אִיּוֹב 8

1 וַ֭יַּעַן בִּלְדַּ֥ד הַשּׁוּחִ֗י וַיֹאמַֽר׃

And Bildad the Shuhite answers and says:

2 עַד־אָ֥ן תְּמַלֶּל־אֵ֑לֶּה וְר֥וּחַ כַּ֝בִּיר אִמְרֵי־פִֽיךָ׃

“Until when do you speak these things? And a strong wind—sayings of your mouth?

3 הַ֭אֵל יְעַוֵּ֣ת מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וְאִם־שַׁ֝דַּ֗י יְעַוֵּֽת־צֶֽדֶק׃

Does God pervert judgment? And does the Mighty One pervert justice?

4 אִם־בָּנֶ֥יךָ חָֽטְאוּ־לֹ֑ו וַֽ֝יְשַׁלְּחֵ֗ם בְּיַד־פִּשְׁעָֽם׃

If your sons have sinned before Him, And He sends them away, By the hand of their transgression,

5 אִם־אַ֭תָּה תְּשַׁחֵ֣ר אֶל־אֵ֑ל וְאֶל־שַׁ֝דַּ֗י תִּתְחַנָּֽן׃

If you seek for God early, And make supplication to the Mighty,

6 אִם־זַ֥ךְ וְיָשָׁ֗ר אָ֥תָּה כִּי־עַ֭תָּה יָעִ֣יר עָלֶ֑יךָ וְ֝שִׁלַּ֗ם נְוַ֣ת צִדְקֶֽךָ׃

If you [are] pure and upright, Surely now He wakes for you, And has completed The habitation of your righteousness.

7 וְהָיָ֣ה רֵאשִׁיתְךָ֣ מִצְעָ֑ר וְ֝אַחֲרִיתְךָ֗ יִשְׂגֶּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃

And your beginning has been small, And your latter end is very great.

8 כִּֽי־שְׁאַל־נָ֭א לְדֹ֣ר רִישֹׁ֑ון וְ֝כֹונֵ֗ן לְחֵ֣קֶר אֲבֹותָֽם׃

For inquire, please, of a former generation, And prepare for a search of their fathers,

9 כִּֽי־תְמֹ֣ול אֲ֭נַחְנוּ וְלֹ֣א נֵדָ֑ע כִּ֤י צֵ֖ל יָמֵ֣ינוּ עֲלֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃

For we [are] of yesterday, and we do not know, For our days [are] a shadow on earth.

10 הֲלֹא־הֵ֣ם יֹ֭ורוּךָ יֹ֣אמְרוּ לָ֑ךְ וּ֝מִלִּבָּ֗ם יֹוצִ֥אוּ מִלִּֽים׃

Do they not show you—speak to you, And from their heart bring forth words?

11 הֲיִֽגְאֶה־גֹּ֭מֶא בְּלֹ֣א בִצָּ֑ה יִשְׂגֶּה־אָ֥חוּ בְלִי־מָֽיִם׃

Does a rush rise without a marsh? A reed increase without water?

12 עֹדֶ֣נּוּ בְ֭אִבֹּו לֹ֣א יִקָּטֵ֑ף וְלִפְנֵ֖י כָל־חָצִ֣יר יִיבָֽשׁ׃

While it [is] in its budding—uncropped, Even before any herb it withers.

13 כֵּ֗ן אָ֭רְחֹות כָּל־שֹׁ֣כְחֵי אֵ֑ל וְתִקְוַ֖ת חָנֵ֣ף תֹּאבֵֽד׃

So [are] the paths of all forgetting God, And the hope of the profane perishes,

14 אֲשֶׁר־יָקֹ֥וט כִּסְלֹ֑ו וּבֵ֥ית עַ֝כָּבִ֗ישׁ מִבְטַחֹֽו׃

Whose confidence is loathsome, And the house of a spider his trust.

15 יִשָּׁעֵ֣ן עַל־בֵּ֭יתֹו וְלֹ֣א יַעֲמֹ֑ד יַחֲזִ֥יק בֹּ֝֗ו וְלֹ֣א יָקֽוּם׃

He leans on his house—and it does not stand, He takes hold on it—and it does not abide.

16 רָטֹ֣ב ה֖וּא לִפְנֵי־שָׁ֑מֶשׁ וְעַ֥ל גַּ֝נָּתֹ֗ו יֹֽנַקְתֹּ֥ו תֵצֵֽא׃

He [is] green before the sun, And over his garden his branch goes out.

17 עַל־גַּ֭ל שָֽׁרָשָׁ֣יו יְסֻבָּ֑כוּ בֵּ֖ית אֲבָנִ֣ים יֶחֱזֶֽה׃

His roots are wrapped by a heap, He looks for a house of stones.

18 אִם־יְבַלְּעֶ֥נּוּ מִמְּקֹומֹ֑ו וְכִ֥חֶשׁ בֹּ֝֗ו לֹ֣א רְאִיתִֽיךָ׃

If [one] destroys him from his place, Then it has feigned concerning him, I have not seen you!

19 הֶן־ה֭וּא מְשֹׂ֣ושׂ דַּרְכֹּ֑ו וּ֝מֵעָפָ֗ר אַחֵ֥ר יִצְמָֽחוּ׃

Behold, this [is] the joy of His way, And from the dust others spring up.

20 הֶן־אֵ֭ל לֹ֣א יִמְאַס־תָּ֑ם וְלֹֽא־יַ֝חֲזִ֗יק בְּיַד־מְרֵעִֽים׃

Behold, God does not reject the perfect, Nor takes hold on the hand of evildoers.

21 עַד־יְמַלֵּ֣ה שְׂחֹ֣וק פִּ֑יךָ וּשְׂפָתֶ֥יךָ תְרוּעָֽה׃

While He fills your mouth with laughter, And your lips with shouting,

22 שֹׂנְאֶ֥יךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ־בֹ֑שֶׁת וְאֹ֖הֶל רְשָׁעִ֣ים אֵינֶֽנּוּ׃ פ

Those hating you put on shame, And the tent of the wicked is not!”