אִיּוֹב 21
| וַיַּ֥עַן אִיֹּ֗וב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ | 1 |
Then Job answered:
| שִׁמְע֣וּ שָׁ֭מֹועַ מִלָּתִ֑י וּתְהִי־זֹ֝֗את תַּנְח֥וּמֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃ | 2 |
“Listen carefully to my words; let this be your consolation to me.
| שָׂ֭אוּנִי וְאָנֹכִ֣י אֲדַבֵּ֑ר וְאַחַ֖ר דַּבְּרִ֣י תַלְעִֽיג׃ | 3 |
Bear with me while I speak; then, after I have spoken, you may go on mocking.
| הֶ֭אָנֹכִי לְאָדָ֣ם שִׂיחִ֑י וְאִם־מַ֝דּ֗וּעַ לֹא־תִקְצַ֥ר רוּחִֽי׃ | 4 |
Is my complaint against a man? Then why should I not be impatient?
| פְּנוּ־אֵלַ֥י וְהָשַׁ֑מּוּ וְשִׂ֖ימוּ יָ֣ד עַל־פֶּֽה׃ | 5 |
Look at me and be appalled; put your hand over your mouth.
| וְאִם־זָכַ֥רְתִּי וְנִבְהָ֑לְתִּי וְאָחַ֥ז בְּ֝שָׂרִ֗י פַּלָּצֽוּת׃ | 6 |
When I remember, terror takes hold, and my body trembles in horror.
| מַדּ֣וּעַ רְשָׁעִ֣ים יִחְי֑וּ עָ֝תְק֗וּ גַּם־גָּ֥בְרוּ חָֽיִל׃ | 7 |
Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?
| זַרְעָ֤ם נָכֹ֣ון לִפְנֵיהֶ֣ם עִמָּ֑ם וְ֝צֶאֱצָאֵיהֶ֗ם לְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃ | 8 |
Their descendants are established around them, and their offspring before their eyes.
| בָּתֵּיהֶ֣ם שָׁלֹ֣ום מִפָּ֑חַד וְלֹ֤א שֵׁ֖בֶט אֱלֹ֣והַּ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ | 9 |
Their homes are safe from fear; no rod of punishment from God is upon them.
| שֹׁורֹ֣ו עִ֭בַּר וְלֹ֣א יַגְעִ֑ל תְּפַלֵּ֥ט פָּ֝רָתֹ֗ו וְלֹ֣א תְשַׁכֵּֽל׃ | 10 |
Their bulls breed without fail; their cows bear calves and do not miscarry.
| יְשַׁלְּח֣וּ כַ֭צֹּאן עֲוִילֵיהֶ֑ם וְ֝יַלְדֵיהֶ֗ם יְרַקֵּדֽוּן׃ | 11 |
They send forth their little ones like a flock; their children skip about,
| יִ֭שְׂאוּ כְּתֹ֣ף וְכִנֹּ֑ור וְ֝יִשְׂמְח֗וּ לְקֹ֣ול עוּגָֽב׃ | 12 |
singing to the tambourine and lyre and making merry at the sound of the flute.
| יְבַלּוּ (יְכַלּ֣וּ) בַטֹּ֣וב יְמֵיהֶ֑ם וּ֝בְרֶ֗גַע שְׁאֹ֣ול יֵחָֽתּוּ׃ (Sheol h7585) | 13 |
They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace. (Sheol h7585)
| וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לָ֭אֵל ס֣וּר מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וְדַ֥עַת דְּ֝רָכֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א חָפָֽצְנוּ׃ | 14 |
Yet they say to God: ‘Leave us alone! For we have no desire to know Your ways.
| מַה־שַׁדַּ֥י כִּֽי־נַֽעַבְדֶ֑נּוּ וּמַה־נֹּ֝ועִ֗יל כִּ֣י נִפְגַּע־בֹּֽו׃ | 15 |
Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, and what would we gain if we pray to Him?’
| הֵ֤ן לֹ֣א בְיָדָ֣ם טוּבָ֑ם עֲצַ֥ת רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים רָ֣חֲקָה מֶֽנִּי׃ | 16 |
Still, their prosperity is not in their own hands, so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked.
| כַּמָּ֤ה ׀ נֵר־רְשָׁ֘עִ֤ים יִדְעָ֗ךְ וְיָבֹ֣א עָלֵ֣ימֹו אֵידָ֑ם חֲ֝בָלִ֗ים יְחַלֵּ֥ק בְּאַפֹּֽו׃ | 17 |
How often is the lamp of the wicked put out? Does disaster come upon them? Does God, in His anger, apportion destruction?
| יִהְי֗וּ כְּתֶ֥בֶן לִפְנֵי־ר֑וּחַ וּ֝כְמֹ֗ץ גְּנָבַ֥תּוּ סוּפָֽה׃ | 18 |
Are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a storm?
| אֱלֹ֗והַּ יִצְפֹּן־לְבָנָ֥יו אֹונֹ֑ו יְשַׁלֵּ֖ם אֵלָ֣יו וְיֵדָֽע׃ | 19 |
It is said that God lays up one’s punishment for his children. Let God repay the man himself, so he will know it.
| יִרְא֣וּ עֵינֹו (עֵינָ֣יו) כִּידֹ֑ו וּמֵחֲמַ֖ת שַׁדַּ֣י יִשְׁתֶּֽה׃ | 20 |
Let his eyes see his own destruction; let him drink for himself the wrath of the Almighty.
| כִּ֤י מַה־חֶפְצֹ֣ו בְּבֵיתֹ֣ו אַחֲרָ֑יו וּמִסְפַּ֖ר חֳדָשָׁ֣יו חֻצָּֽצוּ׃ | 21 |
For what does he care about his household after him, when the number of his months has run out?
| הַלְאֵ֥ל יְלַמֶּד־דָּ֑עַת וְ֝ה֗וּא רָמִ֥ים יִשְׁפֹּֽוט׃ | 22 |
Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since He judges those on high?
| זֶ֗ה יָ֭מוּת בְּעֶ֣צֶם תֻּמֹּ֑ו כֻּ֝לֹּ֗ו שַׁלְאֲנַ֥ן וְשָׁלֵֽיו׃ | 23 |
One man dies full of vigor, completely secure and at ease.
| עֲ֭טִינָיו מָלְא֣וּ חָלָ֑ב וּמֹ֖חַ עַצְמֹותָ֣יו יְשֻׁקֶּֽה׃ | 24 |
His body is well nourished, and his bones are rich with marrow.
| וְזֶ֗ה יָ֭מוּת בְּנֶ֣פֶשׁ מָרָ֑ה וְלֹֽא־אָ֝כַ֗ל בַּטֹּובָֽה׃ | 25 |
Yet another man dies in the bitterness of his soul, having never tasted prosperity.
| יַ֭חַד עַל־עָפָ֣ר יִשְׁכָּ֑בוּ וְ֝רִמָּ֗ה תְּכַסֶּ֥ה עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ | 26 |
But together they lie down in the dust, and worms cover them both.
| הֵ֣ן יָ֭דַעְתִּי מַחְשְׁבֹֽותֵיכֶ֑ם וּ֝מְזִמֹּ֗ות עָלַ֥י תַּחְמֹֽסוּ׃ | 27 |
Behold, I know your thoughts full well, the schemes by which you would wrong me.
| כִּ֤י תֹֽאמְר֗וּ אַיֵּ֥ה בֵית־נָדִ֑יב וְ֝אַיֵּ֗ה אֹ֤הֶל ׀ מִשְׁכְּנֹ֬ות רְשָׁעִֽים׃ | 28 |
For you say, ‘Where now is the nobleman’s house, and where are the tents in which the wicked dwell?’
| הֲלֹ֣א שְׁ֭אֶלְתֶּם עֹ֣ובְרֵי דָ֑רֶךְ וְ֝אֹתֹתָ֗ם לֹ֣א תְנַכֵּֽרוּ׃ | 29 |
Have you never asked those who travel the roads? Do you not accept their reports?
| כִּ֤י לְיֹ֣ום אֵ֭יד יֵחָ֣שֶׂךְ רָ֑ע לְיֹ֖ום עֲבָרֹ֣ות יוּבָֽלוּ׃ | 30 |
Indeed, the evil man is spared from the day of calamity, delivered from the day of wrath.
| מִֽי־יַגִּ֣יד עַל־פָּנָ֣יו דַּרְכֹּ֑ו וְהֽוּא־עָ֝שָׂ֗ה מִ֣י יְשַׁלֶּם־לֹֽו׃ | 31 |
Who denounces his behavior to his face? Who repays him for what he has done?
| וְ֭הוּא לִקְבָרֹ֣ות יוּבָ֑ל וְֽעַל־גָּדִ֥ישׁ יִשְׁקֹֽוד׃ | 32 |
He is carried to the grave, and watch is kept over his tomb.
| מָֽתְקוּ־לֹ֗ו רִגְבֵ֫י נָ֥חַל וְ֭אַחֲרָיו כָּל־אָדָ֣ם יִמְשֹׁ֑וךְ וּ֝לְפָנָ֗יו אֵ֣ין מִסְפָּֽר׃ | 33 |
The clods of the valley are sweet to him; everyone follows behind him, and those before him are without number.
| וְ֭אֵיךְ תְּנַחֲמ֣וּנִי הָ֑בֶל וּ֝תְשֽׁוּבֹתֵיכֶ֗ם נִשְׁאַר־מָֽעַל׃ ס | 34 |
So how can you comfort me with empty words? For your answers remain full of falsehood.”
