אִיּוֹב 12
| וַיַּ֥עַן אִיֹּ֗וב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ | 1 |
Then Job answered:
| אָ֭מְנָם כִּ֣י אַתֶּם־עָ֑ם וְ֝עִמָּכֶ֗ם תָּמ֥וּת חָכְמָֽה׃ | 2 |
“Truly then you are the people with whom wisdom itself will die!
| גַּם־לִ֤י לֵבָ֨ב ׀ כְּֽמֹוכֶ֗ם לֹא־נֹפֵ֣ל אָנֹכִ֣י מִכֶּ֑ם וְאֶת־מִי־אֵ֥ין כְּמֹו־אֵֽלֶּה׃ | 3 |
But I also have a mind; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these?
| שְׂחֹ֤ק לְרֵעֵ֨הוּ ׀ אֶֽהְיֶ֗ה קֹרֵ֣א לֶ֭אֱלֹוהַּ וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑הוּ שְׂ֝חֹ֗וק צַדִּ֥יק תָּמִֽים׃ | 4 |
I am a laughingstock to my friends, though I called on God, and He answered. The righteous and upright man is a laughingstock.
| לַפִּ֣יד בּ֭וּז לְעַשְׁתּ֣וּת שַׁאֲנָ֑ן נָ֝כֹ֗ון לְמֹ֣ועֲדֵי רָֽגֶל׃ | 5 |
The one at ease scorns misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.
| יִשְׁלָ֤יוּ אֹֽהָלִ֨ים ׀ לְשֹׁ֥דְדִ֗ים וּֽ֭בַטֻּחֹות לְמַרְגִּ֣יזֵי אֵ֑ל לַאֲשֶׁ֤ר הֵבִ֖יא אֱלֹ֣והַּ בְּיָדֹֽו׃ | 6 |
The tents of robbers are safe, and those who provoke God are secure— those who carry their god in their hands.
| וְֽאוּלָ֗ם שְׁאַל־נָ֣א בְהֵמֹ֣ות וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וְעֹ֥וף הַ֝שָּׁמַ֗יִם וְיַגֶּד־לָֽךְ׃ | 7 |
But ask the animals, and they will instruct you; ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.
| אֹ֤ו שִׂ֣יחַ לָאָ֣רֶץ וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וִֽיסַפְּר֥וּ לְ֝ךָ֗ דְּגֵ֣י הַיָּֽם׃ | 8 |
Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; let the fish of the sea inform you.
| מִ֭י לֹא־יָדַ֣ע בְּכָל־אֵ֑לֶּה כִּ֥י יַד־יְ֝הוָה עָ֣שְׂתָה זֹּֽאת׃ | 9 |
Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּ֭יָדֹו נֶ֣פֶשׁ כָּל־חָ֑י וְ֝ר֗וּחַ כָּל־בְּשַׂר־אִֽישׁ׃ | 10 |
The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind.
| הֲלֹא־אֹ֭זֶן מִלִּ֣ין תִּבְחָ֑ן וְ֝חֵ֗ךְ אֹ֣כֶל יִטְעַם־לֹֽו׃ | 11 |
Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes its food?
| בִּֽישִׁישִׁ֥ים חָכְמָ֑ה וְאֹ֖רֶךְ יָמִ֣ים תְּבוּנָֽה׃ | 12 |
Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life.
| עִ֭מֹּו חָכְמָ֣ה וּגְבוּרָ֑ה לֹ֝֗ו עֵצָ֥ה וּתְבוּנָֽה׃ | 13 |
Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His.
| הֵ֣ן יַ֭הֲרֹוס וְלֹ֣א יִבָּנֶ֑ה יִסְגֹּ֥ר עַל־אִ֝֗ישׁ וְלֹ֣א יִפָּתֵֽחַ׃ | 14 |
What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.
| הֵ֤ן יַעְצֹ֣ר בַּמַּ֣יִם וְיִבָ֑שׁוּ וִֽ֝ישַׁלְּחֵ֗ם וְיַ֖הַפְכוּ אָֽרֶץ׃ | 15 |
If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land.
| עִ֭מֹּו עֹ֣ז וְתֽוּשִׁיָּ֑ה לֹ֝֗ו שֹׁגֵ֥ג וּמַשְׁגֶּֽה׃ | 16 |
True wisdom and power belong to Him. The deceived and the deceiver are His.
| מֹולִ֣יךְ יֹועֲצִ֣ים שֹׁולָ֑ל וְֽשֹׁפְטִ֥ים יְהֹולֵֽל׃ | 17 |
He leads counselors away barefoot and makes fools of judges.
| מוּסַ֣ר מְלָכִ֣ים פִּתֵּ֑חַ וַיֶּאְסֹ֥ר אֵ֝זֹ֗ור בְּמָתְנֵיהֶֽם׃ | 18 |
He loosens the bonds placed by kings and fastens a belt around their waists.
| מֹולִ֣יךְ כֹּהֲנִ֣ים שֹׁולָ֑ל וְאֵֽתָנִ֣ים יְסַלֵּֽף׃ | 19 |
He leads priests away barefoot and overthrows the established.
| מֵסִ֣יר שָׂ֭פָה לְנֶאֱמָנִ֑ים וְטַ֖עַם זְקֵנִ֣ים יִקָּֽח׃ | 20 |
He deprives the trusted of speech and takes away the discernment of elders.
| שֹׁופֵ֣ךְ בּ֭וּז עַל־נְדִיבִ֑ים וּמְזִ֖יחַ אֲפִיקִ֣ים רִפָּֽה׃ | 21 |
He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty.
| מְגַלֶּ֣ה עֲ֭מֻקֹות מִנִּי־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וַיֹּצֵ֖א לָאֹ֣ור צַלְמָֽוֶת׃ | 22 |
He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into light.
| מַשְׂגִּ֣יא לַ֭גֹּויִם וַֽיְאַבְּדֵ֑ם שֹׁטֵ֥חַ לַ֝גֹּויִ֗ם וַיַּנְחֵֽם׃ | 23 |
He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them.
| מֵסִ֗יר לֵ֭ב רָאשֵׁ֣י עַם־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם בְּתֹ֣הוּ לֹא־דָֽרֶךְ׃ | 24 |
He deprives the earth’s leaders of reason and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.
| יְמַֽשְׁשׁוּ־חֹ֥שֶׁךְ וְלֹא־אֹ֑ור וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם כַּשִּׁכֹּֽור׃ | 25 |
They grope in the darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunkards.
