< Job 21 >

1 And Job answered and said,
וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
2 Hear attentively my speech, and let this replace your consolations.
שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ מִלָּתִי וּתְהִי־זֹאת תַּנְחוּמֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃
3 Suffer me and I will speak; and after I have spoken, mock on!
שָׂאוּנִי וְאָנֹכִי אֲדַבֵּר וְאַחַר דַּבְּרִי תַלְעִֽיג׃
4 As for me, is my complaint to a man? or wherefore should not my spirit be impatient?
הֶאָנֹכִי לְאָדָם שִׂיחִי וְאִם־מַדּוּעַ לֹֽא־תִקְצַר רוּחִֽי׃
5 Mark me, and be astonished, and lay the hand upon the mouth.
פְּנוּ־אֵלַי וְהָשַׁמּוּ וְשִׂימוּ יָד עַל־פֶּֽה׃
6 Even when I think [thereon], I am affrighted, and trembling taketh hold of my flesh.
וְאִם־זָכַרְתִּי וְנִבְהָלְתִּי וְאָחַז בְּשָׂרִי פַּלָּצֽוּת׃
7 Wherefore do the wicked live, grow old, yea, become mighty in power?
מַדּוּעַ רְשָׁעִים יִֽחְיוּ עָתְקוּ גַּם־גָּבְרוּ חָֽיִל׃
8 Their seed is established with them in their sight, and their offspring before their eyes.
זַרְעָם נָכוֹן לִפְנֵיהֶם עִמָּם וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶם לְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃
9 Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.
בָּתֵּיהֶם שָׁלוֹם מִפָּחַד וְלֹא שֵׁבֶט אֱלוֹהַּ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃
10 Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.
שׁוֹרוֹ עִבַּר וְלֹא יַגְעִל תְּפַלֵּט פָּרָתוֹ וְלֹא תְשַׁכֵּֽל׃
11 They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.
יְשַׁלְּחוּ כַצֹּאן עֲוִילֵיהֶם וְיַלְדֵיהֶם יְרַקֵּדֽוּן׃
12 They shout to the tambour and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe.
יִשְׂאוּ כְּתֹף וְכִנּוֹר וְיִשְׂמְחוּ לְקוֹל עוּגָֽב׃
13 They spend their days in prosperity, and in a moment go down to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
(יבלו) [יְכַלּוּ] בַטּוֹב יְמֵיהֶם וּבְרֶגַע שְׁאוֹל יֵחָֽתּוּ׃ (Sheol h7585)
14 And they say unto God, Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways!
וַיֹּאמְרוּ לָאֵל סוּר מִמֶּנּוּ וְדַעַת דְּרָכֶיךָ לֹא חָפָֽצְנוּ׃
15 What is the Almighty that we should serve him? and what are we profited if we pray unto him?
מַה־שַּׁדַּי כִּֽי־נַעַבְדֶנּוּ וּמַה־נּוֹעִיל כִּי נִפְגַּע־בּֽוֹ׃
16 Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand. The counsel of the wicked be far from me!
הֵן לֹא בְיָדָם טוּבָם עֲצַת רְשָׁעִים רָחֲקָה מֶֽנִּי׃
17 How often is the lamp of the wicked put out, and cometh their calamity upon them? Doth he distribute sorrows [to them] in his anger?
כַּמָּה ׀ נֵר־רְשָׁעִים יִדְעָךְ וְיָבֹא עָלֵימוֹ אֵידָם חֲבָלִים יְחַלֵּק בְּאַפּֽוֹ׃
18 Do they become as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away?
יִֽהְיוּ כְּתֶבֶן לִפְנֵי־רוּחַ וּכְמֹץ גְּנָבַתּוּ סוּפָֽה׃
19 God layeth up [the punishment of] his iniquity for his children; he rewardeth him, and he shall know [it]:
אֱלוֹהַּ יִצְפֹּן־לְבָנָיו אוֹנוֹ יְשַׁלֵּם אֵלָיו וְיֵדָֽע׃
20 His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the fury of the Almighty.
יִרְאוּ עֵינָו כִּידוֹ וּמֵחֲמַת שַׁדַּי יִשְׁתֶּֽה׃
21 For what pleasure should he have in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off?
כִּי מַה־חֶפְצוֹ בְּבֵיתוֹ אַחֲרָיו וּמִסְפַּר חֳדָשָׁיו חֻצָּֽצוּ׃
22 Can any teach God knowledge? And he it is that judgeth those that are high.
הַלְאֵל יְלַמֶּד־דָּעַת וְהוּא רָמִים יִשְׁפּֽוֹט׃
23 One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet;
זֶה יָמוּת בְּעֶצֶם תֻּמּוֹ כֻּלּוֹ שַׁלְאֲנַן וְשָׁלֵֽיו׃
24 His sides are full of fat, and the marrow of his bones is moistened;
עֲטִינָיו מָלְאוּ חָלָב וּמֹחַ עַצְמוֹתָיו יְשֻׁקֶּֽה׃
25 And another dieth in bitterness of soul, and hath not tasted good:
וְזֶה יָמוּת בְּנֶפֶשׁ מָרָה וְלֹֽא־אָכַל בַּטּוֹבָֽה׃
26 Together they lie down in the dust, and the worms cover them.
יַחַד עַל־עָפָר יִשְׁכָּבוּ וְרִמָּה תְּכַסֶּה עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃
27 Lo, I know your thoughts, and the devices ye wrongfully imagine against me.
הֵן יָדַעְתִּי מַחְשְׁבֽוֹתֵיכֶם וּמְזִמּוֹת עָלַי תַּחְמֹֽסוּ׃
28 For ye say, Where is the house of the noble? and where the tent of the dwellings of the wicked?
כִּי תֹאמְרוּ אַיֵּה בֵית־נָדִיב וְאַיֵּה אֹהֶל ׀ מִשְׁכְּנוֹת רְשָׁעִֽים׃
29 Have ye not asked the wayfarers? and do ye not regard their tokens:
הֲלֹא שְׁאֶלְתֶּם עוֹבְרֵי דָרֶךְ וְאֹתֹתָם לֹא תְנַכֵּֽרוּ׃
30 That the wicked is reserved for the day of calamity? They are led forth to the day of wrath.
כִּי לְיוֹם אֵיד יֵחָשֶׂךְ רָע לְיוֹם עֲבָרוֹת יוּבָֽלוּ׃
31 Who shall declare his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done?
מִֽי־יַגִּיד עַל־פָּנָיו דַּרְכּוֹ וְהוּא־עָשָׂה מִי יְשַׁלֶּם־לֽוֹ׃
32 Yet is he carried to the graves, and watch is kept over the tomb.
וְהוּא לִקְבָרוֹת יוּבָל וְֽעַל־גָּדִישׁ יִשְׁקֽוֹד׃
33 The clods of the valley are sweet unto him; and every man followeth suit after him, as there were innumerable before him.
מָֽתְקוּ־לוֹ רִגְבֵי ־ נָחַל וְאַחֲרָיו כׇּל־אָדָם יִמְשׁוֹךְ וּלְפָנָיו אֵין מִסְפָּֽר׃
34 How then comfort ye me in vain? Your answers remain perfidious.
וְאֵיךְ תְּנַחֲמוּנִי הָבֶל וּתְשׁוּבֹתֵיכֶם נִשְׁאַר־מָֽעַל׃

< Job 21 >