אִיּוֹב 35

1 וַיַּ֥עַן אֱלִיה֗וּ וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then Elihu also said this:

2 הֲ֭זֹאת חָשַׁ֣בְתָּ לְמִשְׁפָּ֑ט אָ֝מַ֗רְתָּ צִדְקִ֥י מֵאֵֽל׃

“[Job, ] do you think that what you said is right/correct? You say, ‘God knows that I am innocent,’

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

and you say [to God], ‘What good have I received for not sinning? What benefit have I received from that?’ [DOU, RHQ]

4 אֲ֭נִי אֲשִֽׁיבְךָ֣ מִלִּ֑ין וְֽאֶת־רֵעֶ֥יךָ עִמָּֽךְ׃

[Well, ] I will answer you, and I will answer your three friends, too.

5 הַבֵּ֣ט שָׁמַ֣יִם וּרְאֵ֑ה וְשׁ֥וּר שְׁ֝חָקִ֗ים גָּבְה֥וּ מִמֶּֽךָּ׃

“[Job], look up at the sky; look at the clouds that are high above you and realize [that God is far above everything].

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

If you have sinned, that does not [RHQ] harm God at all. If many times you do things that are wrong, that certainly does not [RHQ] affect him [DOU].

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

And if you are righteous, does that help God? No, he is not benefited by anything that you do [DOU].

8 לְאִישׁ־כָּמֹ֥וךָ רִשְׁעֶ֑ךָ וּלְבֶן־אָ֝דָ֗ם צִדְקָתֶֽךָ׃

It is other people who suffer because of the wicked things that you do, but by doing good things for people, you help them.

9 מֵ֭רֹב עֲשׁוּקִ֣ים יַזְעִ֑יקוּ יְשַׁוְּע֖וּ מִזְּרֹ֣ועַ רַבִּֽים׃

“People cry out because of the many things that people do to others to (oppress them/treat them cruelly); they call for help because of the things that powerful people do [MTY] to them.

10 וְֽלֹא־אָמַ֗ר אַ֭יֵּה אֱלֹ֣והַּ עֹשָׂ֑י נֹתֵ֖ן זְמִרֹ֣ות בַּלָּֽיְלָה׃

But (no one/none of them) calls out [to God], saying ‘Why does God, my creator, [not help me]? He [should] enable me to sing [joyful] songs, [instead of very sad songs, ] during the night.

11 מַ֭לְּפֵנוּ מִבַּהֲמֹ֣ות אָ֑רֶץ וּמֵעֹ֖וף הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם יְחַכְּמֵֽנוּ׃

He [should be able to] teach us more than all the wild animals do; he [should] enable us to become wiser than [all] the birds are!’

12 שָׁ֣ם יִ֭צְעֲקוּ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲנֶ֑ה מִ֝פְּנֵ֗י גְּאֹ֣ון רָעִֽים׃

People cry out [for help], but God does not answer them, because those who cry out are proud and evil people.

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

It is useless for them to cry out, because God, the Almighty One, does not pay any attention to what they say.

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

So, when you complain that you cannot see God, and you tell him that you are waiting for him [to decide whether or not you should be punished for what you have done], God will not listen to you, either!

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

Furthermore, [you say that] because he does not pay attention when people commit sins, he does not become angry and punish them.

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

You say things that are useless; you say a lot of things without knowing [what you are talking about].”