איוב 36
| וַיֹּסֶף אֱלִיהוּא וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ | 1 |
Elihu continued speaking.
| כַּתַּר־לִי זְעֵיר וַאֲחַוֶּךָּ כִּי עוֹד לֶאֱלוֹהַּ מִלִּֽים׃ | 2 |
“Be patient with me just a little while longer and let me explain. I still have something to say on God's behalf.
| אֶשָּׂא דֵעִי לְמֵרָחוֹק וּלְפֹעֲלִי אֶֽתֵּֽן־צֶֽדֶק׃ | 3 |
I will share my extensive knowledge, and I will prove my Creator is in the right.
| כִּֽי־אׇמְנָם לֹא־שֶׁקֶר מִלָּי תְּמִים דֵּעוֹת עִמָּֽךְ׃ | 4 |
I assure you that what I'm saying are not lies, for I am a man whose knowledge is of the highest order.
| הֶן־אֵל כַּבִּיר וְלֹא יִמְאָס כַּבִּיר כֹּחַֽ לֵֽב׃ | 5 |
God is mighty, but doesn't despise anyone; he is powerful in strength and understanding.
| לֹא־יְחַיֶּה רָשָׁע וּמִשְׁפַּט עֲנִיִּים יִתֵּֽן׃ | 6 |
He does not keep the wicked alive, but gives justice to the oppressed.
| לֹֽא־יִגְרַע מִצַּדִּיק עֵינָיו וְאֶת־מְלָכִים לַכִּסֵּא וַיֹּשִׁיבֵם לָנֶצַח וַיִּגְבָּֽהוּ׃ | 7 |
He always pays attention those who do right, and places them on thrones with kings, honoring them eternally.
| וְאִם־אֲסוּרִים בַּזִּקִּים יִלָּכְדוּן בְּחַבְלֵי־עֹֽנִי׃ | 8 |
If they are bound in chains, tied down by ropes of suffering,
| וַיַּגֵּד לָהֶם פׇּעֳלָם וּפִשְׁעֵיהֶם כִּי יִתְגַּבָּֽרוּ׃ | 9 |
then he explains to them what they've done—their arrogant sins.
| וַיִּגֶל אׇזְנָם לַמּוּסָר וַיֹּאמֶר כִּֽי־יְשׁוּבוּן מֵאָֽוֶן׃ | 10 |
He makes them pay attention and orders them to stop sinning.
| אִֽם־יִשְׁמְעוּ וְֽיַעֲבֹדוּ יְכַלּוּ יְמֵיהֶם בַּטּוֹב וּשְׁנֵיהֶם בַּנְּעִימִֽים׃ | 11 |
If they listen and do what God says they will live out their lives in happiness.
| וְאִם־לֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ בְּשֶׁלַח יַעֲבֹרוּ וְיִגְוְעוּ בִּבְלִי־דָֽעַת׃ | 12 |
But if they do not listen they will die a violent death, ignorant of God.
| וְֽחַנְפֵי־לֵב יָשִׂימוּ אָף לֹא יְשַׁוְּעוּ כִּי אֲסָרָֽם׃ | 13 |
Those who reject God hold on to their bitterness. Even when he disciplines them they do not cry out to him for help.
| תָּמֹת בַּנֹּעַר נַפְשָׁם וְחַיָּתָם בַּקְּדֵשִֽׁים׃ | 14 |
They die in their youth; their lives end among the male temple prostitutes.
| יְחַלֵּץ עָנִי בְעׇנְיוֹ וְיִגֶל בַּלַּחַץ אׇזְנָֽם׃ | 15 |
Through suffering God saves those who suffer; he gets their attention through their troubles.
| וְאַף הֲסִֽיתְךָ ׀ מִפִּי־צָר רַחַב לֹא־מוּצָק תַּחְתֶּיהָ וְנַחַת שֻׁלְחָנְךָ מָלֵא דָֽשֶׁן׃ | 16 |
God is trying to rescue you from the jaws of trouble to a place of freedom and safety, filling your table full of the very best food.
| וְדִין־רָשָׁע מָלֵאתָ דִּין וּמִשְׁפָּט יִתְמֹֽכוּ׃ | 17 |
But you are preoccupied with the fate of the wicked; judgment and justice fill your mind.
| כִּֽי־חֵמָה פֶּן־יְסִֽיתְךָ בְסָפֶק וְרׇב־כֹּפֶר אַל־יַטֶּֽךָּ׃ | 18 |
But be careful that your anger doesn't seduce you into mockery; and don't let the size of the ‘bribe’ lead you into sin.
| הֲיַעֲרֹךְ שׁוּעֲךָ לֹא בְצָר וְכֹל מַאֲמַצֵּי־כֹֽחַ׃ | 19 |
Will your cry for help sustain you when troubles come?
| אַל־תִּשְׁאַף הַלָּיְלָה לַעֲלוֹת עַמִּים תַּחְתָּֽם׃ | 20 |
Do not long for the night when people are suddenly taken away.
| הִשָּׁמֶר אַל־תֵּפֶן אֶל־אָוֶן כִּֽי־עַל־זֶה בָּחַרְתָּ מֵעֹֽנִי׃ | 21 |
Watch out that you don't turn to evil! For it's because of this that you are being tested through suffering.
| הֶן־אֵל יַשְׂגִּיב בְּכֹחוֹ מִי כָמֹהוּ מוֹרֶֽה׃ | 22 |
Look how much power God has! What teacher is like him?
| מִֽי־פָקַד עָלָיו דַּרְכּוֹ וּמִי־אָמַר פָּעַלְתָּ עַוְלָֽה׃ | 23 |
Who has instructed him what to do? Who can say to him ‘You have done wrong’?
| זְכֹר כִּֽי־תַשְׂגִּיא פׇעֳלוֹ אֲשֶׁר שֹׁרְרוּ אֲנָשִֽׁים׃ | 24 |
Instead you should praise him for what he has done, as people have done in song.
| כׇּל־אָדָם חָזוּ־בוֹ אֱנוֹשׁ יַבִּיט מֵרָחֽוֹק׃ | 25 |
Everyone has seen God's creation, though only from a distance.
| הֶן־אֵל שַׂגִּיא וְלֹא נֵדָע מִסְפַּר שָׁנָיו וְלֹא־חֵֽקֶר׃ | 26 |
See how great God is—more than we can understand! No one can count his years.
| כִּי יְגָרַע נִטְפֵי־מָיִם יָזֹקּוּ מָטָר לְאֵדֽוֹ׃ | 27 |
He draws up the water and distils it into the dew and the rain.
| אֲשֶֽׁר־יִזְּלוּ שְׁחָקִים יִרְעֲפוּ עֲלֵי ׀ אָדָם רָֽב׃ | 28 |
The clouds pour down rain, falling plentifully on humankind.
| אַף אִם־יָבִין מִפְרְשֵׂי־עָב תְּשֻׁאוֹת סֻכָּתֽוֹ׃ | 29 |
Can anyone understand how the clouds spread out, or how thunder roars from where he lives?
| הֵן־פָּרַשׂ עָלָיו אוֹרוֹ וְשׇׁרְשֵׁי הַיָּם כִּסָּֽה׃ | 30 |
See how he scatters lightning around him, and covers the depths of the sea in darkness.
| כִּי־בָם יָדִין עַמִּים יִֽתֶּן־אֹכֶל לְמַכְבִּֽיר׃ | 31 |
By these actions he rules the people, he provides abundant food.
| עַל־כַּפַּיִם כִּסָּה־אוֹר וַיְצַו עָלֶיהָ בְמַפְגִּֽיעַ׃ | 32 |
He holds lightning in his hands and commands where it should strike.
| יַגִּיד עָלָיו רֵעוֹ מִקְנֶה אַף עַל־עוֹלֶֽה׃ | 33 |
Thunder declares his presence—even cattle know when a storm is coming.
