Job 38
1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind,
| וַיַּֽעַן־יְהוָ֣ה אֶת־אִ֭יֹּוב מִנ הַסְּעָרָה (מִ֥ן ׀ הַסְּעָרָ֗ה) וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ |
2 “Who is this who questions my wisdom by talking so ignorantly?
| מִ֤י זֶ֨ה ׀ מַחְשִׁ֖יךְ עֵצָ֥ה בְמִלִּ֗ין בְּֽלִי־דָֽעַת׃ |
3 Prepare yourself, be strong, for I am going to question you, and you must answer me.
| אֱזָר־נָ֣א כְגֶ֣בֶר חֲלָצֶ֑יךָ וְ֝אֶשְׁאָלְךָ֗ וְהֹודִיעֵֽנִי׃ |
4 Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have such knowledge!
| אֵיפֹ֣ה הָ֭יִיתָ בְּיָסְדִי־אָ֑רֶץ הַ֝גֵּ֗ד אִם־יָדַ֥עְתָּ בִינָֽה׃ |
5 Who decided its dimensions? Don't you know? Who stretched out a measuring line?
| מִי־שָׂ֣ם מְ֭מַדֶּיהָ כִּ֣י תֵדָ֑ע אֹ֤ו מִֽי־נָטָ֖ה עָלֶ֣יהָ קָּֽו׃ |
6 What do its foundations rest upon? Who laid its cornerstone,
| עַל־מָ֭ה אֲדָנֶ֣יהָ הָטְבָּ֑עוּ אֹ֥ו מִֽי־יָ֝רָ֗ה אֶ֣בֶן פִּנָּתָֽהּ׃ |
7 when the stars of the morning sang together and all the angels shouted for joy.
| בְּרָן־יַ֭חַד כֹּ֣וכְבֵי בֹ֑קֶר וַ֝יָּרִ֗יעוּ כָּל־בְּנֵ֥י אֱלֹהִֽים׃ |
8 Who laid down the boundaries of the sea when it was born?
| וַיָּ֣סֶךְ בִּדְלָתַ֣יִם יָ֑ם בְּ֝גִיחֹ֗ו מֵרֶ֥חֶם יֵצֵֽא׃ |
9 Who clothed it with clouds, and wrapped it in a blanket of deep darkness?
| בְּשׂוּמִ֣י עָנָ֣ן לְבֻשֹׁ֑ו וַ֝עֲרָפֶ֗ל חֲתֻלָּתֹֽו׃ |
10 I set its limits, marking its borders.
| וָאֶשְׁבֹּ֣ר עָלָ֣יו חֻקִּ֑י וָֽ֝אָשִׂ֗ים בְּרִ֣יחַ וּדְלָתָֽיִם׃ |
11 I said, ‘You may come here, but no farther. Here is where your proud waves stop.’
| וָאֹמַ֗ר עַד־פֹּ֣ה תָ֭בֹוא וְלֹ֣א תֹסִ֑יף וּפֹ֥א־יָ֝שִׁ֗ית בִּגְאֹ֥ון גַּלֶּֽיךָ׃ |
12 During your lifetime, have you ever ordered the morning to begin?
| הְֽ֭מִיָּמֶיךָ צִוִּ֣יתָ בֹּ֑קֶר יִדַּעְתָּה שַׁחַר (יִדַּ֖עְתָּ הַשַּׁ֣חַר) מְקֹמֹֽו׃ |
13 Have you ever told the dawn where to appear that it might take hold of the corners of the earth and shake the wicked out?
| לֶ֭אֱחֹז בְּכַנְפֹ֣ות הָאָ֑רֶץ וְיִנָּעֲר֖וּ רְשָׁעִ֣ים מִמֶּֽנָּה׃ |
14 The earth is changed like clay under a seal; its features stand out like a crumpled garment.
| תִּ֭תְהַפֵּךְ כְּחֹ֣מֶר חֹותָ֑ם וְ֝יִֽתְיַצְּב֗וּ כְּמֹ֣ו לְבֽוּשׁ׃ |
15 The ‘light’ of the wicked is taken away from them; their acts of violence are stopped.
| וְיִמָּנַ֣ע מֵרְשָׁעִ֣ים אֹורָ֑ם וּזְרֹ֥ועַ רָ֝מָ֗ה תִּשָּׁבֵֽר׃ |
16 Have you entered the sources of the sea? Have you explored their hidden depths?
| הֲ֭בָאתָ עַד־נִבְכֵי־יָ֑ם וּבְחֵ֥קֶר תְּ֝הֹ֗ום הִתְהַלָּֽכְתָּ׃ |
17 Have you been shown where the gates of death are? Have you seen the gates of utter darkness?
| הֲנִגְל֣וּ לְ֭ךָ שַׁעֲרֵי־מָ֑וֶת וְשַׁעֲרֵ֖י צַלְמָ֣וֶת תִּרְאֶֽה׃ |
18 Do you know how far the earth extends? Tell me if you know all this!
| הִ֭תְבֹּנַנְתָּ עַד־רַחֲבֵי־אָ֑רֶץ הַ֝גֵּ֗ד אִם־יָדַ֥עְתָּ כֻלָּֽהּ׃ |
19 In which direction does light live? Where does darkness dwell?
| אֵי־זֶ֣ה הַ֭דֶּרֶךְ יִשְׁכָּן־אֹ֑ור וְ֝חֹ֗שֶׁךְ אֵי־זֶ֥ה מְקֹמֹֽו׃ |
20 Can you take them home? Do you know the way to where they live?
| כִּ֣י תִ֭קָּחֶנּוּ אֶל־גְּבוּלֹ֑ו וְכִֽי־תָ֝בִ֗ין נְתִיבֹ֥ות בֵּיתֹֽו׃ |
21 Of course you know, because you were already born then! You've lived so long!
| יָ֭דַעְתָּ כִּי־אָ֣ז תִּוָּלֵ֑ד וּמִסְפַּ֖ר יָמֶ֣יךָ רַבִּֽים׃ |
22 Have you been to where the snow is kept? Have you seen where the hail is held?
| הֲ֭בָאתָ אֶל־אֹצְרֹ֣ות שָׁ֑לֶג וְאֹצְרֹ֖ות בָּרָ֣ד תִּרְאֶֽה׃ |
23 I have stored them up for the time of trouble, for the day of war and battle.
| אֲשֶׁר־חָשַׂ֥כְתִּי לְעֶת־צָ֑ר לְיֹ֥ום קְ֝רָ֗ב וּמִלְחָמָֽה׃ |
24 Do you know the way to where light comes from, or to where the east wind blows over the earth?
| אֵי־זֶ֣ה הַ֭דֶּרֶךְ יֵחָ֣לֶק אֹ֑ור יָפֵ֖ץ קָדִ֣ים עֲלֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃ |
25 Who cuts a channel for the rain to flow? Who creates a path for the thunderbolt?
| מִֽי־פִלַּ֣ג לַשֶּׁ֣טֶף תְּעָלָ֑ה וְ֝דֶ֗רֶךְ לַחֲזִ֥יז קֹלֹֽות׃ |
26 Who brings rain to an uninhabited land, to a desert where nobody lives,
| לְ֭הַמְטִיר עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ לֹא־אִ֑ישׁ מִ֝דְבָּ֗ר לֹא־אָדָ֥ם בֹּֽו׃ |
27 to water a parched wasteland to make the green grass grow?
| לְהַשְׂבִּ֣יעַ שֹׁ֖אָה וּמְשֹׁאָ֑ה וּ֝לְהַצְמִ֗יחַ מֹ֣צָא דֶֽשֶׁא׃ |
28 Does the rain have a father? Who was the father of the dewdrops?
| הֲיֵשׁ־לַמָּטָ֥ר אָ֑ב אֹ֥ו מִי־הֹ֝ולִ֗יד אֶגְלֵי־טָֽל׃ |
29 Who was the mother of ice? Does the frost of the air have a mother?
| מִבֶּ֣טֶן מִ֭י יָצָ֣א הַקָּ֑רַח וּכְפֹ֥ר שָׁ֝מַיִם מִ֣י יְלָדֹֽו׃ |
30 Water turns into rock-hard ice; its surface freezes solid.
| כָּ֭אֶבֶן מַ֣יִם יִתְחַבָּ֑אוּ וּפְנֵ֥י תְ֝הֹ֗ום יִתְלַכָּֽדוּ׃ |
31 Can you tie together the stars of the Pleiades? Can you loosen the belt of the Orion constellation?
| הַֽ֭תְקַשֵּׁר מַעֲדַנֹּ֣ות כִּימָ֑ה אֹֽו־מֹשְׁכֹ֖ות כְּסִ֣יל תְּפַתֵּֽחַ׃ |
32 Can you guide the stars of Mazzaroth at the right time? Can you direct the Great Bear constellation and its other stars?
| הֲתֹצִ֣יא מַזָּרֹ֣ות בְּעִתֹּ֑ו וְ֝עַ֗יִשׁ עַל־בָּנֶ֥יהָ תַנְחֵֽם׃ |
33 Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you apply them to the earth?
| הֲ֭יָדַעְתָּ חֻקֹּ֣ות שָׁמָ֑יִם אִם־תָּשִׂ֖ים מִשְׁטָרֹ֣ו בָאָֽרֶץ׃ |
34 Can you shout to the clouds and command them to pour rain down on you?
| הֲתָרִ֣ים לָעָ֣ב קֹולֶ֑ךָ וְֽשִׁפְעַת־מַ֥יִם תְּכַסֶּֽךָּ׃ |
35 Can you send out bolts of lightning and direct them, so that they can answer you saying, ‘Here we are’?
| הֽ͏ַתְשַׁלַּ֣ח בְּרָקִ֣ים וְיֵלֵ֑כוּ וְיֹאמְר֖וּ לְךָ֣ הִנֵּֽנוּ׃ |
36 Who has placed wisdom inside people? Who has given understanding to the mind?
| מִי־שָׁ֭ת בַּטֻּחֹ֣ות חָכְמָ֑ה אֹ֤ו מִֽי־נָתַ֖ן לַשֶּׂ֣כְוִי בִינָֽה׃ |
37 Who is clever enough to count the clouds? Who can turn heaven's water jars on their sides
| מִֽי־יְסַפֵּ֣ר שְׁחָקִ֣ים בְּחָכְמָ֑ה וְנִבְלֵ֥י שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם מִ֣י יַשְׁכִּֽיב׃ |
38 when the dust has baked into a solid mass?
| בְּצֶ֣קֶת עָ֭פָר לַמּוּצָ֑ק וּרְגָבִ֥ים יְדֻבָּֽקוּ׃ |
39 Can you hunt prey for the lion? Can you feed the lion cubs
| הֲתָצ֣וּד לְלָבִ֣יא טָ֑רֶף וְחַיַּ֖ת כְּפִירִ֣ים תְּמַלֵּֽא׃ |
40 as they crouch down in their dens and lie in wait in the bushes?
| כִּי־יָשֹׁ֥חוּ בַמְּעֹונֹ֑ות יֵשְׁב֖וּ בַסֻּכָּ֣ה לְמֹו־אָֽרֶב׃ |
41 Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God, weak from starvation?
| מִ֤י יָכִ֥ין לָעֹרֵ֗ב צֵ֫ידֹ֥ו כִּֽי־יְלָדֹו (יְ֭לָדָיו) אֶל־אֵ֣ל יְשַׁוֵּ֑עוּ יִ֝תְע֗וּ לִבְלִי־אֹֽכֶל׃ |
