אִיּוֹב 5

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

“Call now; is there any who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?

2 כִּֽי־לֶֽ֭אֱוִיל יַהֲרָג־כָּ֑עַשׂ וּ֝פֹתֶ֗ה תָּמִ֥ית קִנְאָֽה׃

For resentment kills the foolish man, and jealousy kills the simple.

3 אֲ‍ֽנִי־רָ֭אִיתִי אֱוִ֣יל מַשְׁרִ֑ישׁ וָאֶקֹּ֖וב נָוֵ֣הוּ פִתְאֹֽם׃

I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his habitation.

4 יִרְחֲק֣וּ בָנָ֣יו מִיֶּ֑שַׁע וְיִֽדַּכְּא֥וּ בַ֝שַּׁ֗עַר וְאֵ֣ין מַצִּֽיל׃

His children are far from safety. They are crushed in the gate. Neither is there any to deliver them,

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

whose harvest the hungry eat up, and take it even out of the thorns. The snare gapes for their substance.

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

For affliction doesn’t come out of the dust, neither does trouble spring out of the ground;

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

but man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

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

“But as for me, I would seek God. I would commit my cause to God,

9 עֹשֶׂ֣ה גְ֭דֹלֹות וְאֵ֣ין חֵ֑קֶר נִ֝פְלָאֹ֗ות עַד־אֵ֥ין מִסְפָּֽר׃

who does great things that can’t be fathomed, marvellous things without number;

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

who gives rain on the earth, and sends waters on the fields;

11 לָשׂ֣וּם שְׁפָלִ֣ים לְמָרֹ֑ום וְ֝קֹדְרִ֗ים שָׂ֣גְבוּ יֶֽשַׁע׃

so that he sets up on high those who are low, those who mourn are exalted to safety.

12 מֵ֭פֵר מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ות עֲרוּמִ֑ים וְֽלֹא־תַעֲשֶׂ֥ינָה יְ֝דֵיהֶ֗ם תּוּשִׁיָּֽה׃

He frustrates the plans of the crafty, so that their hands can’t perform their enterprise.

13 לֹכֵ֣ד חֲכָמִ֣ים בְּעָרְמָ֑ם וַעֲצַ֖ת נִפְתָּלִ֣ים נִמְהָֽרָה׃

He takes the wise in their own craftiness; the counsel of the cunning is carried headlong.

14 יֹומָ֥ם יְפַגְּשׁוּ־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וְ֝כַלַּ֗יְלָה יְֽמַשְׁשׁ֥וּ בַֽצָּהֳרָֽיִם׃

They meet with darkness in the day time, and grope at noonday as in the night.

15 וַיֹּ֣שַׁע מֵ֭חֶרֶב מִפִּיהֶ֑ם וּמִיַּ֖ד חָזָ֣ק אֶבְיֹֽון׃

But he saves from the sword of their mouth, even the needy from the hand of the mighty.

16 וַתְּהִ֣י לַדַּ֣ל תִּקְוָ֑ה וְ֝עֹלָ֗תָה קָ֣פְצָה פִּֽיהָ׃

So the poor has hope, and injustice shuts her mouth.

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

“Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects. Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.

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

For he wounds and binds up. He injures and his hands make whole.

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

He will deliver you in six troubles; yes, in seven no evil will touch you.

20 בְּ֭רָעָב פָּֽדְךָ֣ מִמָּ֑וֶת וּ֝בְמִלְחָמָ֗ה מִ֣ידֵי חָֽרֶב׃

In famine he will redeem you from death; in war, from the power of the sword.

21 בְּשֹׁ֣וט לָ֭שֹׁון תֵּחָבֵ֑א וְֽלֹא־תִירָ֥א מִ֝שֹּׁ֗ד כִּ֣י יָבֹֽוא׃

You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, neither will you be afraid of destruction when it comes.

22 לְשֹׁ֣ד וּלְכָפָ֣ן תִּשְׂחָ֑ק וּֽמֵחַיַּ֥ת הָ֝אָ֗רֶץ אַל־תִּירָֽא׃

You will laugh at destruction and famine, neither will you be afraid of the animals of the earth.

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

For you will be allied with the stones of the field. The animals of the field will be at peace with you.

24 וְֽ֭יָדַעְתָּ כִּי־שָׁלֹ֣ום אָהֳלֶ֑ךָ וּֽפָקַדְתָּ֥ נָ֝וְךָ וְלֹ֣א תֶחֱטָֽא׃

You will know that your tent is in peace. You will visit your fold, and will miss nothing.

25 וְֽ֭יָדַעְתָּ כִּי־רַ֣ב זַרְעֶ֑ךָ וְ֝צֶאֱצָאֶ֗יךָ כְּעֵ֣שֶׂב הָאָֽרֶץ׃

You will know also that your offspring will be great, your offspring as the grass of the earth.

26 תָּבֹ֣וא בְכֶ֣לַח אֱלֵי־קָ֑בֶר כַּעֲלֹ֖ות גָּדִ֣ישׁ בְּעִתֹּֽו׃

You will come to your grave in a full age, like a shock of grain comes in its season.

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

Behold, we have researched it. It is so. Hear it, and know it for your good.”