אִיּוֹב 34

1 וַיַּ֥עַן אֱלִיה֗וּא וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Moreover Elihu answered and said,

2 שִׁמְע֣וּ חֲכָמִ֣ים מִלָּ֑י וְ֝יֹדְעִ֗ים הַאֲזִ֥ינוּ לִֽי׃

Hear my words, ye wise [men]; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

3 כִּי־אֹ֭זֶן מִלִּ֣ין תִּבְחָ֑ן וְ֝חֵ֗ךְ יִטְעַ֥ם לֶאֱכֹֽל׃

For the ear trieth words, as the palate tasteth food.

4 מִשְׁפָּ֥ט נִבְחֲרָה־לָּ֑נוּ נֵדְעָ֖ה בֵינֵ֣ינוּ מַה־טֹּֽוב׃

Let us choose for ourselves what is right; let us know among ourselves what is good!

5 כִּֽי־אָ֭מַר אִיֹּ֣וב צָדַ֑קְתִּי וְ֝אֵ֗ל הֵסִ֥יר מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃

For Job hath said, I am righteous, and God hath taken away my judgment:

6 עַל־מִשְׁפָּטִ֥י אֲכַזֵּ֑ב אָנ֖וּשׁ חִצִּ֣י בְלִי־פָֽשַׁע׃

Should I lie against my right? My wound is incurable without transgression.

7 מִי־גֶ֥בֶר כְּאִיֹּ֑וב יִֽשְׁתֶּה־לַּ֥עַג כַּמָּֽיִם׃

What man is like Job? he drinketh up scorning like water,

8 וְאָרַ֣ח לְ֭חֶבְרָה עִם־פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָ֑וֶן וְ֝לָלֶ֗כֶת עִם־אַנְשֵׁי־רֶֽשַׁע׃

And goeth in company with workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.

9 כִּֽי־אָ֭מַר לֹ֣א יִסְכָּן־גָּ֑בֶר בִּ֝רְצֹתֹ֗ו עִם־אֱלֹהִֽים׃

For he hath said, It profiteth not a man if he delight himself in God.

10 לָכֵ֤ן ׀ אַ֥נֲשֵׁ֥י לֵבָ֗ב שִׁמְע֫וּ לִ֥י חָלִ֖לָה לָאֵ֥ל מֵרֶ֗שַׁע וְשַׁדַּ֥י מֵעָֽוֶל׃

Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: Far be wickedness from God, and wrong from the Almighty!

11 כִּ֤י פֹ֣עַל אָ֭דָם יְשַׁלֶּם־לֹ֑ו וּֽכְאֹ֥רַח אִ֝֗ישׁ יַמְצִאֶֽנּוּ׃

For a man's work will he render to him, and cause every one to find according to [his] way.

12 אַף־אָמְנָ֗ם אֵ֥ל לֹֽא־יַרְשִׁ֑יעַ וְ֝שַׁדַּ֗י לֹֽא־יְעַוֵּ֥ת מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

Yea, surely, God acteth not wickedly, and the Almighty perverteth not judgment.

13 מִֽי־פָקַ֣ד עָלָ֣יו אָ֑רְצָה וּמִ֥י שָׂ֝֗ם תֵּבֵ֥ל כֻּלָּֽהּ׃

Who hath entrusted to him the earth? and who hath disposed the whole world?

14 אִם־יָשִׂ֣ים אֵלָ֣יו לִבֹּ֑ו רוּחֹ֥ו וְ֝נִשְׁמָתֹ֗ו אֵלָ֥יו יֶאֱסֹֽף׃

If he only thought of himself, [and] gathered unto him his spirit and his breath,

15 יִגְוַ֣ע כָּל־בָּשָׂ֣ר יָ֑חַד וְ֝אָדָ֗ם עַל־עָפָ֥ר יָשֽׁוּב׃

All flesh would expire together, and man would return to the dust.

16 וְאִם־בִּ֥ינָה שִׁמְעָה־זֹּ֑את הַ֝אֲזִ֗ינָה לְקֹ֣ול מִלָּֽי׃

If now [thou hast] understanding, hear this: give ear to the voice of my words!

17 הַאַ֬ף שֹׂונֵ֣א מִשְׁפָּ֣ט יַחֲבֹ֑ושׁ וְאִם־צַדִּ֖יק כַּבִּ֣יר תַּרְשִֽׁיעַ׃

Should he that hateth right indeed govern? and wilt thou condemn the All-just?

18 הַאֲמֹ֣ר לְמֶ֣לֶךְ בְּלִיָּ֑עַל רָ֝שָׁ֗ע אֶל־נְדִיבִֽים׃

Shall one say to a king, Belial? to nobles, Wicked?

19 אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־נָשָׂ֨א ׀ פְּנֵ֥י שָׂרִ֗ים וְלֹ֣א נִכַּר־שֹׁ֖ועַ לִפְנֵי־דָ֑ל כִּֽי־מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה יָדָ֣יו כֻּלָּֽם׃

[How then to him] that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich man more than the poor? for they are all the work of his hands.

20 רֶ֤גַע ׀ יָמֻתוּ֮ וַחֲצֹ֪ות לָ֥יְלָה יְגֹעֲשׁ֣וּ עָ֣ם וְיַעֲבֹ֑רוּ וְיָסִ֥ירוּ אַ֝בִּ֗יר לֹ֣א בְיָֽד׃

In a moment they die, even at midnight the people are convulsed and pass away; and the strong are taken away without hand.

21 כִּי־עֵ֭ינָיו עַל־דַּרְכֵי־אִ֑ישׁ וְֽכָל־צְעָדָ֥יו יִרְאֶֽה׃

For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his steps.

22 אֵֽין־חֹ֖שֶׁךְ וְאֵ֣ין צַלְמָ֑וֶת לְהִסָּ֥תֶר שָׁ֝֗ם פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃

There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

23 כִּ֤י לֹ֣א עַל־אִ֭ישׁ יָשִׂ֣ים עֹ֑וד לַהֲלֹ֥ךְ אֶל־אֵ֝֗ל בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

For he doth not long consider a man, to bring him before God in judgment.

24 יָרֹ֣עַ כַּבִּירִ֣ים לֹא־חֵ֑קֶר וַיַּעֲמֵ֖ד אֲחֵרִ֣ים תַּחְתָּֽם׃

He breaketh in pieces mighty men without inquiry, and setteth others in their stead;

25 לָכֵ֗ן יַ֭כִּיר מַעְבָּֽדֵיהֶ֑ם וְהָ֥פַךְ לַ֝֗יְלָה וְיִדַּכָּֽאוּ׃

Since he knoweth their actions; and he overthroweth [them] in the night, and they are crushed.

26 תַּֽחַת־רְשָׁעִ֥ים סְפָקָ֗ם בִּמְקֹ֥ום רֹאִֽים׃

He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others,

27 אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־כֵּ֭ן סָ֣רוּ מֵֽאַחֲרָ֑יו וְכָל־דְּ֝רָכָ֗יו לֹ֣א הִשְׂכִּֽילוּ׃

Because they have turned back from him, and would consider none of his ways;

28 לְהָבִ֣יא עָ֭לָיו צַֽעֲקַת־דָּ֑ל וְצַעֲקַ֖ת עֲנִיִּ֣ים יִשְׁמָֽע׃

So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.

29 וְה֤וּא יַשְׁקִ֨ט ׀ וּמִ֥י יַרְשִׁ֗עַ וְיַסְתֵּ֣ר פָּ֭נִים וּמִ֣י יְשׁוּרֶ֑נּוּ וְעַל־גֹּ֖וי וְעַל־אָדָ֣ם יָֽחַד׃

When he giveth quietness, who then will disturb? and when he hideth [his] face, who shall behold him? and this towards a nation, or towards a man alike;

30 מִ֭מְּלֹךְ אָדָ֥ם חָנֵ֗ף מִמֹּ֥קְשֵׁי עָֽם׃

That the ungodly man reign not, that the people be not ensnared.

31 כִּֽי־אֶל־אֵ֭ל הֶאָמַ֥ר נָשָׂ֗אתִי לֹ֣א אֶחְבֹּֽל׃

For hath he said unto God, I bear [chastisement], I will not offend;

32 בִּלְעֲדֵ֣י אֶ֭חֱזֶה אַתָּ֣ה הֹרֵ֑נִי אִֽם־עָ֥וֶל פָּ֝עַ֗לְתִּי לֹ֣א אֹסִֽיף׃

What I see not, teach thou me; if I have done wrong, I will do so no more?

33 הַֽמֵעִמְּךָ֬ יְשַׁלְמֶ֨נָּה כִּֽי־מָאַ֗סְתָּ כִּי־אַתָּ֣ה תִבְחַ֣ר וְלֹא־אָ֑נִי וּֽמַה־יָדַ֥עְתָּ דַבֵּֽר׃

Shall he recompense according to thy mind? for thou hast refused [his judgment]; for thou so choosest, and not I; speak then what thou knowest.

34 אַנְשֵׁ֣י לֵ֭בָב יֹ֣אמְרוּ לִ֑י וְגֶ֥בֶר חָ֝כָ֗ם שֹׁמֵ֥עַֽ לִֽי׃

Men of understanding will say to me, and a wise man who heareth me:

35 אִ֭יֹּוב לֹא־בְדַ֣עַת יְדַבֵּ֑ר וּ֝דְבָרָ֗יו לֹ֣א בְהַשְׂכֵּֽיל׃

Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were not with intelligence.

36 אָבִ֗י יִבָּחֵ֣ן אִיֹּ֣וב עַד־נֶ֑צַח עַל־תְּ֝שֻׁבֹ֗ת בְּאַנְשֵׁי־אָֽוֶן׃

Would that Job may be tried unto the end, because of [his] answers after the manner of evil men!

37 כִּ֥י יֹ֘סִ֤יף עַֽל־חַטָּאתֹ֣ו פֶ֭שַׁע בֵּינֵ֣ינוּ יִסְפֹּ֑וק וְיֶ֖רֶב אֲמָרָ֣יו לָאֵֽל׃ ס

For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth [his hands] among us, and multiplieth his words against God.