אִיּוֹב 5

1 קְֽרָא־נָ֭א הֲיֵ֣שׁ עֹונֶ֑ךָּ וְאֶל־מִ֖י מִקְּדֹשִׁ֣ים תִּפְנֶֽה׃

Call, I pray thee—is there one to answer thee? Or, to which of the holy ones, wilt thou turn?

2 כִּֽי־לֶֽ֭אֱוִיל יַהֲרָג־כָּ֑עַשׂ וּ֝פֹתֶ֗ה תָּמִ֥ית קִנְאָֽה׃

For, to the foolish man, death is caused by vexation, and, the simple one, is slain by jealousy.

3 אֲ‍ֽנִי־רָ֭אִיתִי אֱוִ֣יל מַשְׁרִ֑ישׁ וָאֶקֹּ֖וב נָוֵ֣הוּ פִתְאֹֽם׃

I, have seen the foolish taking root, and then hath his home decayed, in a moment:

4 יִרְחֲק֣וּ בָנָ֣יו מִיֶּ֑שַׁע וְיִֽדַּכְּא֥וּ בַ֝שַּׁ֗עַר וְאֵ֣ין מַצִּֽיל׃

His children are far removed from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, and there is none to deliver:

5 אֲשֶׁ֤ר קְצִירֹ֨ו ׀ רָ֘עֵ֤ב יֹאכֵ֗ל וְאֶֽל־מִצִּנִּ֥ים יִקָּחֵ֑הוּ וְשָׁאַ֖ף צַמִּ֣ים חֵילָֽם׃

Whose harvest, the hungry, eateth up, and, even out of thorn hedges, he taketh it, and the snare gapeth for their substance.

6 כִּ֤י ׀ לֹא־יֵצֵ֣א מֵעָפָ֣ר אָ֑וֶן וּ֝מֵאֲדָמָ֗ה לֹא־יִצְמַ֥ח עָמָֽל׃

For sorrow, cometh not forth out of the dust, —nor, out of the ground, sprouteth trouble.

7 כִּֽי־אָ֭דָם לְעָמָ֣ל יוּלָּ֑ד וּבְנֵי־רֶ֝֗שֶׁף יַגְבִּ֥יהוּ עֽוּף׃

Though, man, to trouble, were born, as, sparks, on high, do soar,

8 אוּלָ֗ם אֲ֭נִי אֶדְרֹ֣שׁ אֶל־אֵ֑ל וְאֶל־אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים אָשִׂ֥ים דִּבְרָתִֽי׃

Yet indeed, I, would seek unto El, and, unto Elohim, would I set forth any cause: —

9 עֹשֶׂ֣ה גְ֭דֹלֹות וְאֵ֣ין חֵ֑קֶר נִ֝פְלָאֹ֗ות עַד־אֵ֥ין מִסְפָּֽר׃

Who doeth great things, beyond all search, —Wondrous things, till they cannot be recounted;

10 הַנֹּתֵ֣ן מָ֭טָר עַל־פְּנֵי־אָ֑רֶץ וְשֹׁ֥לֵֽחַ מַ֝יִם עַל־פְּנֵ֥י חוּצֹֽות׃

Who giveth rain, upon the face of the earth, and sendeth forth waters, over the face of the open fields;

11 לָשׂ֣וּם שְׁפָלִ֣ים לְמָרֹ֑ום וְ֝קֹדְרִ֗ים שָׂ֣גְבוּ יֶֽשַׁע׃

Setting the lowly on high, and, mourners, are uplifted to safety;

12 מֵ֭פֵר מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ות עֲרוּמִ֑ים וְֽלֹא־תַעֲשֶׂ֥ינָה יְ֝דֵיהֶ֗ם תּוּשִׁיָּֽה׃

Who doth frustrate the schemes of the crafty, that their hands cannot achieve abiding success;

13 לֹכֵ֣ד חֲכָמִ֣ים בְּעָרְמָ֑ם וַעֲצַ֖ת נִפְתָּלִ֣ים נִמְהָֽרָה׃

Who captureth the wise in their own craftiness, yea the headlong counsel of the crooked:

14 יֹומָ֥ם יְפַגְּשׁוּ־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וְ֝כַלַּ֗יְלָה יְֽמַשְׁשׁ֥וּ בַֽצָּהֳרָֽיִם׃

By day, they encounter darkness, and, as though it were night, they grope at high noon.

15 וַיֹּ֣שַׁע מֵ֭חֶרֶב מִפִּיהֶ֑ם וּמִיַּ֖ד חָזָ֣ק אֶבְיֹֽון׃

But he saveth from the sword, out of their mouth, and, out of the hand of the strong, the needy.

16 וַתְּהִ֣י לַדַּ֣ל תִּקְוָ֑ה וְ֝עֹלָ֗תָה קָ֣פְצָה פִּֽיהָ׃

Thus to the poor hath come hope, and, perversity, hath shut her mouth.

17 הִנֵּ֤ה אַשְׁרֵ֣י אֱ֭נֹושׁ יֹוכִחֶ֣נּֽוּ אֱלֹ֑והַּ וּמוּסַ֥ר שַׁ֝דַּ֗י אַל־תִּמְאָֽס׃

Lo! how happy is the man whom God correcteth! Therefore, the chastening of the Almighty, do not thou refuse;

18 כִּ֤י ה֣וּא יַכְאִ֣יב וְיֶחְבָּ֑שׁ יִ֝מְחַ֗ץ וְיָדֹו (וְיָדָ֥יו) תִּרְפֶּֽינָה׃

For, he, woundeth that he may bind up, He smiteth through, that, his own hands, may heal.

19 בְּשֵׁ֣שׁ צָ֭רֹות יַצִּילֶ֑ךָּ וּבְשֶׁ֓בַע ׀ לֹא־יִגַּ֖ע בְּךָ֣ רָֽע׃

In six troubles, he will rescue thee, and, in seven, there shall smite thee no misfortune:

20 בְּ֭רָעָב פָּֽדְךָ֣ מִמָּ֑וֶת וּ֝בְמִלְחָמָ֗ה מִ֣ידֵי חָֽרֶב׃

In famine, he will ransom thee from death, and in battle from the power of the sword;

21 בְּשֹׁ֣וט לָ֭שֹׁון תֵּחָבֵ֑א וְֽלֹא־תִירָ֥א מִ֝שֹּׁ֗ד כִּ֣י יָבֹֽוא׃

During the scourge of the tongue, shalt thou be hid, neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh;

22 לְשֹׁ֣ד וּלְכָפָ֣ן תִּשְׂחָ֑ק וּֽמֵחַיַּ֥ת הָ֝אָ֗רֶץ אַל־תִּירָֽא׃

At destruction and at hunger, shalt thou laugh, and, of the wild beast of the earth, be not thou afraid;

23 כִּ֤י עִם־אַבְנֵ֣י הַשָּׂדֶ֣ה בְרִיתֶ֑ךָ וְחַיַּ֥ת הַ֝שָּׂדֶ֗ה הָשְׁלְמָה־לָֽךְ׃

For, with the stones of the field, shall be thy covenant, and, the wild beast of the field, hath been made thy friend;

24 וְֽ֭יָדַעְתָּ כִּי־שָׁלֹ֣ום אָהֳלֶ֑ךָ וּֽפָקַדְתָּ֥ נָ֝וְךָ וְלֹ֣א תֶחֱטָֽא׃

And thou shalt know that, at peace, is thy tent, and shalt visit thy fold, and miss nothing;

25 וְֽ֭יָדַעְתָּ כִּי־רַ֣ב זַרְעֶ֑ךָ וְ֝צֶאֱצָאֶ֗יךָ כְּעֵ֣שֶׂב הָאָֽרֶץ׃

And thou shalt know, that numerous is thy seed, and, thine offspring, like the young shoots of the field.

26 תָּבֹ֣וא בְכֶ֣לַח אֱלֵי־קָ֑בֶר כַּעֲלֹ֖ות גָּדִ֣ישׁ בְּעִתֹּֽו׃

Thou shalt come, yet robust, to the grave, as a stack of sheaves mounteth up in its season.

27 הִנֵּה־זֹ֭את חֲקַרְנ֥וּהָ כֶּֽן־הִ֑יא שְׁ֝מָעֶ֗נָּה וְאַתָּ֥ה דַֽע־לָֽךְ׃ פ

Lo! as for this, we have searched it out—so, it is, Hear it, and know, thou, for thyself.