנֶצַח יֹאבֵדוּ
Betwixt morning and evening they are shattered; they perish for ever without any regarding it.
καὶ ἀπὸ πρωΐθεν μέχρι ἑσπέρας οὐκ ἔτι εἰσὶ, παρὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι αὐτοὺς ἑαυτοῖς βοηθῆσαι, ἀπώλοντο.
And from morning to evening they no longer exist: They have perished, because they cannot help themselves.
21
הֲלֹא־נִסַּע יִתְרָם בָּם יָמוּתוּ וְלֹא בְחָכְמָה
Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them? They die, and that without wisdom.'
Ἐνεφύσησε γὰρ αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐξηράνθησαν, ἀπώλοντο παρὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν αὐτοὺς σοφίαν.
For he blows upon them, and they are withered: They have perished for lack of wisdom.