22:1

וַיַּעַן אֱלִיפַז הַתֵּמָנִי וַיֹּאמַר׃

Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:

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22:2

הַלְאֵל יִסְכָּן־גָּבֶר כִּי־יִסְכֹּן עָלֵימוֹ מַשְׂכִּיל׃

Can a man be profitable unto God? Or can he that is wise be profitable unto Him?

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22:3

הַחֵפֶץ לְשַׁדַּי כִּי תִצְדָּק וְאִם־בֶּצַע כִּי־תַתֵּם דְּרָכֶיךָ׃

Is it any advantage to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? Or is it gain to Him, that thou makest thy ways blameless?

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22:4

הֲמִיִּרְאָתְךָ יֹכִיחֶךָ יָבוֹא עִמְּךָ בַּמִּשְׁפָּט׃

Is it for thy fear of Him that He reproveth thee, That He entereth with thee into judgment?

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22:5

הֲלֹא רָעָתְךָ רַבָּה וְאֵין־קֵץ לַעֲוֺנֹתֶיךָ׃

Is not thy wickedness great? And are not thine iniquities without end?

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22:6

כִּי־תַחְבֹּל אַחֶיךָ חִנָּם וּבִגְדֵי עֲרוּמִּים תַּפְשִׁיט׃

For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought, And stripped the naked of their clothing.

22:7

לֹא־מַיִם עָיֵף תַּשְׁקֶה וּמֵרָעֵב תִּמְנַע־לָחֶם׃

Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, And thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.

22:8

וְאִישׁ זְרוֹעַ לוֹ הָאָרֶץ וּנְשׂוּא פָנִים יֵשֶׁב בָּהּ׃

And as a mighty man, who hath the earth, And as a man of rank, who dwelleth in it,

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22:9

אַלְמָנוֹת שִׁלַּחְתָּ רֵיקָם וּזְרֹעוֹת יְתֹמִים יְדֻכָּא׃

Thou hast sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

22:10

עַל־כֵּן סְבִיבוֹתֶיךָ פַחִים וִיבַהֶלְךָ פַּחַד פִּתְאֹם׃

Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden dread affrighted thee,

22:11

אוֹ־חֹשֶׁךְ לֹא־תִרְאֶה וְשִׁפְעַת־מַיִם תְּכַסֶּךָּ׃

Or darkness, that thou canst not see, And abundance of waters cover thee.

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22:12

הֲ‍לֹא־אֱלוֹהַּ גֹּבַהּ שָׁמָיִם וּרְאֵה רֹאשׁ כּוֹכָבִים כִּי־רָמּוּ׃

Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the topmost of the stars, how high they are!

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22:13

וְאָמַרְתָּ מַה־יָּדַע אֵל הַבְעַד עֲרָפֶל יִשְׁפּוֹט׃

And thou sayest: ‘What doth God know? Can He judge through the dark cloud?

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22:14

עָבִים סֵתֶר־לוֹ וְלֹא יִרְאֶה וְחוּג שָׁמַיִם יִתְהַלָּךְ׃

Thick clouds are a covering to Him, that He seeth not; And He walketh in the circuit of heaven.’

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22:15

הַאֹרַח עוֹלָם תִּשְׁמֹר אֲשֶׁר דָּרְכוּ מְתֵי־אָוֶן׃

Wilt thou keep the old way Which wicked men have trodden?

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22:16

אֲשֶׁר־קֻמְּטוּ וְלֹא־עֵת נָהָר יוּצַק יְסוֹדָם׃

Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundation was poured out as a stream;

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22:17

הָאֹמְרִים לָאֵל סוּר מִמֶּנּוּ וּמַה־יִּפְעַל שַׁדַּי לָמוֹ׃

Who said unto God: ‘Depart from us’; And what could the Almighty do unto them?

22:18

וְהוּא מִלֵּא בָתֵּיהֶם טוֹב וַעֲצַת רְשָׁעִים רָחֲקָה מֶנִּי׃

Yet He filled their houses with good things— But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

22:19

יִרְאוּ צַדִּיקִים וְיִשְׂמָחוּ וְנָקִי יִלְעַג־לָמוֹ׃

The righteous saw it, and were glad, And the innocent laugh them to scorn:

22:20

אִם־לֹא נִכְחַד קִימָנוּ וְיִתְרָם אָכְלָה אֵשׁ׃

’Surely their substance is cut off, And their abundance the fire hath consumed.’

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22:21

הַסְכֶּן־נָא עִמּוֹ וּשְׁלם בָּהֶם תְּבוֹאַתְךָ טוֹבָה׃

Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace; Thereby shall thine increase be good.

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22:22

קַח־נָא מִפִּיו תּוֹרָה וְשִׂים אֲמָרָיו בִּלְבָבֶךָ׃

Receive, I pray thee, instruction from His mouth, And lay up His words in thy heart.

22:23

אִם־תָּשׁוּב עַד־שַׁדַּי תִּבָּנֶה תַּרְחִיק עַוְלָה מֵאָהֳלֶךָ׃

If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up— If thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents,

22:24

וְשִׁית־עַל־עָפָר בָּצֶר וּבְצוּר נְחָלִים אוֹפִיר׃

And lay thy treasure in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks;

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22:25

וְהָיָה שַׁדַּי בְּצָרֶיךָ וְכֶסֶף תּוֹעָפוֹת לָךְ׃

And the Almighty be thy treasure, And precious silver unto thee;

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22:26

כִּי־אָז עַל־שַׁדַּי תִּתְעַנָּג וְתִשָּׂא אֶל־אֱלוֹהַּ פָּנֶיךָ׃

Then surely shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God.

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22:27

תַּעְתִּיר אֵלָיו וְיִשְׁמָעֶךָּ וּנְדָרֶיךָ תְשַׁלֵּם׃

Thou shalt make thy prayer unto Him, and He will hear thee, And thou shalt pay thy vows;

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22:28

וְתִגְזַר־אוֹמֶר וְיָקָם לָךְ וְעַל־דְּרָכֶיךָ נָגַהּ אוֹר׃

Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee, And light shall shine upon thy ways.

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22:29

כִּי־הִשְׁפִּילוּ וַתֹּאמֶר גֵּוָה וְשַׁח עֵינַיִם יוֹשִׁעַ׃

When they cast thee down, thou shalt say: ‘There is lifting up’; For the humble person He saveth.

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22:30

יְמַלֵּט אִי־נָקִי וְנִמְלַט בְּבֹר כַּפֶּיךָ׃

He delivereth him that is innocent, Yea, thou shalt be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands.

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