Job 21
1 Then Job answered and said:
| וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ |
2 Hear diligently my speech; and let this be your consolations.
| שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ מִלָּתִי וּתְהִי־זֹאת תַּנְחוּמֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃ |
3 Suffer me, that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on.
| שָׂאוּנִי וְאָנֹכִי אֲדַבֵּר וְאַחַר דַּבְּרִי תַלְעִֽיג׃ |
4 As for me, is my complaint to man? Or why should I not be impatient?
| הֶאָנֹכִי לְאָדָם שִׂיחִי וְאִם־מַדּוּעַ לֹא־תִקְצַר רוּחִֽי׃ |
5 Turn unto me, and be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth.
| פְּנוּ־אֵלַי וְהָשַׁמּוּ וְשִׂימוּ יָד עַל־פֶּֽה׃ |
6 Even when I remember I am affrighted, and horror hath taketh hold on my flesh.
| וְאִם־זָכַרְתִּי וְנִבְהָלְתִּי וְאָחַז בְּשָׂרִי פַּלָּצֽוּת׃ |
7 Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, wax mighty in power?
| מַדּוּעַ רְשָׁעִים יִחְיוּ עָתְקוּ גַּם־גָּבְרוּ חָֽיִל׃ |
8 Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes.
| זַרְעָם נָכוֹן לִפְנֵיהֶם עִמָּם וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶם לְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃ |
9 Their houses are safe, without 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 sing to the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe.
| יִשְׂאוּ כְּתֹף וְכִנּוֹר וְיִשְׂמְחוּ לְקוֹל עוּגָֽב׃ |
| יבלו יְכַלּוּ בַטּוֹב יְמֵיהֶם וּבְרֶגַע שְׁאוֹל יֵחָֽתּוּ׃ (Sheol h7585) |
14 Yet they said 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 profit should we have, if we pray unto Him?' —
| מַה־שַׁדַּי כִּֽי־נַֽעַבְדֶנּוּ וּמַה־נּוֹעִיל כִּי נִפְגַּע־בּֽוֹ׃ |
16 Lo, their prosperity is not in their hand; the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
| הֵן לֹא בְיָדָם טוּבָם עֲצַת רְשָׁעִים רָחֲקָה מֶֽנִּי׃ |
17 How oft is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out? that their calamity cometh upon them? that He distributeth pains in His anger?
| כַּמָּה ׀ נֵר־רְשָׁעִים יִדְעָךְ וְיָבֹא עָלֵימוֹ אֵידָם חֲבָלִים יְחַלֵּק בְּאַפּֽוֹ׃ |
18 That they are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm stealeth away?
| יִהְיוּ כְּתֶבֶן לִפְנֵי־רוּחַ וּכְמֹץ גְּנָבַתּוּ סוּפָֽה׃ |
19 'God layeth up his iniquity for his children!' — let Him recompense it unto himself, that he may know it.
| אֱלוֹהַּ יִצְפֹּן־לְבָנָיו אוֹנוֹ יְשַׁלֵּם אֵלָיו וְיֵדָֽע׃ |
20 Let his own eyes see his destruction, and let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
| יִרְאוּ עינו עֵינָיו כִּידוֹ וּמֵחֲמַת שַׁדַּי יִשְׁתֶּֽה׃ |
21 For what pleasure hath he in his house after him? seeing the number of his months is determined.
| כִּי מַה־חֶפְצוֹ בְּבֵיתוֹ אַחֲרָיו וּמִסְפַּר חֳדָשָׁיו חֻצָּֽצוּ׃ |
22 Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing it is He 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 pails are full of milk, and the marrow of his bones is moistened.
| עֲטִינָיו מָלְאוּ חָלָב וּמֹחַ עַצְמוֹתָיו יְשֻׁקֶּֽה׃ |
25 And another dieth in bitterness of soul, and hath never tasted of good.
| וְזֶה יָמוּת בְּנֶפֶשׁ מָרָה וְלֹֽא־אָכַל בַּטּוֹבָֽה׃ |
26 They lie down alike in the dust, and the worm covereth them.
| יַחַד עַל־עָפָר יִשְׁכָּבוּ וְרִמָּה תְּכַסֶּה עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ |
27 Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.
| הֵן יָדַעְתִּי מַחְשְׁבֽוֹתֵיכֶם וּמְזִמּוֹת עָלַי תַּחְמֹֽסוּ׃ |
28 For ye say: 'Where is the house of the prince? And where is the tent wherein the wicked dwelt?'
| כִּי תֹֽאמְרוּ אַיֵּה בֵית־נָדִיב וְאַיֵּה אֹהֶל ׀ מִשְׁכְּנוֹת רְשָׁעִֽים׃ |
29 Have ye not asked them that go by the way; and will ye misdeem their tokens,
| הֲלֹא שְׁאֶלְתֶּם עוֹבְרֵי דָרֶךְ וְאֹתֹתָם לֹא תְנַכֵּֽרוּ׃ |
30 That the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity, that they are led forth to the day of wrath?
| כִּי לְיוֹם אֵיד יֵחָשֶׂךְ רָע לְיוֹם עֲבָרוֹת יוּבָֽלוּ׃ |
31 But who shall declare his way to his face? And who shall repay him what he hath done?
| מִֽי־יַגִּיד עַל־פָּנָיו דַּרְכּוֹ וְהֽוּא־עָשָׂה מִי יְשַׁלֶּם־לֽוֹ׃ |
32 For he is borne to the grave, and watch is kept over his tomb.
| וְהוּא לִקְבָרוֹת יוּבָל וְֽעַל־גָּדִישׁ יִשְׁקֽוֹד׃ |
33 The clods of the valley are sweet unto him, and all men draw after him, as there were innumerable before him.
| מָֽתְקוּ־לוֹ רִגְבֵי נָחַל וְאַחֲרָיו כָּל־אָדָם יִמְשׁוֹךְ וּלְפָנָיו אֵין מִסְפָּֽר׃ |
34 How then comfort ye me in vain? And as for your answers, there remaineth only faithlessness?
| וְאֵיךְ תְּנַחֲמוּנִי הָבֶל וּתְשֽׁוּבֹתֵיכֶם נִשְׁאַר־מָֽעַל׃ |
