Job 21
1 Then Job answered:
| וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ |
2 “Listen carefully to my words; let this be your consolation to me.
| שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ מִלָּתִי וּתְהִי־זֹאת תַּנְחוּמֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃ |
3 Bear with me while I speak; then, after I have spoken, you may go on mocking.
| שָׂאוּנִי וְאָנֹכִי אֲדַבֵּר וְאַחַר דַּבְּרִי תַלְעִֽיג׃ |
4 Is my complaint against a man? Then why should I not be impatient?
| הֶאָנֹכִי לְאָדָם שִׂיחִי וְאִם־מַדּוּעַ לֹֽא־תִקְצַר רוּחִֽי׃ |
5 Look at me and be appalled; put your hand over your mouth.
| פְּנוּ־אֵלַי וְהָשַׁמּוּ וְשִׂימוּ יָד עַל־פֶּֽה׃ |
6 When I remember, terror takes hold, and my body trembles in horror.
| וְאִם־זָכַרְתִּי וְנִבְהָלְתִּי וְאָחַז בְּשָׂרִי פַּלָּצֽוּת׃ |
7 Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?
| מַדּוּעַ רְשָׁעִים יִֽחְיוּ עָתְקוּ גַּם־גָּבְרוּ חָֽיִל׃ |
8 Their descendants are established around them, and their offspring before their eyes.
| זַרְעָם נָכוֹן לִפְנֵיהֶם עִמָּם וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶם לְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃ |
9 Their homes are safe from fear; no rod of punishment from God is upon them.
| בָּתֵּיהֶם שָׁלוֹם מִפָּחַד וְלֹא שֵׁבֶט אֱלוֹהַּ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ |
10 Their bulls breed without fail; their cows bear calves and do not miscarry.
| שׁוֹרוֹ עִבַּר וְלֹא יַגְעִל תְּפַלֵּט פָּרָתוֹ וְלֹא תְשַׁכֵּֽל׃ |
11 They send forth their little ones like a flock; their children skip about,
| יְשַׁלְּחוּ כַצֹּאן עֲוִילֵיהֶם וְיַלְדֵיהֶם יְרַקֵּדֽוּן׃ |
12 singing to the tambourine and lyre and making merry at the sound of the flute.
| יִשְׂאוּ כְּתֹף וְכִנּוֹר וְיִשְׂמְחוּ לְקוֹל עוּגָֽב׃ |
| (יבלו) [יְכַלּוּ] בַטּוֹב יְמֵיהֶם וּבְרֶגַע שְׁאוֹל יֵחָֽתּוּ׃ (Sheol h7585) |
14 Yet they say to God: ‘Leave us alone! For we have no desire to know Your ways.
| וַיֹּאמְרוּ לָאֵל סוּר מִמֶּנּוּ וְדַעַת דְּרָכֶיךָ לֹא חָפָֽצְנוּ׃ |
15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, and what would we gain if we pray to Him?’
| מַה־שַּׁדַּי כִּֽי־נַעַבְדֶנּוּ וּמַה־נּוֹעִיל כִּי נִפְגַּע־בּֽוֹ׃ |
16 Still, their prosperity is not in their own hands, so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked.
| הֵן לֹא בְיָדָם טוּבָם עֲצַת רְשָׁעִים רָחֲקָה מֶֽנִּי׃ |
17 How often is the lamp of the wicked put out? Does disaster come upon them? Does God, in His anger, apportion destruction?
| כַּמָּה ׀ נֵר־רְשָׁעִים יִדְעָךְ וְיָבֹא עָלֵימוֹ אֵידָם חֲבָלִים יְחַלֵּק בְּאַפּֽוֹ׃ |
18 Are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a storm?
| יִֽהְיוּ כְּתֶבֶן לִפְנֵי־רוּחַ וּכְמֹץ גְּנָבַתּוּ סוּפָֽה׃ |
19 It is said that God lays up one’s punishment for his children. Let God repay the man himself, so he will know it.
| אֱלוֹהַּ יִצְפֹּן־לְבָנָיו אוֹנוֹ יְשַׁלֵּם אֵלָיו וְיֵדָֽע׃ |
20 Let his eyes see his own destruction; let him drink for himself the wrath of the Almighty.
| יִרְאוּ עֵינָו כִּידוֹ וּמֵחֲמַת שַׁדַּי יִשְׁתֶּֽה׃ |
21 For what does he care about his household after him, when the number of his months has run out?
| כִּי מַה־חֶפְצוֹ בְּבֵיתוֹ אַחֲרָיו וּמִסְפַּר חֳדָשָׁיו חֻצָּֽצוּ׃ |
22 Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since He judges those on high?
| הַלְאֵל יְלַמֶּד־דָּעַת וְהוּא רָמִים יִשְׁפּֽוֹט׃ |
23 One man dies full of vigor, completely secure and at ease.
| זֶה יָמוּת בְּעֶצֶם תֻּמּוֹ כֻּלּוֹ שַׁלְאֲנַן וְשָׁלֵֽיו׃ |
24 His body is well nourished, and his bones are rich with marrow.
| עֲטִינָיו מָלְאוּ חָלָב וּמֹחַ עַצְמוֹתָיו יְשֻׁקֶּֽה׃ |
25 Yet another man dies in the bitterness of his soul, having never tasted prosperity.
| וְזֶה יָמוּת בְּנֶפֶשׁ מָרָה וְלֹֽא־אָכַל בַּטּוֹבָֽה׃ |
26 But together they lie down in the dust, and worms cover them both.
| יַחַד עַל־עָפָר יִשְׁכָּבוּ וְרִמָּה תְּכַסֶּה עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ |
27 Behold, I know your thoughts full well, the schemes by which you would wrong me.
| הֵן יָדַעְתִּי מַחְשְׁבֽוֹתֵיכֶם וּמְזִמּוֹת עָלַי תַּחְמֹֽסוּ׃ |
28 For you say, ‘Where now is the nobleman’s house, and where are the tents in which the wicked dwell?’
| כִּי תֹאמְרוּ אַיֵּה בֵית־נָדִיב וְאַיֵּה אֹהֶל ׀ מִשְׁכְּנוֹת רְשָׁעִֽים׃ |
29 Have you never asked those who travel the roads? Do you not accept their reports?
| הֲלֹא שְׁאֶלְתֶּם עוֹבְרֵי דָרֶךְ וְאֹתֹתָם לֹא תְנַכֵּֽרוּ׃ |
30 Indeed, the evil man is spared from the day of calamity, delivered from the day of wrath.
| כִּי לְיוֹם אֵיד יֵחָשֶׂךְ רָע לְיוֹם עֲבָרוֹת יוּבָֽלוּ׃ |
31 Who denounces his behavior to his face? Who repays him for what he has done?
| מִֽי־יַגִּיד עַל־פָּנָיו דַּרְכּוֹ וְהוּא־עָשָׂה מִי יְשַׁלֶּם־לֽוֹ׃ |
32 He is carried to the grave, and watch is kept over his tomb.
| וְהוּא לִקְבָרוֹת יוּבָל וְֽעַל־גָּדִישׁ יִשְׁקֽוֹד׃ |
33 The clods of the valley are sweet to him; everyone follows behind him, and those before him are without number.
| מָֽתְקוּ־לוֹ רִגְבֵי ־ נָחַל וְאַחֲרָיו כׇּל־אָדָם יִמְשׁוֹךְ וּלְפָנָיו אֵין מִסְפָּֽר׃ |
34 So how can you comfort me with empty words? For your answers remain full of falsehood.”
| וְאֵיךְ תְּנַחֲמוּנִי הָבֶל וּתְשׁוּבֹתֵיכֶם נִשְׁאַר־מָֽעַל׃ |
