אִיּוֹב 35

1 וַיַּ֥עַן אֱלִיה֗וּ וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then Elihu continued, saying,

2 הֲ֭זֹאת חָשַׁ֣בְתָּ לְמִשְׁפָּ֑ט אָ֝מַ֗רְתָּ צִדְקִ֥י מֵאֵֽל׃

“Do you think it's honest to claim you are right before God?

3 כִּֽי־תֹ֭אמַר מַה־יִּסְכָּן־לָ֑ךְ מָֽה־אֹ֝עִ֗יל מֵֽחַטָּאתִֽי׃

And you ask, ‘What benefit do I get? What good has it done me by not sinning?’

4 אֲ֭נִי אֲשִֽׁיבְךָ֣ מִלִּ֑ין וְֽאֶת־רֵעֶ֥יךָ עִמָּֽךְ׃

I'll tell you, and your friends too!

5 הַבֵּ֣ט שָׁמַ֣יִם וּרְאֵ֑ה וְשׁ֥וּר שְׁ֝חָקִ֗ים גָּבְה֥וּ מִמֶּֽךָּ׃

Just look up at the sky and see. Observe the clouds high above you.

6 אִם־חָ֭טָאתָ מַה־תִּפְעָל־בֹּ֑ו וְרַבּ֥וּ פְ֝שָׁעֶ֗יךָ מַה־תַּעֲשֶׂה־לֹּֽו׃

If you sin, how does that harm God? How do your many sins affect God?

7 אִם־צָ֭דַקְתָּ מַה־תִּתֶּן־לֹ֑ו אֹ֥ו מַה־מִיָּדְךָ֥ יִקָּֽח׃

If you do what's right, what good are you doing for him?

8 לְאִישׁ־כָּמֹ֥וךָ רִשְׁעֶ֑ךָ וּלְבֶן־אָ֝דָ֗ם צִדְקָתֶֽךָ׃

No—your sins only affect people like yourself, and whatever good you do only affects them too.

9 מֵ֭רֹב עֲשׁוּקִ֣ים יַזְעִ֑יקוּ יְשַׁוְּע֖וּ מִזְּרֹ֣ועַ רַבִּֽים׃

People cry out because of terrible persecution; they call for someone to save them from their oppressors.

10 וְֽלֹא־אָמַ֗ר אַ֭יֵּה אֱלֹ֣והַּ עֹשָׂ֑י נֹתֵ֖ן זְמִרֹ֣ות בַּלָּֽיְלָה׃

But no one asks, ‘Where is the God my maker, the one who gives songs in the night,

11 מַ֭לְּפֵנוּ מִבַּהֲמֹ֣ות אָ֑רֶץ וּמֵעֹ֖וף הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם יְחַכְּמֵֽנוּ׃

who teaches us more than the animals, and makes us wiser than the birds?’

12 שָׁ֣ם יִ֭צְעֲקוּ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲנֶ֑ה מִ֝פְּנֵ֗י גְּאֹ֣ון רָעִֽים׃

When they call out for help, God doesn't answer because they are proud and evil people.

13 אַךְ־שָׁ֭וְא לֹא־יִשְׁמַ֥ע ׀ אֵ֑ל וְ֝שַׁדַּ֗י לֹ֣א יְשׁוּרֶֽנָּה׃

God doesn't listen to their empty cries; the Almighty doesn't pay them any attention.

14 אַ֣ף כִּֽי־תֹ֖אמַר לֹ֣א תְשׁוּרֶ֑נּוּ דִּ֥ין לְ֝פָנָ֗יו וּתְחֹ֥ולֵֽל לֹֽו׃

How much less will God hear you when you say he can't see you? Your case is before him, so you have to wait for him.

15 וְעַתָּ֗ה כִּי־אַ֭יִן פָּקַ֣ד אַפֹּ֑ו וְלֹֽא־יָדַ֖ע בַּפַּ֣שׁ מְאֹֽד׃

You're saying that God doesn't punish people in his anger and pays little attention to sin.

16 וְ֭אִיֹּוב הֶ֣בֶל יִפְצֶה־פִּ֑יהוּ בִּבְלִי־דַ֝֗עַת מִלִּ֥ין יַכְבִּֽר׃ פ

You, Job, are talking nonsense, making long speeches when you know nothing!”