New Living Translation

Hebrew Study Bible

1Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

1וַ֭יַּעַן אֱלִיפַ֥ז הַֽתֵּמָנִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

2“Can a person do anything to help God? Can even a wise person be helpful to him?

2הַלְאֵ֥ל יִסְכָּן־ גָּ֑בֶר כִּֽי־ יִסְכֹּ֖ן עָלֵ֣ימוֹ מַשְׂכִּֽיל׃

3Is it any advantage to the Almighty if you are righteous? Would it be any gain to him if you were perfect?

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

4Is it because you’re so pious that he accuses you and brings judgment against you?

4הֲֽ֭מִיִּרְאָ֣תְךָ יֹכִיחֶ֑ךָ יָב֥וֹא עִ֝מְּךָ֗ בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

5No, it’s because of your wickedness! There’s no limit to your sins.

5הֲלֹ֣א רָעָֽתְךָ֣ רַבָּ֑ה וְאֵֽין־ קֵ֝֗ץ לַעֲוֺנֹתֶֽיךָ׃

6“For example, you must have lent money to your friend and demanded clothing as security. Yes, you stripped him to the bone.

6כִּֽי־ תַחְבֹּ֣ל אַחֶ֣יךָ חִנָּ֑ם וּבִגְדֵ֖י עֲרוּמִּ֣ים תַּפְשִֽׁיט׃

7You must have refused water for the thirsty and food for the hungry.

7לֹא־ מַ֭יִם עָיֵ֣ף תַּשְׁקֶ֑ה וּ֝מֵרָעֵ֗ב תִּֽמְנַֽע־ לָֽחֶם׃

8You probably think the land belongs to the powerful and only the privileged have a right to it!

8וְאִ֣ישׁ זְ֭רוֹעַ ל֣וֹ הָאָ֑רֶץ וּנְשׂ֥וּא פָ֝נִ֗ים יֵ֣שֶׁב בָּֽהּ׃

9You must have sent widows away empty-handed and crushed the hopes of orphans.

9אַ֭לְמָנוֹת שִׁלַּ֣חְתָּ רֵיקָ֑ם וּזְרֹע֖וֹת יְתֹמִ֣ים יְדֻכָּֽא׃

10That is why you are surrounded by traps and tremble from sudden fears.

10עַל־ כֵּ֭ן סְבִיבוֹתֶ֣יךָ פַחִ֑ים וִֽ֝יבַהֶלְךָ פַּ֣חַד פִּתְאֹֽם׃

11That is why you cannot see in the darkness, and waves of water cover you.

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

12“God is so great—higher than the heavens, higher than the farthest stars.

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

13But you reply, ‘That’s why God can’t see what I am doing! How can he judge through the thick darkness?

13וְֽ֭אָמַרְתָּ מַה־ יָּ֣דַֽע אֵ֑ל הַבְעַ֖ד עֲרָפֶ֣ל יִשְׁפּֽוֹט׃

14For thick clouds swirl about him, and he cannot see us. He is way up there, walking on the vault of heaven.’

14עָבִ֣ים סֵֽתֶר־ ל֭וֹ וְלֹ֣א יִרְאֶ֑ה וְח֥וּג שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם יִתְהַלָּֽךְ׃

15“Will you continue on the old paths where evil people have walked?

15הַאֹ֣רַח עוֹלָ֣ם תִּשְׁמֹ֑ר אֲשֶׁ֖ר דָּרְכ֣וּ מְתֵי־ אָֽוֶן׃

16They were snatched away in the prime of life, the foundations of their lives washed away.

16אֲשֶֽׁר־ קֻמְּט֥וּ וְלֹא־ עֵ֑ת נָ֝הָ֗ר יוּצַ֥ק יְסוֹדָֽם׃

17For they said to God, ‘Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do to us?’

17הָאֹמְרִ֣ים לָ֭אֵל ס֣וּר מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וּמַה־ יִּפְעַ֖ל שַׁדַּ֣י לָֽמוֹ׃

18Yet he was the one who filled their homes with good things, so I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking.

18וְה֤וּא מִלֵּ֣א בָתֵּיהֶ֣ם ט֑וֹב וַעֲצַ֥ת רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים רָ֣חֲקָה מֶֽנִּי׃

19“The righteous will be happy to see the wicked destroyed, and the innocent will laugh in contempt.

19יִרְא֣וּ צַדִּיקִ֣ים וְיִשְׂמָ֑חוּ וְ֝נָקִ֗י יִלְעַג־ לָֽמוֹ׃

20They will say, ‘See how our enemies have been destroyed. The last of them have been consumed in the fire.’

20אִם־ לֹ֣א נִכְחַ֣ד קִימָ֑נוּ וְ֝יִתְרָ֗ם אָ֣כְלָה אֵֽשׁ׃

21“Submit to God, and you will have peace; then things will go well for you.

21הַסְכֶּן־ נָ֣א עִמּ֑וֹ וּשְׁלם‪‬ בָּ֝הֶ֗ם תְּֽבוֹאַתְךָ֥ טוֹבָֽה׃

22Listen to his instructions, and store them in your heart.

22קַח־ נָ֣א מִפִּ֣יו תּוֹרָ֑ה וְשִׂ֥ים אֲ֝מָרָ֗יו בִּלְבָבֶֽךָ׃

23If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored— so clean up your life.

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

24If you give up your lust for money and throw your precious gold into the river,

24וְשִׁית־ עַל־ עָפָ֥ר בָּ֑צֶר וּבְצ֖וּר נְחָלִ֣ים אוֹפִֽיר׃

25the Almighty himself will be your treasure. He will be your precious silver!

25וְהָיָ֣ה שַׁדַּ֣י בְּצָרֶ֑יךָ וְכֶ֖סֶף תּוֹעָפ֣וֹת לָֽךְ׃

26“Then you will take delight in the Almighty and look up 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 to him.

27תַּעְתִּ֣יר אֵ֭לָיו וְיִשְׁמָעֶ֑ךָּ וּנְדָרֶ֥יךָ תְשַׁלֵּֽם׃

28You will succeed in whatever you choose to do, and light will shine on the road ahead of you.

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

29If people are in trouble and you say, ‘Help them,’ God will save them.

29כִּֽי־ הִ֭שְׁפִּילוּ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר גֵּוָ֑ה וְשַׁ֖ח עֵינַ֣יִם יוֹשִֽׁעַ׃

30Even sinners will be rescued; they will be rescued because your hands are pure.”

30יְֽמַלֵּ֥ט‪‬ אִֽי־ נָקִ֑י וְ֝נִמְלַ֗ט בְּבֹ֣ר כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃ פ

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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