אִיּוֹב 36

1 וַיֹּ֥סֶף אֱלִיה֗וּא וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Elihu continued speaking.

2 כַּתַּר־לִ֣י זְ֭עֵיר וַאֲחַוֶּ֑ךָּ כִּ֤י עֹ֖וד לֶאֱלֹ֣והַּ מִלִּֽים׃

“Be patient with me just a little while longer and let me explain. I still have something to say on God's behalf.

3 אֶשָּׂ֣א דֵ֭עִי לְמֵרָחֹ֑וק וְ֝לְפֹעֲלִ֗י אֶֽתֵּֽן־צֶֽדֶק׃

I will share my extensive knowledge, and I will prove my Creator is in the right.

4 כִּֽי־אָ֭מְנָם לֹא־שֶׁ֣קֶר מִלָּ֑י תְּמִ֖ים דֵּעֹ֣ות עִמָּֽךְ׃

I assure you that what I'm saying are not lies, for I am a man whose knowledge is of the highest order.

5 הֶן־אֵ֣ל כַּ֭בִּיר וְלֹ֣א יִמְאָ֑ס כַּ֝בִּ֗יר כֹּ֣חַֽ לֵֽב׃

God is mighty, but doesn't despise anyone; he is powerful in strength and understanding.

6 לֹא־יְחַיֶּ֥ה רָשָׁ֑ע וּמִשְׁפַּ֖ט עֲנִיִּ֣ים יִתֵּֽן׃

He does not keep the wicked alive, but gives justice to the oppressed.

7 לֹֽא־יִגְרַ֥ע מִצַּדִּ֗יק עֵ֫ינָ֥יו וְאֶת־מְלָכִ֥ים לַכִּסֵּ֑א וַיֹּשִׁיבֵ֥ם לָ֝נֶ֗צַח וַיִּגְבָּֽהוּ׃

He always pays attention those who do right, and places them on thrones with kings, honoring them eternally.

8 וְאִם־אֲסוּרִ֥ים בַּזִּקִּ֑ים יִ֝לָּכְד֗וּן בְּחַבְלֵי־עֹֽנִי׃

If they are bound in chains, tied down by ropes of suffering,

9 וַיַּגֵּ֣ד לָהֶ֣ם פָּעֳלָ֑ם וּ֝פִשְׁעֵיהֶ֗ם כִּ֣י יִתְגַּבָּֽרוּ׃

then he explains to them what they've done—their arrogant sins.

10 וַיִּ֣גֶל אָ֭זְנָם לַמּוּסָ֑ר וַ֝יֹּ֗אמֶר כִּֽי־יְשֻׁב֥וּן מֵאָֽוֶן׃

He makes them pay attention and orders them to stop sinning.

11 אִֽם־יִשְׁמְע֗וּ וְֽיַ֫עֲבֹ֥דוּ יְכַלּ֣וּ יְמֵיהֶ֣ם בַּטֹּ֑וב וּ֝שְׁנֵיהֶ֗ם בַּנְּעִימִֽים׃

If they listen and do what God says they will live out their lives in happiness.

12 וְאִם־לֹ֣א יִ֭שְׁמְעוּ בְּשֶׁ֣לַח יַעֲבֹ֑רוּ וְ֝יִגְוְע֗וּ כִּבְלִי־דָֽעַת׃

But if they do not listen they will die a violent death, ignorant of God.

13 וְֽחַנְפֵי־לֵ֭ב יָשִׂ֣ימוּ אָ֑ף לֹ֥א יְ֝שַׁוְּע֗וּ כִּ֣י אֲסָרָֽם׃

Those who reject God hold on to their bitterness. Even when he disciplines them they do not cry out to him for help.

14 תָּמֹ֣ת בַּנֹּ֣עַר נַפְשָׁ֑ם וְ֝חַיָּתָ֗ם בַּקְּדֵשִֽׁים׃

They die in their youth; their lives end among the male temple prostitutes.

15 יְחַלֵּ֣ץ עָנִ֣י בְעָנְיֹ֑ו וְיִ֖גֶל בַּלַּ֣חַץ אָזְנָֽם׃

Through suffering God saves those who suffer; he gets their attention through their troubles.

16 וְאַ֤ף הֲסִיתְךָ֨ ׀ מִפִּי־צָ֗ר רַ֭חַב לֹא־מוּצָ֣ק תַּחְתֶּ֑יהָ וְנַ֥חַת שֻׁ֝לְחָנְךָ֗ מָ֣לֵא דָֽשֶׁן׃

God is trying to rescue you from the jaws of trouble to a place of freedom and safety, filling your table full of the very best food.

17 וְדִין־רָשָׁ֥ע מָלֵ֑אתָ דִּ֖ין וּמִשְׁפָּ֣ט יִתְמֹֽכוּ׃

But you are preoccupied with the fate of the wicked; judgment and justice fill your mind.

18 כִּֽי־חֵ֭מָה פֶּן־יְסִֽיתְךָ֣ בְסָ֑פֶק וְרָב־כֹּ֝֗פֶר אַל־יַטֶּֽךָּ׃

But be careful that your anger doesn't seduce you into mockery; and don't let the size of the ‘bribe’ lead you into sin.

19 הֲיַעֲרֹ֣ךְ שׁ֖וּעֲךָ לֹ֣א בְצָ֑ר וְ֝כֹ֗ל מַאֲמַצֵּי־כֹֽחַ׃

Will your cry for help sustain you when troubles come?

20 אַל־תִּשְׁאַ֥ף הַלָּ֑יְלָה לַעֲלֹ֖ות עַמִּ֣ים תַּחְתָּֽם׃

Do not long for the night when people are suddenly taken away.

21 הִ֭שָּׁמֶר אַל־תֵּ֣פֶן אֶל־אָ֑וֶן כִּֽי־עַל־זֶ֝֗ה בָּחַ֥רְתָּ מֵעֹֽנִי׃

Watch out that you don't turn to evil! For it's because of this that you are being tested through suffering.

22 הֶן־אֵ֭ל יַשְׂגִּ֣יב בְּכֹחֹ֑ו מִ֖י כָמֹ֣הוּ מֹורֶֽה׃

Look how much power God has! What teacher is like him?

23 מִֽי־פָקַ֣ד עָלָ֣יו דַּרְכֹּ֑ו וּמִֽי־אָ֝מַ֗ר פָּעַ֥לְתָּ עַוְלָֽה׃

Who has instructed him what to do? Who can say to him ‘You have done wrong’?

24 זְ֭כֹר כִּֽי־תַשְׂגִּ֣יא פָעֳלֹ֑ו אֲשֶׁ֖ר שֹׁרְר֣וּ אֲנָשִֽׁים׃

Instead you should praise him for what he has done, as people have done in song.

25 כָּל־אָדָ֥ם חָֽזוּ־בֹ֑ו אֱ֝נֹ֗ושׁ יַבִּ֥יט מֵרָחֹֽוק׃

Everyone has seen God's creation, though only from a distance.

26 הֶן־אֵ֣ל שַׂ֭גִּיא וְלֹ֣א נֵדָ֑ע מִסְפַּ֖ר שָׁנָ֣יו וְלֹא־חֵֽקֶר׃

See how great God is—more than we can understand! No one can count his years.

27 כִּ֭י יְגָרַ֣ע נִטְפֵי־מָ֑יִם יָזֹ֖קּוּ מָטָ֣ר לְאֵדֹֽו׃

He draws up the water and distils it into the dew and the rain.

28 אֲשֶֽׁר־יִזְּל֥וּ שְׁחָקִ֑ים יִ֝רְעֲפ֗וּ עֲלֵ֤י ׀ אָדָ֬ם רָֽב׃

The clouds pour down rain, falling plentifully on humankind.

29 אַ֣ף אִם־יָ֭בִין מִפְרְשֵׂי־עָ֑ב תְּ֝שֻׁאֹ֗ות סֻכָּתֹֽו׃

Can anyone understand how the clouds spread out, or how thunder roars from where he lives?

30 הֵן־פָּרַ֣שׂ עָלָ֣יו אֹורֹ֑ו וְשָׁרְשֵׁ֖י הַיָּ֣ם כִּסָּֽה׃

See how he scatters lightning around him, and covers the depths of the sea in darkness.

31 כִּי־בָ֭ם יָדִ֣ין עַמִּ֑ים יִֽתֶּן־אֹ֥כֶל לְמַכְבִּֽיר׃

By these actions he rules the people, he provides abundant food.

32 עַל־כַּפַּ֥יִם כִּסָּה־אֹ֑ור וַיְצַ֖ו עָלֶ֣יהָ בְמַפְגִּֽיעַ׃

He holds lightning in his hands and commands where it should strike.

33 יַגִּ֣יד עָלָ֣יו רֵעֹ֑ו מִ֝קְנֶ֗ה אַ֣ף עַל־עֹולֶֽה׃

Thunder declares his presence—even cattle know when a storm is coming.