אִיּוֹב 32

1 וַֽיִּשְׁבְּת֡וּ שְׁלֹ֤שֶׁת הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים הָ֭אֵלֶּה מֵעֲנֹ֣ות אֶת־אִיֹּ֑וב כִּ֤י ה֖וּא צַדִּ֣יק בְּעֵינָֽיו׃ פ

Job's three friends stopped responding to him because he kept on protesting his innocence.

2 וַיִּ֤חַר אַ֨ף ׀ אֱלִיה֣וּא בֶן־בַּרַכְאֵ֣ל הַבּוּזִי֮ מִמִּשְׁפַּ֪חַ֫ת רָ֥ם בְּ֭אִיֹּוב חָרָ֣ה אַפֹּ֑ו עַֽל־צַדְּקֹ֥ו נַ֝פְשֹׁ֗ו מֵאֱלֹהִֽים׃

Then Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, grew angry. He was angry with Job for claiming he was right rather than God.

3 וּבִשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת רֵעָיו֮ חָרָ֪ה אַ֫פֹּ֥ו עַ֤ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־מָצְא֣וּ מַעֲנֶ֑ה וַ֝יַּרְשִׁ֗יעוּ אֶת־אִיֹּֽוב׃

Elihu was also angry at Job's three friends because they made it seem that God was wrong, because they had not been able to answer Job.

4 וֶֽאֱלִיה֗וּ חִכָּ֣ה אֶת־אִ֭יֹּוב בִּדְבָרִ֑ים כִּ֤י זְֽקֵנִים־הֵ֖מָּה מִמֶּ֣נּוּ לְיָמִֽים׃

Elihu had waited to for the other three to speak with Job since they were older than he was.

5 וַיַּ֤רְא אֱלִיה֗וּא כִּ֘י אֵ֤ין מַעֲנֶ֗ה בְּ֭פִי שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים וַיִּ֥חַר אַפֹּֽו׃ פ

But when he saw that they could not answer Job, he grew very angry.

6 וַיַּ֤עַן ׀ אֱלִיה֖וּא בֶן־בַּֽרַכְאֵ֥ל הַבּוּזִ֗י וַיֹּ֫אמַ֥ר צָ֘עִ֤יר אֲנִ֣י לְ֭יָמִים וְאַתֶּ֣ם יְשִׁישִׁ֑ים עַל־כֵּ֖ן זָחַ֥לְתִּי וָֽאִירָ֓א ׀ מֵחַוֹּ֖ת דֵּעִ֣י אֶתְכֶֽם׃

Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, said, “I am young, and you are old, which is why I was reluctant to tell you what I know.

7 אָ֭מַרְתִּי יָמִ֣ים יְדַבֵּ֑רוּ וְרֹ֥ב שָׁ֝נִ֗ים יֹדִ֥יעוּ חָכְמָֽה׃

I told myself, ‘Those who are older should speak—those who are elderly should teach wisdom.’

8 אָ֭כֵן רֽוּחַ־הִ֣יא בֶאֱנֹ֑ושׁ וְנִשְׁמַ֖ת שַׁדַּ֣י תְּבִינֵֽם׃

However, there is a spirit in human beings, the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding.

9 לֹֽא־רַבִּ֥ים יֶחְכָּ֑מוּ וּ֝זְקֵנִ֗ים יָבִ֥ינוּ מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

It is not the old who are wise, or the elderly who know what is right.

10 לָכֵ֣ן אָ֭מַרְתִּי שִׁמְעָה־לִּ֑י אֲחַוֶּ֖ה דֵּעִ֣י אַף־אָֽנִי׃

That's why I'm telling you to listen to me now—let me tell you what I know.

11 הֵ֤ן הֹוחַ֨לְתִּי לְֽדִבְרֵיכֶ֗ם אָ֭זִין עַד־תְּב֥וּנֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם עַֽד־תַּחְקְר֥וּן מִלִּֽין׃

Well, I waited to hear what you had to say, listening for your insights as you looked for the right words to speak.

12 וְעָֽדֵיכֶ֗ם אֶתְבֹּ֫ונָ֥ן וְהִנֵּ֤ה אֵ֣ין לְאִיֹּ֣וב מֹוכִ֑יחַ עֹונֶ֖ה אֲמָרָ֣יו מִכֶּֽם׃

I paid close attention to all of you, and none of you have proved Job wrong or answered his arguments.

13 פֶּן־תֹּ֣֭אמְרוּ מָצָ֣אנוּ חָכְמָ֑ה אֵ֖ל יִדְּפֶ֣נּוּ לֹא־אִֽישׁ׃

Don't say to yourselves, ‘We are so wise,’ for God will prove him wrong, not a human being.

14 וְלֹא־עָרַ֣ךְ אֵלַ֣י מִלִּ֑ין וּ֝בְאִמְרֵיכֶ֗ם לֹ֣א אֲשִׁיבֶֽנּוּ׃

Job didn't line up his arguments against me, and I won't answer him the way you did.

15 חַ֭תּוּ לֹא־עָ֣נוּ עֹ֑וד הֶעְתִּ֖יקוּ מֵהֶ֣ם מִלִּֽים׃

You sit there speechless with nothing left to say.

16 וְ֭הֹוחַלְתִּי כִּי־לֹ֣א יְדַבֵּ֑רוּ כִּ֥י עָ֝מְד֗וּ לֹא־עָ֥נוּ עֹֽוד׃

Should I continue to wait since you're no longer talking, just standing there saying nothing?

17 אַעֲנֶ֣ה אַף־אֲנִ֣י חֶלְקִ֑י אֲחַוֶּ֖ה דֵעִ֣י אַף־אָֽנִי׃

No—now I'll give my answer too. I'll tell you what I know.

18 כִּ֭י מָלֵ֣תִי מִלִּ֑ים הֱ֝צִיקַ֗תְנִי ר֣וּחַ בִּטְנִֽי׃

I have so much to say I can't hold the words back!

19 הִנֵּֽה־בִטְנִ֗י כְּיַ֥יִן לֹא־יִפָּתֵ֑חַ כְּאֹבֹ֥ות חֲ֝דָשִׁ֗ים יִבָּקֵֽעַ׃

Inside I'm like fermenting wine all bottled up; like new wineskins ready to explode!

20 אֲדַבְּרָ֥ה וְיִֽרְוַֽח־לִ֑י אֶפְתַּ֖ח שְׂפָתַ֣י וְאֶֽעֱנֶֽה׃

I have to speak before I burst; I will open my lips to answer him.

21 אַל־נָ֭א אֶשָּׂ֣א פְנֵי־אִ֑ישׁ וְאֶל־אָ֝דָ֗ם לֹ֣א אֲכַנֶּֽה׃

I will not take sides, and I'm not going to flatter anyone.

22 כִּ֤י לֹ֣א יָדַ֣עְתִּי אֲכַנֶּ֑ה כִּ֝מְעַ֗ט יִשָּׂאֵ֥נִי עֹשֵֽׂנִי׃

I don't know how to flatter, and if I did my Creator would soon destroy me.