אִיּוֹב 12

1 וַיַּ֥עַן אִיֹּ֗וב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then Job answered,

2 אָ֭מְנָם כִּ֣י אַתֶּם־עָ֑ם וְ֝עִמָּכֶ֗ם תָּמ֥וּת חָכְמָֽה׃

“No doubt, but you are the people, and wisdom will die with you.

3 גַּם־לִ֤י לֵבָ֨ב ׀ כְּֽמֹוכֶ֗ם לֹא־נֹפֵ֣ל אָנֹכִ֣י מִכֶּ֑ם וְאֶת־מִי־אֵ֥ין כְּמֹו־אֵֽלֶּה׃

But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Yes, who doesn’t know such things as these?

4 שְׂחֹ֤ק לְרֵעֵ֨הוּ ׀ אֶֽהְיֶ֗ה קֹרֵ֣א לֶ֭אֱלֹוהַּ וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑הוּ שְׂ֝חֹ֗וק צַדִּ֥יק תָּמִֽים׃

I am like one who is a joke to his neighbour, I, who called on God, and he answered. The just, the blameless man is a joke.

5 לַפִּ֣יד בּ֭וּז לְעַשְׁתּ֣וּת שַׁאֲנָ֑ן נָ֝כֹ֗ון לְמֹ֣ועֲדֵי רָֽגֶל׃

In the thought of him who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune. It is ready for them whose foot slips.

6 יִשְׁלָ֤יוּ אֹֽהָלִ֨ים ׀ לְשֹׁ֥דְדִ֗ים וּֽ֭בַטֻּחֹות לְמַרְגִּ֣יזֵי אֵ֑ל לַאֲשֶׁ֤ר הֵבִ֖יא אֱלֹ֣והַּ בְּיָדֹֽו׃

The tents of robbers prosper. Those who provoke God are secure, who carry their god in their hands.

7 וְֽאוּלָ֗ם שְׁאַל־נָ֣א בְהֵמֹ֣ות וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וְעֹ֥וף הַ֝שָּׁמַ֗יִם וְיַגֶּד־לָֽךְ׃

“But ask the animals now, and they will teach you; the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.

8 אֹ֤ו שִׂ֣יחַ לָאָ֣רֶץ וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וִֽיסַפְּר֥וּ לְ֝ךָ֗ דְּגֵ֣י הַיָּֽם׃

Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you. The fish of the sea will declare to you.

9 מִ֭י לֹא־יָדַ֣ע בְּכָל־אֵ֑לֶּה כִּ֥י יַד־יְ֝הוָה עָ֣שְׂתָה זֹּֽאת׃

Who doesn’t know that in all these, the LORD’s hand has done this,

10 אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּ֭יָדֹו נֶ֣פֶשׁ כָּל־חָ֑י וְ֝ר֗וּחַ כָּל־בְּשַׂר־אִֽישׁ׃

in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?

11 הֲלֹא־אֹ֭זֶן מִלִּ֣ין תִּבְחָ֑ן וְ֝חֵ֗ךְ אֹ֣כֶל יִטְעַם־לֹֽו׃

Doesn’t the ear try words, even as the palate tastes its food?

12 בִּֽישִׁישִׁ֥ים חָכְמָ֑ה וְאֹ֖רֶךְ יָמִ֣ים תְּבוּנָֽה׃

With aged men is wisdom, in length of days understanding.

13 עִ֭מֹּו חָכְמָ֣ה וּגְבוּרָ֑ה לֹ֝֗ו עֵצָ֥ה וּתְבוּנָֽה׃

“With God is wisdom and might. He has counsel and understanding.

14 הֵ֣ן יַ֭הֲרֹוס וְלֹ֣א יִבָּנֶ֑ה יִסְגֹּ֥ר עַל־אִ֝֗ישׁ וְלֹ֣א יִפָּתֵֽחַ׃

Behold, he breaks down, and it can’t be built again. He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.

15 הֵ֤ן יַעְצֹ֣ר בַּמַּ֣יִם וְיִבָ֑שׁוּ וִֽ֝ישַׁלְּחֵ֗ם וְיַ֖הַפְכוּ אָֽרֶץ׃

Behold, he withholds the waters, and they dry up. Again, he sends them out, and they overturn the earth.

16 עִ֭מֹּו עֹ֣ז וְתֽוּשִׁיָּ֑ה לֹ֝֗ו שֹׁגֵ֥ג וּמַשְׁגֶּֽה׃

With him is strength and wisdom. The deceived and the deceiver are his.

17 מֹולִ֣יךְ יֹועֲצִ֣ים שֹׁולָ֑ל וְֽשֹׁפְטִ֥ים יְהֹולֵֽל׃

He leads counsellors away stripped. He makes judges fools.

18 מוּסַ֣ר מְלָכִ֣ים פִּתֵּ֑חַ וַיֶּאְסֹ֥ר אֵ֝זֹ֗ור בְּמָתְנֵיהֶֽם׃

He loosens the bond of kings. He binds their waist with a belt.

19 מֹולִ֣יךְ כֹּהֲנִ֣ים שֹׁולָ֑ל וְאֵֽתָנִ֣ים יְסַלֵּֽף׃

He leads priests away stripped, and overthrows the mighty.

20 מֵסִ֣יר שָׂ֭פָה לְנֶאֱמָנִ֑ים וְטַ֖עַם זְקֵנִ֣ים יִקָּֽח׃

He removes the speech of those who are trusted, and takes away the understanding of the elders.

21 שֹׁופֵ֣ךְ בּ֭וּז עַל־נְדִיבִ֑ים וּמְזִ֖יחַ אֲפִיקִ֣ים רִפָּֽה׃

He pours contempt on princes, and loosens the belt of the strong.

22 מְגַלֶּ֣ה עֲ֭מֻקֹות מִנִּי־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וַיֹּצֵ֖א לָאֹ֣ור צַלְמָֽוֶת׃

He uncovers deep things out of darkness, and brings out to light the shadow of death.

23 מַשְׂגִּ֣יא לַ֭גֹּויִם וַֽיְאַבְּדֵ֑ם שֹׁטֵ֥חַ לַ֝גֹּויִ֗ם וַיַּנְחֵֽם׃

He increases the nations, and he destroys them. He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive.

24 מֵסִ֗יר לֵ֭ב רָאשֵׁ֣י עַם־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם בְּתֹ֣הוּ לֹא־דָֽרֶךְ׃

He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth, and causes them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.

25 יְמַֽשְׁשׁוּ־חֹ֥שֶׁךְ וְלֹא־אֹ֑ור וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם כַּשִּׁכֹּֽור׃

They grope in the dark without light. He makes them stagger like a drunken man.