איוב 34

1 וַיַּעַן אֱלִיהוּא וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

And Elius continued, and said,

2 שִׁמְעוּ חֲכָמִים מִלָּי וְיֹֽדְעִים הַֽאֲזִינוּ לִֽי׃

Hear me, ye wise men; hearken, ye that have knowledge.

3 כִּי־אֹזֶן מִלִּין תִּבְחָן וְחֵךְ יִטְעַם לֶאֱכֹֽל׃

For the ear tries words, and the mouth tastes meat.

4 מִשְׁפָּט נִבְחֲרָה־לָּנוּ נֵדְעָה בֵינֵינוּ מַה־טּֽוֹב׃

Let us choose judgment to ourselves: let us know amount ourselves what is right.

5 כִּֽי־אָמַר אִיּוֹב צָדַקְתִּי וְאֵל הֵסִיר מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃

For Job has said, I am righteous: the Lord has removed my judgment.

6 עַל־מִשְׁפָּטִי אֲכַזֵּב אָנוּשׁ חִצִּי בְלִי־פָֽשַׁע׃

And he has erred in my judgment: my wound is severe without unrighteousness [of mine].

7 מִי־גֶבֶר כְּאִיּוֹב יִֽשְׁתֶּה־לַּעַג כַּמָּֽיִם׃

What man is as Job, drinking scorning like water?

8 וְאָרַח לְחֶבְרָה עִם־פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן וְלָלֶכֶת עִם־אַנְשֵׁי־רֶֽשַׁע׃

[saying], I have not sinned, nor committed ungodliness, nor had fellowship with workers of iniquity, to go with the ungodly.

9 כִּֽי־אָמַר לֹא יִסְכׇּן־גָּבֶר בִּרְצֹתוֹ עִם־אֱלֹהִֽים׃

For thou shouldest not say, There shall be no visitation of a man, whereas [there is] a visitation on him from the Lord.

10 לָכֵן ׀ אַנְשֵׁי לֵבָב שִׁמְעוּ ־ לִי חָלִלָה לָאֵל מֵרֶשַׁע וְשַׁדַּי מֵעָֽוֶל׃

Wherefore hear me, ye that are wise in heart: far be it from me to sin before the Lord, and to pervert righteousness before the almighty.

11 כִּי פֹעַל אָדָם יְשַׁלֶּם־לוֹ וּֽכְאֹרַח אִישׁ יַמְצִאֶֽנּוּ׃

Yea, he renders to a man accordingly as each of them does, and in a man's path he will find him.

12 אַף־אׇמְנָם אֵל לֹֽא־יַרְשִׁיעַ וְשַׁדַּי לֹא־יְעַוֵּת מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

And thinkest thou that the Lord will do wrong, or will the Almighty who made the earth wrest judgment?

13 מִֽי־פָקַד עָלָיו אָרְצָה וּמִי שָׂם תֵּבֵל כֻּלָּֽהּ׃

And who is he that made [the whole world] under heaven, and all things therein?

14 אִם־יָשִׂים אֵלָיו לִבּוֹ רוּחוֹ וְנִשְׁמָתוֹ אֵלָיו יֶאֱסֹֽף׃

For if he would confine, and restrain his spirit with himself;

15 יִגְוַע כׇּל־בָּשָׂר יָחַד וְאָדָם עַל־עָפָר יָשֽׁוּב׃

all flesh would die together, and every mortal would return to the earth, whence also he was formed.

16 וְאִם־בִּינָה שִׁמְעָה־זֹּאת הַאֲזִינָה לְקוֹל מִלָּֽי׃

Take heed lest he rebuke [thee]: hear this, hearken to the voice of words.

17 הַאַף שׂוֹנֵא מִשְׁפָּט יַחֲבוֹשׁ וְאִם־צַדִּיק כַּבִּיר תַּרְשִֽׁיעַ׃

Behold then the one that hates iniquities, and that destroys the wicked, who is for ever just.

18 הַאֲמֹר לְמֶלֶךְ בְּלִיָּעַל רָשָׁע אֶל־נְדִיבִֽים׃

[He is] ungodly that says to a king, Thou art a transgressor, [that says] to princes, O most ungodly one.

19 אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־נָשָׂא ׀ פְּנֵי שָׂרִים וְלֹא נִכַּר־שׁוֹעַ לִפְנֵי־דָל כִּֽי־מַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו כֻּלָּֽם׃

[Such a one] as would not reverence the face of an honourable man, neither knows how to give honour to the great, so as that their persons should be respected.

20 רֶגַע ׀ יָמֻתוּ וַחֲצוֹת לָיְלָה יְגֹעֲשׁוּ עָם וְיַעֲבֹרוּ וְיָסִירוּ אַבִּיר לֹא בְיָֽד׃

But it shall turn out vanity to them, to cry and beseech a man; for they dealt unlawfully, the poor being turned aside [from their right].

21 כִּֽי־עֵינָיו עַל־דַּרְכֵי־אִישׁ וְֽכׇל־צְעָדָיו יִרְאֶֽה׃

For he surveys the works of men, and nothing of what they do has escaped him.

22 אֵֽין־חֹשֶׁךְ וְאֵין צַלְמָוֶת לְהִסָּתֶר שָׁם פֹּעֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃

Neither shall there be a place for the workers of iniquity to hide themselves.

23 כִּי לֹא עַל־אִישׁ יָשִׂים עוֹד לַהֲלֹךְ אֶל־אֵל בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

For he will not lay upon a man more [than right].

24 יָרֹעַ כַּבִּירִים לֹא־חֵקֶר וַיַּעֲמֵד אֲחֵרִים תַּחְתָּֽם׃

For the Lord looks down upon all men, who comprehends unsearchable things, glorious also and excellent things without number.

25 לָכֵן יַכִּיר מַעְבָּדֵיהֶם וְהָפַךְ לַיְלָה וְיִדַּכָּֽאוּ׃

Who discovers their works, and will bring night about [upon them], and they shall be brought low.

26 תַּֽחַת־רְשָׁעִים סְפָקָם בִּמְקוֹם רֹאִֽים׃

And he quite destroys the ungodly, for they are seen before him.

27 אֲשֶׁר עַל־כֵּן סָרוּ מֵאַחֲרָיו וְכׇל־דְּרָכָיו לֹא הִשְׂכִּֽילוּ׃

Because they turned aside from the law of God, and did not regard his ordinances,

28 לְהָבִיא עָלָיו צַעֲקַת־דָּל וְצַעֲקַת עֲנִיִּים יִשְׁמָֽע׃

so as to bring before him the cry of the needy; for he will hear the cry of the poor.

29 וְהוּא יַשְׁקִט ׀ וּמִי יַרְשִׁעַ וְיַסְתֵּר פָּנִים וּמִי יְשׁוּרֶנּוּ וְעַל־גּוֹי וְעַל־אָדָם יָֽחַד׃

And he will give quiet, and who will condemn? and he will hide his face, and who shall see him? whether [it be done] against a nation, or against a man also:

30 מִמְּלֹךְ אָדָם חָנֵף מִמֹּקְשֵׁי עָֽם׃

causing a hypocrite to be king, because of the waywardness of the people.

31 כִּֽי־אֶל־אֵל הֶאָמַר נָשָׂאתִי לֹא אֶחְבֹּֽל׃

For [there is] one that says to the Mighty One, I have received [blessings]; I will not take a pledge:

32 בִּלְעֲדֵי אֶחֱזֶה אַתָּה הֹרֵנִי אִֽם־עָוֶל פָּעַלְתִּי לֹא אֹסִֽיף׃

I will see apart from myself: do thou shew me if I have done unrighteousness; I will not do [so] any more.

33 הֲֽמֵעִמְּךָ יְשַׁלְּמֶנָּה ׀ כִּֽי־מָאַסְתָּ כִּֽי־אַתָּה תִבְחַר וְלֹא־אָנִי וּֽמַה־יָּדַעְתָּ דַבֵּֽר׃

Will he take vengeance for it on thee, whereas thou wilt put [it] far [from thee]? for thou shalt choose, and not I; and what thou knowest, speak thou.

34 אַנְשֵׁי לֵבָב יֹאמְרוּ לִי וְגֶבֶר חָכָם שֹׁמֵעַֽ לִֽי׃

Because the wise in heart shall say this, and a wise man listens to my word.

35 אִיּוֹב לֹא־בְדַעַת יְדַבֵּר וּדְבָרָיו לֹא בְהַשְׂכֵּֽיל׃

But Job has not spoken with understanding, his words are not [uttered] with knowledge.

36 אָבִי יִבָּחֵן אִיּוֹב עַד־נֶצַח עַל־תְּשֻׁבֹת בְּאַנְשֵׁי־אָֽוֶן׃

Howbeit do thou learn, Job: no longer make answer as the foolish:

37 כִּי יֹסִיף עַֽל־חַטָּאתוֹ פֶשַׁע בֵּינֵינוּ יִשְׂפּוֹק וְיֶרֶב אֲמָרָיו לָאֵֽל׃

that we add not to our sins: for iniquity will be reckoned against us, if [we] speak many words before the Lord.