אִיּוֹב 36

1 וַיֹּ֥סֶף אֱלִיה֗וּא וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Elihu also continued, and said,

2 כַּתַּר־לִ֣י זְ֭עֵיר וַאֲחַוֶּ֑ךָּ כִּ֤י עֹ֖וד לֶאֱלֹ֣והַּ מִלִּֽים׃

“Bear with me a little, and I will show you; for I still have something to say on God’s behalf.

3 אֶשָּׂ֣א דֵ֭עִי לְמֵרָחֹ֑וק וְ֝לְפֹעֲלִ֗י אֶֽתֵּֽן־צֶֽדֶק׃

I will get my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

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

For truly my words are not false. One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

5 הֶן־אֵ֣ל כַּ֭בִּיר וְלֹ֣א יִמְאָ֑ס כַּ֝בִּ֗יר כֹּ֣חַֽ לֵֽב׃

“Behold, God is mighty, and doesn’t despise anyone. He is mighty in strength of understanding.

6 לֹא־יְחַיֶּ֥ה רָשָׁ֑ע וּמִשְׁפַּ֖ט עֲנִיִּ֣ים יִתֵּֽן׃

He doesn’t preserve the life of the wicked, but gives justice to the afflicted.

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

He doesn’t withdraw his eyes from the righteous, but with kings on the throne, he sets them forever, and they are exalted.

8 וְאִם־אֲסוּרִ֥ים בַּזִּקִּ֑ים יִ֝לָּכְד֗וּן בְּחַבְלֵי־עֹֽנִי׃

If they are bound in fetters, and are taken in the cords of afflictions,

9 וַיַּגֵּ֣ד לָהֶ֣ם פָּעֳלָ֑ם וּ֝פִשְׁעֵיהֶ֗ם כִּ֣י יִתְגַּבָּֽרוּ׃

then he shows them their work, and their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly.

10 וַיִּ֣גֶל אָ֭זְנָם לַמּוּסָ֑ר וַ֝יֹּ֗אמֶר כִּֽי־יְשֻׁב֥וּן מֵאָֽוֶן׃

He also opens their ears to instruction, and commands that they return from iniquity.

11 אִֽם־יִשְׁמְע֗וּ וְֽיַ֫עֲבֹ֥דוּ יְכַלּ֣וּ יְמֵיהֶ֣ם בַּטֹּ֑וב וּ֝שְׁנֵיהֶ֗ם בַּנְּעִימִֽים׃

If they listen and serve him, they will spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.

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

But if they don’t listen, they will perish by the sword; they will die without knowledge.

13 וְֽחַנְפֵי־לֵ֭ב יָשִׂ֣ימוּ אָ֑ף לֹ֥א יְ֝שַׁוְּע֗וּ כִּ֣י אֲסָרָֽם׃

“But those who are godless in heart lay up anger. They don’t cry for help when he binds them.

14 תָּמֹ֣ת בַּנֹּ֣עַר נַפְשָׁ֑ם וְ֝חַיָּתָ֗ם בַּקְּדֵשִֽׁים׃

They die in youth. Their life perishes amongst the unclean.

15 יְחַלֵּ֣ץ עָנִ֣י בְעָנְיֹ֑ו וְיִ֖גֶל בַּלַּ֣חַץ אָזְנָֽם׃

He delivers the afflicted by their affliction, and opens their ear in oppression.

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

Yes, he would have allured you out of distress, into a wide place, where there is no restriction. That which is set on your table would be full of fatness.

17 וְדִין־רָשָׁ֥ע מָלֵ֑אתָ דִּ֖ין וּמִשְׁפָּ֣ט יִתְמֹֽכוּ׃

“But you are full of the judgement of the wicked. Judgement and justice take hold of you.

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

Don’t let riches entice you to wrath, neither let the great size of a bribe turn you aside.

19 הֲיַעֲרֹ֣ךְ שׁ֖וּעֲךָ לֹ֣א בְצָ֑ר וְ֝כֹ֗ל מַאֲמַצֵּי־כֹֽחַ׃

Would your wealth sustain you in distress, or all the might of your strength?

20 אַל־תִּשְׁאַ֥ף הַלָּ֑יְלָה לַעֲלֹ֖ות עַמִּ֣ים תַּחְתָּֽם׃

Don’t desire the night, when people are cut off in their place.

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

Take heed, don’t regard iniquity; for you have chosen this rather than affliction.

22 הֶן־אֵ֭ל יַשְׂגִּ֣יב בְּכֹחֹ֑ו מִ֖י כָמֹ֣הוּ מֹורֶֽה׃

Behold, God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him?

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

Who has prescribed his way for him? Or who can say, ‘You have committed unrighteousness’?

24 זְ֭כֹר כִּֽי־תַשְׂגִּ֣יא פָעֳלֹ֑ו אֲשֶׁ֖ר שֹׁרְר֣וּ אֲנָשִֽׁים׃

“Remember that you magnify his work, about which men have sung.

25 כָּל־אָדָ֥ם חָֽזוּ־בֹ֑ו אֱ֝נֹ֗ושׁ יַבִּ֥יט מֵרָחֹֽוק׃

All men have looked on it. Man sees it afar off.

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

Behold, God is great, and we don’t know him. The number of his years is unsearchable.

27 כִּ֭י יְגָרַ֣ע נִטְפֵי־מָ֑יִם יָזֹ֖קּוּ מָטָ֣ר לְאֵדֹֽו׃

For he draws up the drops of water, which distill in rain from his vapour,

28 אֲשֶֽׁר־יִזְּל֥וּ שְׁחָקִ֑ים יִ֝רְעֲפ֗וּ עֲלֵ֤י ׀ אָדָ֬ם רָֽב׃

which the skies pour down and which drop on man abundantly.

29 אַ֣ף אִם־יָ֭בִין מִפְרְשֵׂי־עָ֑ב תְּ֝שֻׁאֹ֗ות סֻכָּתֹֽו׃

Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds and the thunderings of his pavilion?

30 הֵן־פָּרַ֣שׂ עָלָ֣יו אֹורֹ֑ו וְשָׁרְשֵׁ֖י הַיָּ֣ם כִּסָּֽה׃

Behold, he spreads his light around him. He covers the bottom of the sea.

31 כִּי־בָ֭ם יָדִ֣ין עַמִּ֑ים יִֽתֶּן־אֹ֥כֶל לְמַכְבִּֽיר׃

For by these he judges the people. He gives food in abundance.

32 עַל־כַּפַּ֥יִם כִּסָּה־אֹ֑ור וַיְצַ֖ו עָלֶ֣יהָ בְמַפְגִּֽיעַ׃

He covers his hands with the lightning, and commands it to strike the mark.

33 יַגִּ֣יד עָלָ֣יו רֵעֹ֑ו מִ֝קְנֶ֗ה אַ֣ף עַל־עֹולֶֽה׃

Its noise tells about him, and the livestock also, concerning the storm that comes up.