אִיּוֹב 34

1 וַיַּ֥עַן אֱלִיה֗וּא וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Moreover, Elihu continued to speak:

2 שִׁמְע֣וּ חֲכָמִ֣ים מִלָּ֑י וְ֝יֹדְעִ֗ים הַאֲזִ֥ינוּ לִֽי׃

“Listen to my words, you wise men; hear me, you who have knowledge.

3 כִּי־אֹ֭זֶן מִלִּ֣ין תִּבְחָ֑ן וְ֝חֵ֗ךְ יִטְעַ֥ם לֶאֱכֹֽל׃

For the ear tries words as the palate tastes food.

4 מִשְׁפָּ֥ט נִבְחֲרָה־לָּ֑נוּ נֵדְעָ֖ה בֵינֵ֣ינוּ מַה־טּֽוֹב׃

Let us choose for ourselves what is just: let us discover among ourselves what is good.

5 כִּֽי־אָ֭מַר אִיּ֣וֹב צָדַ֑קְתִּי וְ֝אֵ֗ל הֵסִ֥יר מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃

For Job has said, 'I am righteous, but God has taken away my rights.

6 עַל־מִשְׁפָּטִ֥י אֲכַזֵּ֑ב אָנ֖וּשׁ חִצִּ֣י בְלִי־פָֽשַׁע׃

Regardless of my rights, I am considered to be a liar. My wound is incurable, although I am without sin.'

7 מִי־גֶ֥בֶר כְּאִיּ֑וֹב יִֽשְׁתֶּה־לַּ֥עַג כַּמָּֽיִם׃

What man is like Job, who drinks up mockery like water,

8 וְאָרַ֣ח לְ֭חֶבְרָה עִם־פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָ֑וֶן וְ֝לָלֶ֗כֶת עִם־אַנְשֵׁי־רֶֽשַׁע׃

who goes around in the company of those who do evil, and who walks with wicked men?

9 כִּֽי־אָ֭מַר לֹ֣א יִסְכָּן־גָּ֑בֶר בִּ֝רְצֹת֗וֹ עִם־אֱלֹהִֽים׃

For he has said, 'It is no use to a person to take pleasure in doing what God wants.'

10 לָכֵ֤ן ׀ אַ֥נֲשֵׁ֥י לֵבָ֗ב שִׁמְע֫וּ לִ֥י חָלִ֖לָה לָאֵ֥ל מֵרֶ֗שַׁע וְשַׁדַּ֥י מֵעָֽוֶל׃

So listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God that he should do wickedness; far be it from the Almighty that he should commit sin.

11 כִּ֤י פֹ֣עַל אָ֭דָם יְשַׁלֶּם־ל֑וֹ וּֽכְאֹ֥רַח אִ֝֗ישׁ יַמְצִאֶֽנּוּ׃

For he pays back a person's work; he makes every man come upon the reward of his own ways.

12 אַף־אָמְנָ֗ם אֵ֥ל לֹֽא־יַרְשִׁ֑יעַ וְ֝שַׁדַּ֗י לֹֽא־יְעַוֵּ֥ת מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

Indeed, God does nothing wicked, nor does the Almighty ever pervert justice.

13 מִֽי־פָקַ֣ד עָלָ֣יו אָ֑רְצָה וּמִ֥י שָׂ֝֗ם תֵּבֵ֥ל כֻּלָּֽהּ׃

Who put him in charge over the earth? Who put the whole world under him?

14 אִם־יָשִׂ֣ים אֵלָ֣יו לִבּ֑וֹ רוּח֥וֹ וְ֝נִשְׁמָת֗וֹ אֵלָ֥יו יֶאֱסֹֽף׃

If he ever set his intentions only on himself, and if he ever gathered back to himself his spirit and his breath,

15 יִגְוַ֣ע כָּל־בָּשָׂ֣ר יָ֑חַד וְ֝אָדָ֗ם עַל־עָפָ֥ר יָשֽׁוּב׃

then all flesh would perish together; mankind would return to dust again.

16 וְאִם־בִּ֥ינָה שִׁמְעָה־זֹּ֑את הַ֝אֲזִ֗ינָה לְק֣וֹל מִלָּֽי׃

If now you have understanding, listen to this; listen to the sound of my words.

17 הַאַ֬ף שׂוֹנֵ֣א מִשְׁפָּ֣ט יַחֲב֑וֹשׁ וְאִם־צַדִּ֖יק כַּבִּ֣יר תַּרְשִֽׁיעַ׃

Can one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn God, who is righteous and mighty?

18 הַאֲמֹ֣ר לְמֶ֣לֶךְ בְּלִיָּ֑עַל רָ֝שָׁ֗ע אֶל־נְדִיבִֽים׃

God, who says to a king, 'You are vile,' or says to nobles, 'You are wicked'?

19 אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־נָשָׂ֨א ׀ פְּנֵ֥י שָׂרִ֗ים וְלֹ֣א נִכַּר־שׁ֭וֹעַ לִפְנֵי־דָ֑ל כִּֽי־מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה יָדָ֣יו כֻּלָּֽם׃

God, who does not show favoritism to leaders and does not acknowledge rich people more than poor, for they all are the work of his hands.

20 רֶ֤גַע ׀ יָמֻתוּ֮ וַחֲצ֪וֹת לָ֥יְלָה יְגֹעֲשׁ֣וּ עָ֣ם וְיַעֲבֹ֑רוּ וְיָסִ֥ירוּ אַ֝בִּ֗יר לֹ֣א בְיָֽד׃

In a moment they will die; at midnight people will be shaken and will pass away; mighty people will be taken away, but not by human hands.

21 כִּי־עֵ֭ינָיו עַל־דַּרְכֵי־אִ֑ישׁ וְֽכָל־צְעָדָ֥יו יִרְאֶֽה׃

For God's eyes are upon a person's ways; he sees all his steps.

22 אֵֽין־חֹ֭שֶׁךְ וְאֵ֣ין צַלְמָ֑וֶת לְהִסָּ֥תֶר שָׁ֝֗ם פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃

There is no darkness, no thick gloom where the doers of iniquity may hide themselves.

23 כִּ֤י לֹ֣א עַל־אִ֭ישׁ יָשִׂ֣ים ע֑וֹד לַהֲלֹ֥ךְ אֶל־אֵ֝֗ל בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

For God does not need to examine a person further; there is no need for any person to go before him in judgment.

24 יָרֹ֣עַ כַּבִּירִ֣ים לֹא־חֵ֑קֶר וַיַּעֲמֵ֖ד אֲחֵרִ֣ים תַּחְתָּֽם׃

He breaks mighty men into pieces for their ways that need no further investigation; he puts others in their places.

25 לָכֵ֗ן יַ֭כִּיר מַעְבָּֽדֵיהֶ֑ם וְהָ֥פַךְ לַ֝֗יְלָה וְיִדַּכָּֽאוּ׃

In this way he has knowledge of their deeds; he overthrows these people in the night; they are destroyed.

26 תַּֽחַת־רְשָׁעִ֥ים סְפָקָ֗ם בִּמְק֥וֹם רֹאִֽים׃

In the open sight of others, he kills them for their wicked deeds like criminals

27 אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־כֵּ֭ן סָ֣רוּ מֵֽאַחֲרָ֑יו וְכָל־דְּ֝רָכָ֗יו לֹ֣א הִשְׂכִּֽילוּ׃

because they turned away from following him and refused to acknowledge any of his ways.

28 לְהָבִ֣יא עָ֭לָיו צַֽעֲקַת־דָּ֑ל וְצַעֲקַ֖ת עֲנִיִּ֣ים יִשְׁמָֽע׃

In this way, they made the cry of poor people come to him; he heard the cry of afflicted people.

29 וְה֤וּא יַשְׁקִ֨ט ׀ וּמִ֥י יַרְשִׁ֗עַ וְיַסְתֵּ֣ר פָּ֭נִים וּמִ֣י יְשׁוּרֶ֑נּוּ וְעַל־גּ֖וֹי וְעַל־אָדָ֣ם יָֽחַד׃

When he stays silent, who can condemn him? If he hides his face, who can perceive him? He rules over nation and individual alike,

30 מִ֭מְּלֹךְ אָדָ֥ם חָנֵ֗ף מִמֹּ֥קְשֵׁי עָֽם׃

so that a godless man may not rule, so that there may be no one to entrap people.

31 כִּֽי־אֶל־אֵ֭ל הֶאָמַ֥ר נָשָׂ֗אתִי לֹ֣א אֶחְבֹּֽל׃

Suppose someone says to God, 'I am certainly guilty, but I will not sin any longer;

32 בִּלְעֲדֵ֣י אֶ֭חֱזֶה אַתָּ֣ה הֹרֵ֑נִי אִֽם־עָ֥וֶל פָּ֝עַ֗לְתִּי לֹ֣א אֹסִֽיף׃

teach me what I cannot see; I have committed sin, but I will do it no longer.'

33 הַֽמֵעִמְּךָ֬ יְשַׁלְמֶ֨נָּה כִּֽי־מָאַ֗סְתָּ כִּי־אַתָּ֣ה תִבְחַ֣ר וְלֹא־אָ֑נִי וּֽמַה־יָדַ֥עְתָּ דַבֵּֽר׃

Do you think that God will punish that person's sin, since you dislike what God does? You must choose, not I. So say what it is that you know.

34 אַנְשֵׁ֣י לֵ֭בָב יֹ֣אמְרוּ לִ֑י וְגֶ֥בֶר חָ֝כָ֗ם שֹׁמֵ֥עַֽ לִֽי׃

Men of understanding will say to me— indeed, every wise man who hears me will say,

35 אִ֭יּוֹב לֹא־בְדַ֣עַת יְדַבֵּ֑ר וּ֝דְבָרָ֗יו לֹ֣א בְהַשְׂכֵּֽיל׃

'Job speaks without knowledge; his words are without wisdom.'

36 אָבִ֗י יִבָּחֵ֣ן אִיּ֣וֹב עַד־נֶ֑צַח עַל־תְּ֝שֻׁבֹ֗ת בְּאַנְשֵׁי־אָֽוֶן׃

If only Job were put on trial in the smallest details of his case because of his talking like wicked men.

37 כִּ֥י יֹ֘סִ֤יף עַֽל־חַטָּאת֣וֹ פֶ֭שַׁע בֵּינֵ֣ינוּ יִסְפּ֑וֹק וְיֶ֖רֶב אֲמָרָ֣יו לָאֵֽל׃ ס

For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands in mockery in our midst; he piles up words against God.”