1
וַיַּעַן צֹפַר הַנַּעֲמָתִי וַיֹּאמַר
Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said:
Ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Σωφὰρ ὁ Μιναῖος, λέγει,
Then Zophar the Minaean answered and said,
2
Ὁ τὰ πολλὰ λέγων, καὶ ἀντακούσεται· ἢ καὶ ὁ εὔλαλος οἴεται εἶναι δίκαιος;
He that speaks much, should also hear on the other side: Or does the fluent speaker think himself to be righteous? Blessed [is] the short-lived offspring of woman.
2
הֲרֹב דְּבָרִים לֹא יֵעָנֶה וְאִם־אִישׁ שְׂפָתַיִם יִצְדָּק
Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talk be accounted right?
εὐλογημένος γεννητὸς γυναικὸς ὀλιγόβιος. Μὴ πολὺς ἐν ῥήμασι γίνου, οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἀντικρινόμενός σοι;
Be not a speaker of many words; For is there none to answer thee?
3
בַּדֶּיךָ מְתִים יַחֲרִישׁו וַתִּלְעַג וְאֵין מַכְלִם
Thy boastings have made men hold their peace, and thou hast mocked, with none to make thee ashamed;
4
וַתֹּאמֶר זַךְ לִקְחִי וּבַר הָיִיתִי בְעֵינֶיךָ
And thou hast said: 'My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in Thine eyes.'
Μὴ γὰρ λέγε, ὅτι καθαρός εἰμι τοῖς ἔργοις καὶ ἄμεμπτος ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ.
For say not, I am pure in my works, And blameless before him.
5
וְאוּלָם מִי־יִתֵּן אֱלוֹהַּ דַּבֵּר וְיִפְתַּח שְׂפָתָיו עִמָּךְ
But oh that G-d would speak, and open His lips against thee;
Ἀλλὰ πῶς ἂν ὁ Κύριος λαλήσαι πρὸς σὲ, καὶ ἀνοίξει χείλη αὐτοῦ μετὰ σοῦ;
But oh that the Lord would speak to thee, And open his lips with thee!
6
וְיַגֶּד־לְךָ תַּעֲלֻמוֹת חָכְמָה כִּי־כִפְלַיִם לְתוּשִׁיָּה וְדַע כִּי־יַשֶּׁה לְךָ אֱלוֹהַ מֵעֲוֺנֶךָ
And that He would tell thee the secrets of wisdom, that sound wisdom is manifold! Know therefore that G-d exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.
Εἶτα ἀναγγελεῖ σοι δύναμιν σοφίας· ὅτι διπλοῦς ἔσται τῶν κατὰ σέ· καὶ τότε γνώσῃ, ὅτι ἄξιά σοι ἀπέβη ἀπὸ Κυρίου ὧν ἡμάρτηκας.
Then shall he declare to thee the power of wisdom; For it shall be double of that which is with thee: And then shalt thou know, that a just recompense of thy sins has come to thee from the Lord.
7
הַחֵקֶר אֱלוֹהַ תִּמְצָא אִם עַד־תַּכְלִית שַׁדַּי תִּמְצָא
Canst thou find out the deep things of G-d? Canst thou attain unto the purpose of the Almighty?
Ἢ ἴχνος Κυρίου εὑρήσεις, ἢ εἰς τὰ ἔσχατα ἀφίκου ἃ ἐποίησεν ὁ παντοκράτωρ;
Wilt thou find out the traces of the Lord? Or hast thou come to the end [of that] which the Almighty has made?
8
גָּבְהֵי שָׁמַיִם מַה־תִּפְעָל עֲמֻקָּה מִשְּׁאוֹל מַה־תֵּדָע
It is high as heaven; what canst thou do? Deeper than the nether-world; what canst thou know?
Ὑψηλὸς ὁ οὐρανὸς, καὶ τί ποιήσεις; βαθύτερα δὲ τῶν ἐν ᾅδου, τί οἶδας;
Heaven [is] high; and what wilt thou do? And there are deeper things than those in hell; what dost thou know?
9
אֲרֻכָּה מֵאֶרֶץ מִדָּהּ וּרְחָבָה מִנִּי־יָם
The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.
ἢ μακρότερα μέτρου γῆς, ἢ εὔρους θαλάσσης;
Or longer than the measure of the earth, Or the breadth of the sea.
10
אִם־יַחֲלֹף וְיַסְגִּיר וְיַקְהִיל וּמִי יְשִׁיבֶנּוּ
If He pass by, and shut up, or gather in, then who can hinder Him?
Ἐὰν δὲ καταστρέψῃ τὰ πάντα, τίς ἐρεῖ αὐτῷ, τί ἐποίησας;
And if he should overthrow all things, who will say to him, What hast thou done?
11
כִּי־הוּא יָדַע מְתֵי־שָׁוְא וַיַּרְא־אָוֶן וְלֹא יִתְבּוֹנָן
For He knoweth base men; and when He seeth iniquity, will He not then consider it?
Αὐτὸς γὰρ οἶδεν ἔργα ἀνόμων, ἰδὼν δὲ ἄτοπα οὐ παρόψεται.
For he knows the works of transgressors; And when he sees wickedness, he will not overlook [it].
12
וְאִישׁ נָבוּב יִלָּבֵב וְעַיִר פֶּרֶא אָדָם יִוָּלֵד
But an empty man will get understanding, when a wild ass's colt is born a man.
Ἄνθρωπος δὲ ἄλλως νήχεται λόγοις· βροτὸς δὲ γεννητὸς γυναικὸς, ἶσα ὄνῳ ἐρημίτῃ.
But man vainly buoys himself up with words; And a mortal born of woman [is] like an ass of the desert.
13
אִם־אַתָּה הֲכִינוֹתָ לִבֶּךָ וּפָרַשְׂתָּ אֵלָיו כַּפֶּךָ
If thou set thy heart aright, and stretch out thy hands toward Him--
Εἰ γὰρ σὺ καθαρὰν ἔθου τὴν καρδίαν σου, ὑπτιάζεις δὲ χεῖρας πρὸς αὐτὸν,
For if thou hast made thy heart pure, And liftest up [thine] hands toward him;
14
אִם־אָוֶן בְּיָדְךָ הַרְחִיקֵהוּ וְאַל־תַּשְׁכֵּן בְּאֹהָלֶיךָ עַוְלָה
If iniquity be in thy hand, put it far away, and let not unrighteousness dwell in thy tents--
εἰ ἄνομόν τί ἐστιν ἐν χερσί σου, πόῤῥω ποίησον αὐτὸ ἀπὸ σοῦ, ἀδικία δὲ ἐν διαίτῃ σου μὴ αὐλισθήτω·
If there is any iniquity in thy hands, Put it far from thee, And let not unrighteousness lodge in thy habitation.
15
כִּי־אָז תִּשָּׂא פָנֶיךָ מִמּוּם וְהָיִיתָ מֻצָק וְלֹא תִירָא
Surely then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear;
Οὕτως γὰρ ἀναλάμψει σου τὸ πρόσωπον, ὥσπερ ὕδωρ καθαρὸν, ἐκδύσῃ δὲ ῥύπον, καὶ οὐ μὴ φοβηθήσῃ·
For thus shall thy countenance shine again, as pure water; And thou shalt divest thyself of uncleanness, and shalt not fear.
16
כִּי־אַתָּה עָמָל תִּשְׁכָּח כְּמַיִם עָבְרוּ תִזְכֹּר
For thou shalt forget thy misery; thou shalt remember it as waters that are passed away;
Καὶ τὸν κόπον ἐπιλήσῃ, ὥσπερ κῦμα παρελθὸν, καὶ οὐ πτοηθήσῃ·
And thou shalt forget trouble, As a wave that has passed by; and thou shalt not be scared.
17
וּמִצָּהֳרַיִם יָקוּם חָלֶד תָּעֻפָה כַּבֹּקֶר תִּהְיֶה
And thy life shall be clearer than the noonday; though there be darkness, it shall be as the morning.
Ἡ δὲ εὐχή σου ὥσπερ Ἑωσφόρος, ἐκ δὲ μεσημβρίας ἀνατελεῖ σοι ζωή·
And thy prayer [shall be] as the morning star, And life shall arise to thee [as] from the noonday.
18
וּבָטַחְתָּ כִּי־יֵשׁ תִּקְוָה וְחָפַרְתָּ לָבֶטַח תִּשְׁכָּב
And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt look about thee, and shalt take thy rest in safety.
Πεποιθώς τε ἔσῃ, ὅτι ἐστί σοι ἐλπὶς, ἐκ δὲ μερίμνης καὶ φροντίδος ἀναφανεῖταί σοι εἰρήνη·
And thou shalt be confident, because thou hast hope; And peace shall dawn to thee from out of anxiety and care.
19
וְרָבַצְתָּ וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד וְחִלּוּ פָנֶיךָ רַבִּים
Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee.
Ἡσυχάσεις γὰρ, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὁ πολεμῶν σε· μεταβαλόμενοι δὲ πολλοί σου δεηθήσονται.
For thou shalt be at ease, and there shall be no one to fight against thee; And many shall charge, and make supplication to thee.
20
וְעֵינֵי רְשָׁעִים תִּכְלֶינָה וּמָנוֹס אָבַד מִנְהֶם וְתִקְוָתָם מַפַּח־נָפֶשׁ
But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall have no way to flee, and their hope shall be the drooping of the soul.
Σωτηρία δὲ αὐτοὺς ἀπολείψει· ἡ γὰρ ἐλπὶς αὐτῶν ἀπώλεια, ὀφθαλμοὶ δὲ ἀσεβῶν τακήσονται.
But safety shall fail them; For their hope is destruction, And the eyes of the ungodly shall waste away.