איוב 21
| וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ | 1 |
Then Job answered,
| שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ מִלָּתִי וּתְהִי־זֹאת תַּנְחוּמֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃ | 2 |
“Listen diligently to my speech. Let this be your consolation.
| שָׂאוּנִי וְאָנֹכִי אֲדַבֵּר וְאַחַר דַּבְּרִי תַלְעִֽיג׃ | 3 |
Allow me, and I also will speak. After I have spoken, mock on.
| הֶאָנֹכִי לְאָדָם שִׂיחִי וְאִם־מַדּוּעַ לֹא־תִקְצַר רוּחִֽי׃ | 4 |
As for me, is my complaint to man? Why should not I be impatient?
| פְּנוּ־אֵלַי וְהָשַׁמּוּ וְשִׂימוּ יָד עַל־פֶּֽה׃ | 5 |
Look at me, and be astonished. Lay your hand on your mouth.
| וְאִם־זָכַרְתִּי וְנִבְהָלְתִּי וְאָחַז בְּשָׂרִי פַּלָּצֽוּת׃ | 6 |
When I remember, I am troubled. Horror takes hold of my flesh.
| מַדּוּעַ רְשָׁעִים יִחְיוּ עָתְקוּ גַּם־גָּבְרוּ חָֽיִל׃ | 7 |
“Why do the wicked live, become old, yes, and grow mighty in power?
| זַרְעָם נָכוֹן לִפְנֵיהֶם עִמָּם וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶם לְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃ | 8 |
Their child is established with them in their sight, their offspring before their eyes.
| בָּתֵּיהֶם שָׁלוֹם מִפָּחַד וְלֹא שֵׁבֶט אֱלוֹהַּ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ | 9 |
Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.
| שׁוֹרוֹ עִבַּר וְלֹא יַגְעִל תְּפַלֵּט פָּרָתוֹ וְלֹא תְשַׁכֵּֽל׃ | 10 |
Their bulls breed without fail. Their cows calve, and do not miscarry.
| יְשַׁלְּחוּ כַצֹּאן עֲוִילֵיהֶם וְיַלְדֵיהֶם יְרַקֵּדֽוּן׃ | 11 |
They send out their little ones like a flock. Their children dance.
| יִשְׂאוּ כְּתֹף וְכִנּוֹר וְיִשְׂמְחוּ לְקוֹל עוּגָֽב׃ | 12 |
They sing to the tambourine and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe.
| יבלו יְכַלּוּ בַטּוֹב יְמֵיהֶם וּבְרֶגַע שְׁאוֹל יֵחָֽתּוּ׃ (Sheol h7585) | 13 |
They spend their days in prosperity. In an instant they go down to Sheol (Sheol h7585).
| וַיֹּאמְרוּ לָאֵל סוּר מִמֶּנּוּ וְדַעַת דְּרָכֶיךָ לֹא חָפָֽצְנוּ׃ | 14 |
They tell God, ‘Depart from us, for we do not want to know about your ways.
| מַה־שַׁדַּי כִּֽי־נַֽעַבְדֶנּוּ וּמַה־נּוֹעִיל כִּי נִפְגַּע־בּֽוֹ׃ | 15 |
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What profit should we have, if we pray to him?’
| הֵן לֹא בְיָדָם טוּבָם עֲצַת רְשָׁעִים רָחֲקָה מֶֽנִּי׃ | 16 |
Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand. The counsel of the wicked is far from me.
| כַּמָּה ׀ נֵר־רְשָׁעִים יִדְעָךְ וְיָבֹא עָלֵימוֹ אֵידָם חֲבָלִים יְחַלֵּק בְּאַפּֽוֹ׃ | 17 |
“How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out, that their calamity comes on them, that God distributes sorrows in his anger?
| יִהְיוּ כְּתֶבֶן לִפְנֵי־רוּחַ וּכְמֹץ גְּנָבַתּוּ סוּפָֽה׃ | 18 |
How often is it that they are as stubble before the wind, as chaff that the storm carries away?
| אֱלוֹהַּ יִצְפֹּן־לְבָנָיו אוֹנוֹ יְשַׁלֵּם אֵלָיו וְיֵדָֽע׃ | 19 |
You say, ‘God lays up his iniquity for his children.’ Let him recompense it to himself, that he may know it.
| יִרְאוּ עינו עֵינָיו כִּידוֹ וּמֵחֲמַת שַׁדַּי יִשְׁתֶּֽה׃ | 20 |
Let his own eyes see his destruction. Let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
| כִּי מַה־חֶפְצוֹ בְּבֵיתוֹ אַחֲרָיו וּמִסְפַּר חֳדָשָׁיו חֻצָּֽצוּ׃ | 21 |
For what does he care for his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off?
| הַלְאֵל יְלַמֶּד־דָּעַת וְהוּא רָמִים יִשְׁפּֽוֹט׃ | 22 |
“Shall any teach God knowledge, since he judges those who are high?
| זֶה יָמוּת בְּעֶצֶם תֻּמּוֹ כֻּלּוֹ שַׁלְאֲנַן וְשָׁלֵֽיו׃ | 23 |
One dies in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.
| עֲטִינָיו מָלְאוּ חָלָב וּמֹחַ עַצְמוֹתָיו יְשֻׁקֶּֽה׃ | 24 |
His pails are full of milk. The marrow of his bones is moistened.
| וְזֶה יָמוּת בְּנֶפֶשׁ מָרָה וְלֹֽא־אָכַל בַּטּוֹבָֽה׃ | 25 |
Another dies in bitterness of soul, and never tastes of good.
| יַחַד עַל־עָפָר יִשְׁכָּבוּ וְרִמָּה תְּכַסֶּה עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ | 26 |
They lie down alike in the dust. The worm covers them.
| הֵן יָדַעְתִּי מַחְשְׁבֽוֹתֵיכֶם וּמְזִמּוֹת עָלַי תַּחְמֹֽסוּ׃ | 27 |
“Behold, I know your thoughts, the plans with which you would wrong me.
| כִּי תֹֽאמְרוּ אַיֵּה בֵית־נָדִיב וְאַיֵּה אֹהֶל ׀ מִשְׁכְּנוֹת רְשָׁעִֽים׃ | 28 |
For you say, ‘Where is the house of the prince? Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?’
| הֲלֹא שְׁאֶלְתֶּם עוֹבְרֵי דָרֶךְ וְאֹתֹתָם לֹא תְנַכֵּֽרוּ׃ | 29 |
Have not you asked wayfaring men? Do not you know their evidences,
| כִּי לְיוֹם אֵיד יֵחָשֶׂךְ רָע לְיוֹם עֲבָרוֹת יוּבָֽלוּ׃ | 30 |
that the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity, that they are led out to the day of wrath?
| מִֽי־יַגִּיד עַל־פָּנָיו דַּרְכּוֹ וְהֽוּא־עָשָׂה מִי יְשַׁלֶּם־לֽוֹ׃ | 31 |
Who will declare his way to his face? Who will repay him what he has done?
| וְהוּא לִקְבָרוֹת יוּבָל וְֽעַל־גָּדִישׁ יִשְׁקֽוֹד׃ | 32 |
Yet he will be borne to the grave. Men will keep watch over the tomb.
| מָֽתְקוּ־לוֹ רִגְבֵי נָחַל וְאַחֲרָיו כָּל־אָדָם יִמְשׁוֹךְ וּלְפָנָיו אֵין מִסְפָּֽר׃ | 33 |
The clods of the valley will be sweet to him. All men will draw after him, as there were innumerable before him.
| וְאֵיךְ תְּנַחֲמוּנִי הָבֶל וּתְשֽׁוּבֹתֵיכֶם נִשְׁאַר־מָֽעַל׃ | 34 |
So how can you comfort me with nonsense, because in your answers there remains only falsehood?”
