Job 21
1 Job replied,
| וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ |
2 “Please listen carefully to what I say—that would be one comfort you could give me.
| שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ מִלָּתִי וּתְהִי־זֹאת תַּנְחוּמֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃ |
3 Bear with me; let me speak. After I've spoken you can resume mocking me.
| שָׂאוּנִי וְאָנֹכִי אֲדַבֵּר וְאַחַר דַּבְּרִי תַלְעִֽיג׃ |
4 Am I complaining against people? Of course not. Why shouldn't I be impatient?
| הֶאָנֹכִי לְאָדָם שִׂיחִי וְאִם־מַדּוּעַ לֹֽא־תִקְצַר רוּחִֽי׃ |
5 Just take a look at me. Aren't you appalled? Cover your mouth with your hand in shock!
| פְּנוּ־אֵלַי וְהָשַׁמּוּ וְשִׂימוּ יָד עַל־פֶּֽה׃ |
6 Every time I think of what's happened to me I am horrified and I shake all over with fear.
| וְאִם־זָכַרְתִּי וְנִבְהָלְתִּי וְאָחַז בְּשָׂרִי פַּלָּצֽוּת׃ |
7 Why do the wicked continue to live, to grow old and increasingly powerful?
| מַדּוּעַ רְשָׁעִים יִֽחְיוּ עָתְקוּ גַּם־גָּבְרוּ חָֽיִל׃ |
8 Their children are with them; they watch their grandchildren grow up.
| זַרְעָם נָכוֹן לִפְנֵיהֶם עִמָּם וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶם לְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃ |
9 They live in their homes in safety—they are not afraid. God does not use his rod to beat them.
| בָּתֵּיהֶם שָׁלוֹם מִפָּחַד וְלֹא שֵׁבֶט אֱלוֹהַּ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ |
10 Their bulls always breed successfully; their cows give birth to calves and do not miscarry.
| שׁוֹרוֹ עִבַּר וְלֹא יַגְעִל תְּפַלֵּט פָּרָתוֹ וְלֹא תְשַׁכֵּֽל׃ |
11 They send out their little ones like lambs to play; their children dance around.
| יְשַׁלְּחוּ כַצֹּאן עֲוִילֵיהֶם וְיַלְדֵיהֶם יְרַקֵּדֽוּן׃ |
12 They sing accompanied by the tambourine and lyre; they celebrate with the music of the flute.
| יִשְׂאוּ כְּתֹף וְכִנּוֹר וְיִשְׂמְחוּ לְקוֹל עוּגָֽב׃ |
| (יבלו) [יְכַלּוּ] בַטּוֹב יְמֵיהֶם וּבְרֶגַע שְׁאוֹל יֵחָֽתּוּ׃ (Sheol h7585) |
14 Yet they tell God, ‘Get lost! We don't want anything to do with you.
| וַיֹּאמְרוּ לָאֵל סוּר מִמֶּנּוּ וְדַעַת דְּרָכֶיךָ לֹא חָפָֽצְנוּ׃ |
15 Who does the Almighty think he is for us to serve him as slaves? What benefit is there for us if we pray to him?’
| מַה־שַּׁדַּי כִּֽי־נַעַבְדֶנּוּ וּמַה־נּוֹעִיל כִּי נִפְגַּע־בּֽוֹ׃ |
16 Such people believe they make their own fortune, but I don't accept their way of thinking.
| הֵן לֹא בְיָדָם טוּבָם עֲצַת רְשָׁעִים רָחֲקָה מֶֽנִּי׃ |
17 How often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out? How often does disaster come upon them? How often does God punish the wicked in his anger?
| כַּמָּה ׀ נֵר־רְשָׁעִים יִדְעָךְ וְיָבֹא עָלֵימוֹ אֵידָם חֲבָלִים יְחַלֵּק בְּאַפּֽוֹ׃ |
18 Are they blown along like straw in the wind? Does a tornado come in and carry them away?
| יִֽהְיוּ כְּתֶבֶן לִפְנֵי־רוּחַ וּכְמֹץ גְּנָבַתּוּ סוּפָֽה׃ |
19 Some say, ‘God saves up people's punishment for their children.’ But I say, ‘God should punish those people themselves so that they can learn from it.’
| אֱלוֹהַּ יִצְפֹּן־לְבָנָיו אוֹנוֹ יְשַׁלֵּם אֵלָיו וְיֵדָֽע׃ |
20 Let them see their destruction themselves, and drink deeply from God's anger.
| יִרְאוּ עֵינָו כִּידוֹ וּמֵחֲמַת שַׁדַּי יִשְׁתֶּֽה׃ |
21 For they don't care what happens to their families once they're dead.
| כִּי מַה־חֶפְצוֹ בְּבֵיתוֹ אַחֲרָיו וּמִסְפַּר חֳדָשָׁיו חֻצָּֽצוּ׃ |
22 Can anyone teach God anything he doesn't already know, since he is the one who judges even heavenly beings?
| הַלְאֵל יְלַמֶּד־דָּעַת וְהוּא רָמִים יִשְׁפּֽוֹט׃ |
23 One person dies in good health, totally comfortable and secure.
| זֶה יָמוּת בְּעֶצֶם תֻּמּוֹ כֻּלּוֹ שַׁלְאֲנַן וְשָׁלֵֽיו׃ |
24 Their body is fat from eating well; their bones still strong.
| עֲטִינָיו מָלְאוּ חָלָב וּמֹחַ עַצְמוֹתָיו יְשֻׁקֶּֽה׃ |
25 Another dies after a miserable life without every experiencing happiness.
| וְזֶה יָמוּת בְּנֶפֶשׁ מָרָה וְלֹֽא־אָכַל בַּטּוֹבָֽה׃ |
26 Yet they are both buried in the same dust; they are treated alike in death, eaten by maggots.
| יַחַד עַל־עָפָר יִשְׁכָּבוּ וְרִמָּה תְּכַסֶּה עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ |
27 Look, I know what you're thinking, and your schemes to do me wrong.
| הֵן יָדַעְתִּי מַחְשְׁבֽוֹתֵיכֶם וּמְזִמּוֹת עָלַי תַּחְמֹֽסוּ׃ |
28 You may ask me, ‘Where is the home of the great man? Where is the place where the wicked live?’
| כִּי תֹאמְרוּ אַיֵּה בֵית־נָדִיב וְאַיֵּה אֹהֶל ׀ מִשְׁכְּנוֹת רְשָׁעִֽים׃ |
29 Haven't you asked people who travel? Don't you pay attention to what they tell you?
| הֲלֹא שְׁאֶלְתֶּם עוֹבְרֵי דָרֶךְ וְאֹתֹתָם לֹא תְנַכֵּֽרוּ׃ |
30 Wicked people are spared in times of disaster; they are rescued from the day of judgment.
| כִּי לְיוֹם אֵיד יֵחָשֶׂךְ רָע לְיוֹם עֲבָרוֹת יוּבָֽלוּ׃ |
31 Who confronts them with their actions? Who pays them back for what they have done?
| מִֽי־יַגִּיד עַל־פָּנָיו דַּרְכּוֹ וְהוּא־עָשָׂה מִי יְשַׁלֶּם־לֽוֹ׃ |
32 When they eventually die and are carried to the graveyard, their tomb is guarded. The earth of the grave softly covers them.
| וְהוּא לִקְבָרוֹת יוּבָל וְֽעַל־גָּדִישׁ יִשְׁקֽוֹד׃ |
33 Everyone attends their funeral service; a huge procession of people comes to pay their last respects.
| מָֽתְקוּ־לוֹ רִגְבֵי ־ נָחַל וְאַחֲרָיו כׇּל־אָדָם יִמְשׁוֹךְ וּלְפָנָיו אֵין מִסְפָּֽר׃ |
34 Why do you try to comfort me with worthless nonsense? Your answers are just a pack of lies!”
| וְאֵיךְ תְּנַחֲמוּנִי הָבֶל וּתְשׁוּבֹתֵיכֶם נִשְׁאַר־מָֽעַל׃ |
