< Job 36 >

1 Elihu also continued, and said,
וַיֹּסֶף אֱלִיהוּא וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
2 “Bear with me a little, and I will show you; for I still have something to say on God’s behalf.
כַּתַּר־לִי זְעֵיר וַאֲחַוֶּךָּ כִּי עוֹד לֶאֱלוֹהַּ מִלִּֽים׃
3 I will get my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
אֶשָּׂא דֵעִי לְמֵרָחוֹק וּלְפֹעֲלִי אֶֽתֵּֽן־צֶֽדֶק׃
4 For truly my words are not false. One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
כִּֽי־אָמְנָם לֹא־שֶׁקֶר מִלָּי תְּמִים דֵּעוֹת עִמָּֽךְ׃
5 “Behold, God is mighty, and doesn’t despise anyone. He is mighty in strength of understanding.
הֶן־אֵל כַּבִּיר וְלֹא יִמְאָס כַּבִּיר כֹּחַֽ לֵֽב׃
6 He doesn’t preserve the life of the wicked, but gives justice to the afflicted.
לֹא־יְחַיֶּה רָשָׁע וּמִשְׁפַּט עֲנִיִּים יִתֵּֽן׃
7 He doesn’t withdraw his eyes from the righteous, but with kings on the throne, he sets them forever, and they are exalted.
לֹֽא־יִגְרַע מִצַּדִּיק עֵינָיו וְאֶת־מְלָכִים לַכִּסֵּא וַיֹּשִׁיבֵם לָנֶצַח וַיִּגְבָּֽהוּ׃
8 If they are bound in fetters, and are taken in the cords of afflictions,
וְאִם־אֲסוּרִים בַּזִּקִּים יִלָּכְדוּן בְּחַבְלֵי־עֹֽנִי׃
9 then he shows them their work, and their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly.
וַיַּגֵּד לָהֶם פָּעֳלָם וּפִשְׁעֵיהֶם כִּי יִתְגַּבָּֽרוּ׃
10 He also opens their ears to instruction, and commands that they return from iniquity.
וַיִּגֶל אָזְנָם לַמּוּסָר וַיֹּאמֶר כִּֽי־יְשֻׁבוּן מֵאָֽוֶן׃
11 If they listen and serve him, they will spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.
אִֽם־יִשְׁמְעוּ וְֽיַעֲבֹדוּ יְכַלּוּ יְמֵיהֶם בַּטּוֹב וּשְׁנֵיהֶם בַּנְּעִימִֽים׃
12 But if they don’t listen, they will perish by the sword; they will die without knowledge.
וְאִם־לֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ בְּשֶׁלַח יַעֲבֹרוּ וְיִגְוְעוּ כִּבְלִי־דָֽעַת׃
13 “But those who are godless in heart lay up anger. They don’t cry for help when he binds them.
וְֽחַנְפֵי־לֵב יָשִׂימוּ אָף לֹא יְשַׁוְּעוּ כִּי אֲסָרָֽם׃
14 They die in youth. Their life perishes amongst the unclean.
תָּמֹת בַּנֹּעַר נַפְשָׁם וְחַיָּתָם בַּקְּדֵשִֽׁים׃
15 He delivers the afflicted by their affliction, and opens their ear in oppression.
יְחַלֵּץ עָנִי בְעָנְיוֹ וְיִגֶל בַּלַּחַץ אָזְנָֽם׃
16 Yes, he would have allured you out of distress, into a wide place, where there is no restriction. That which is set on your table would be full of fatness.
וְאַף הֲסִיתְךָ ׀ מִפִּי־צָר רַחַב לֹא־מוּצָק תַּחְתֶּיהָ וְנַחַת שֻׁלְחָנְךָ מָלֵא דָֽשֶׁן׃
17 “But you are full of the judgement of the wicked. Judgement and justice take hold of you.
וְדִין־רָשָׁע מָלֵאתָ דִּין וּמִשְׁפָּט יִתְמֹֽכוּ׃
18 Don’t let riches entice you to wrath, neither let the great size of a bribe turn you aside.
כִּֽי־חֵמָה פֶּן־יְסִֽיתְךָ בְסָפֶק וְרָב־כֹּפֶר אַל־יַטֶּֽךָּ׃
19 Would your wealth sustain you in distress, or all the might of your strength?
הֲיַעֲרֹךְ שׁוּעֲךָ לֹא בְצָר וְכֹל מַאֲמַצֵּי־כֹֽחַ׃
20 Don’t desire the night, when people are cut off in their place.
אַל־תִּשְׁאַף הַלָּיְלָה לַעֲלוֹת עַמִּים תַּחְתָּֽם׃
21 Take heed, don’t regard iniquity; for you have chosen this rather than affliction.
הִשָּׁמֶר אַל־תֵּפֶן אֶל־אָוֶן כִּֽי־עַל־זֶה בָּחַרְתָּ מֵעֹֽנִי׃
22 Behold, God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him?
הֶן־אֵל יַשְׂגִּיב בְּכֹחוֹ מִי כָמֹהוּ מוֹרֶֽה׃
23 Who has prescribed his way for him? Or who can say, ‘You have committed unrighteousness’?
מִֽי־פָקַד עָלָיו דַּרְכּוֹ וּמִֽי־אָמַר פָּעַלְתָּ עַוְלָֽה׃
24 “Remember that you magnify his work, about which men have sung.
זְכֹר כִּֽי־תַשְׂגִּיא פָעֳלוֹ אֲשֶׁר שֹׁרְרוּ אֲנָשִֽׁים׃
25 All men have looked on it. Man sees it afar off.
כָּל־אָדָם חָֽזוּ־בוֹ אֱנוֹשׁ יַבִּיט מֵרָחֽוֹק׃
26 Behold, God is great, and we don’t know him. The number of his years is unsearchable.
הֶן־אֵל שַׂגִּיא וְלֹא נֵדָע מִסְפַּר שָׁנָיו וְלֹא־חֵֽקֶר׃
27 For he draws up the drops of water, which distill in rain from his vapour,
כִּי יְגָרַע נִטְפֵי־מָיִם יָזֹקּוּ מָטָר לְאֵדֽוֹ׃
28 which the skies pour down and which drop on man abundantly.
אֲשֶֽׁר־יִזְּלוּ שְׁחָקִים יִרְעֲפוּ עֲלֵי ׀ אָדָם רָֽב׃
29 Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds and the thunderings of his pavilion?
אַף אִם־יָבִין מִפְרְשֵׂי־עָב תְּשֻׁאוֹת סֻכָּתֽוֹ׃
30 Behold, he spreads his light around him. He covers the bottom of the sea.
הֵן־פָּרַשׂ עָלָיו אוֹרוֹ וְשָׁרְשֵׁי הַיָּם כִּסָּֽה׃
31 For by these he judges the people. He gives food in abundance.
כִּי־בָם יָדִין עַמִּים יִֽתֶּן־אֹכֶל לְמַכְבִּֽיר׃
32 He covers his hands with the lightning, and commands it to strike the mark.
עַל־כַּפַּיִם כִּסָּה־אוֹר וַיְצַו עָלֶיהָ בְמַפְגִּֽיעַ׃
33 Its noise tells about him, and the livestock also, concerning the storm that comes up.
יַגִּיד עָלָיו רֵעוֹ מִקְנֶה אַף עַל־עוֹלֶֽה׃

< Job 36 >