Beginning
21 But Iyov answered and said,
2 Hear diligently my speech, and let this be your tanechumot (consolations).
3 Bear with me that I may speak; and achar (after) that I have spoken, mock on.
4 As for me, is my complaint to adam (mortals)? Or why should my ruach not become impatient?
5 Look at me, and be astonished, and lay your yad upon your peh (mouth).
6 Even when I remember I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my basar.
7 Madu’a (why) do the resha’im live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?
8 Their zera is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes.
9 Their batim (houses) are shalom from pachad; neither is the shevet Eloah upon them.
10 Their shor (bull) breeds, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and doth not miscarry her calf.
11 They send forth their little ones like a tzon, and their yeladim jump about.
12 They sing to the tambourine and kinnor, and rejoice at the sound of the flute.
13 They spend their yamim in tov, and in a moment go down to Sheol.
14 Therefore they say unto El, Depart from us; for we desire not the da’as of Thy ways.
15 What is Shaddai, that we should serve Him? And what profit should we have, if we importune Him?
16 Lo, their tov is not in their yad; the etzah (counsel, scheme) of the resha’im is far from me.
17 How oft is the ner (light) of the resha’im put out! And how oft cometh their destruction upon them and He distributeth pains in His anger.
18 They are as straw before the ruach, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.
19 Eloah layeth up his iniquity for his banim; He payeth him back, and he shall know it.
20 His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of Shaddai.
21 For what pleasure hath he in his bais after him, when the mispar (number) of his months is cut off?
22 Shall any teach El da’as, seeing He judgeth those that are on high?
23 Zeh (this one) dieth in his full prosperity, being wholly at ease and secure.
24 His troughs are full of cholov, and his atzmot are moistened with marrow.
25 And another dieth in the marah (bitterness) of his nefesh, and never eateth with pleasure.
26 They shall lie down alike in the aphar, and the worms shall cover them.
27 Behold, I know your machshevot, and the stratagems which ye wrongfully imagine against me.
28 For ye say, Where is the bais of the tyrant? And where are the ohel mishkenot of the resha’im?
29 Have ye not asked them that travel the derech? And do ye not accept their testimony,
30 That the rah is spared in the yom eid (day of calamity)? They shall be rescued in the yom avarot (day of wrath).
31 Who shall declare his derech to his face? And who shall repay him what he hath done?
32 Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the gadish (gravemound).
33 The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, and kol adam shall draw after him, as there are innumerable before him.
34 How then comfort ye me with hevel (empty nothings), seeing in your answers there is nothing left but falsehood?
22 Then Eliphaz of Teman answered and said,
2 Can a gever be profitable unto El, as he that has seichel may be profitable unto himself?
3 Is it any pleasure to Shaddai, that thou art tzaddik? Or is it gain to Him, that thou makest thy ways blameless?
4 Is it for thy yireh [Elohim] that He reproves thee? Will He enter with thee into mishpat?
5 Is not thy rah great? And thine avonot infinite?
6 For thou hast exacted a pledge from thy brother for naught, and stripped the arummim (naked ones) of their clothing.
7 Thou hast not given mayim to the weary to drink, and thou hast withheld lechem from the hungry.
8 But as for the ish zeroa (mighty man), his is ha’aretz; and the honorable man dwelt therein.
9 Thou hast sent almanot away empty, and the arms of the yetomim have been broken.
10 Therefore pachim (snares) are around thee, and sudden pachad troubleth thee;
11 Or choshech, that thou canst not see; and overflow of mayim cover thee.
12 Is not Eloah in the height of Shomayim? And hinei the rosh kokhavim, how high they are!
13 And thou sayest, How doth El know? Can He judge through the thick cloud?
14 Thick clouds veil Him, that He seeth not; and He walketh in the vault of Shomayim.
15 Wilt thou note the orach olam which wicked men have trodden?
16 Who were cut down before their time, whose yesod was overflown with a flood;
17 Who said unto El, Depart from us; and what can Shaddai do to them?
18 Yet He filled their batim (houses) with tov; but the etza (counsel) of the resha’im is far from me.
19 The tzaddikim see it, and are glad, and the naki (innocent) laugh them to scorn.
20 Verily our foe is destroyed, and the abundance of them the eish consumeth.
21 Acquaint now thyself with Him, and so hast thou shalom; thereby tovah shall come unto thee.
22 Receive, now, torah from His mouth, and lay up His words in thine lev.
23 If thou return to Shaddai, thou shalt be restored; if thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy ohalim;
24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as aphar, and that of Ophir as the tzur of the brooks.
25 Yea, Shaddai shall be thy gold, and thy precious kesef.
26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in Shaddai, and shalt lift up thy face unto Eloah.
27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto Him, and He shall hear thee, and thou shalt fulfill thy nederim.
28 Thou shalt also decide a matter, and it shall be established unto thee, and the ohr shall shine upon thy ways.
29 When they are cast down, thou shalt say, Arise, and He shall save the one with low eynayim (i.e., humility).
30 He shall deliver even the guilty; and he is delivered by the bar (cleanness) of thine hands.
23 Then Iyov answered and said,
2 Even hayom (today) is my complaint bitter; my stroke is heavier than my groaning.
3 Oh that I knew where I might find Him! That I might come even to His techunah (abode)!
4 I would order my mishpat (cause) before Him, and fill my mouth with arguments.
5 I would know the words which He would answer me, and have binah of what He would say unto me.
6 Will He contend against me with His great koach? No, but He would pay heed to me.
7 There the yashar might dispute with Him; so should I be delivered forever from my Shofet (Judge).
8 Hen (behold), I go forward, but He is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him;
9 On the left hand, where He doth work, but I cannot behold Him; He hideth himself yamin (on the right hand), that I cannot see Him;
10 But He knoweth the derech that I take; when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as zahav.
11 My regel hath held to His steps, over His way have I been shomer, and not turned aside.
12 Neither have I gone back from the mitzvah of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my appointed portion.
13 But He stands alone, and who can turn Him? And what His nefesh desireth, even that He doeth.
14 For He accomplisheth the thing that is appointed for me; and rabbot (many) such things are with Him.
15 Al-ken (therefore) am I troubled at His presence; when I consider, I am afraid of Him.
16 For El maketh my lev dejected, and Shaddai troubleth me,
17 Because I was not cut off from before the choshech, neither hath He hidden deep darkness from my face.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International