אִיּוֹב 8

1 וַ֭יַּעַן בִּלְדַּ֥ד הַשּׁוּחִ֗י וַיֹאמַֽר׃

And Bildad the Shuhite answereth and saith: —

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

Till when dost thou speak these things? And a strong wind — sayings of thy mouth?

3 הַ֭אֵל יְעַוֵּ֣ת מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וְאִם־שַׁ֝דַּ֗י יְעַוֵּֽת־צֶֽדֶק׃

Doth God pervert judgment? And doth the Mighty One pervert justice?

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

If thy sons have sinned before Him, And He doth send them away, By the hand of their transgression,

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

If thou dost seek early unto God, And unto the Mighty makest supplication,

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

If pure and upright thou [art], Surely now He waketh for thee, And hath completed The habitation of thy righteousness.

7 וְהָיָ֣ה רֵאשִׁיתְךָ֣ מִצְעָ֑ר וְ֝אַחֲרִיתְךָ֗ יִשְׂגֶּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃

And thy beginning hath been small, And thy latter end is very great.

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

For, ask I pray thee of a former generation, And prepare to a search of their fathers,

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

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

10 הֲלֹא־הֵ֣ם יֹ֭ורוּךָ יֹ֣אמְרוּ לָ֑ךְ וּ֝מִלִּבָּ֗ם יֹוצִ֥אוּ מִלִּֽים׃

Do they not shew thee — speak to thee, And from their heart bring forth words?

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

'Doth a rush wise without mire? 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 withereth.

13 כֵּ֗ן אָ֭רְחֹות כָּל־שֹׁ֣כְחֵי אֵ֑ל וְתִקְוַ֖ת חָנֵ֣ף תֹּאבֵֽד׃

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

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 leaneth on his house — and it standeth not: He taketh hold on it — and it abideth not.

16 רָטֹ֣ב ה֖וּא לִפְנֵי־שָׁ֑מֶשׁ וְעַ֥ל גַּ֝נָּתֹ֗ו יֹֽנַקְתֹּ֥ו תֵצֵֽא׃

Green he [is] before the sun, And over his garden his branch goeth out.

17 עַל־גַּ֭ל שָֽׁרָשָׁ֣יו יְסֻבָּ֑כוּ בֵּ֖ית אֲבָנִ֣ים יֶחֱזֶֽה׃

By a heap his roots are wrapped, A house of stones he looketh for.

18 אִם־יְבַלְּעֶ֥נּוּ מִמְּקֹומֹ֑ו וְכִ֥חֶשׁ בֹּ֝֗ו לֹ֣א רְאִיתִֽיךָ׃

If [one] doth destroy him from his place, Then it hath feigned concerning him, I have not seen thee!

19 הֶן־ה֭וּא מְשֹׂ֣ושׂ דַּרְכֹּ֑ו וּ֝מֵעָפָ֗ר אַחֵ֥ר יִצְמָֽחוּ׃

Lo, this [is] the joy of his way, And from the dust others spring up.'

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

Lo, God doth not reject the perfect, Nor taketh hold on the hand of evil doers.

21 עַד־יְמַלֵּ֣ה שְׂחֹ֣וק פִּ֑יךָ וּשְׂפָתֶ֥יךָ תְרוּעָֽה׃

While he filleth with laughter thy mouth, And thy lips with shouting,

22 שֹׂנְאֶ֥יךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ־בֹ֑שֶׁת וְאֹ֖הֶל רְשָׁעִ֣ים אֵינֶֽנּוּ׃ פ

Those hating thee do put on shame, And the tent of the wicked is not!