איוב 34

1 וַיַּעַן אֱלִיהוּא וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Furthermore Elihu answered and said,

2 שִׁמְעוּ חֲכָמִים מִלָּי וְיֹדְעִים הַאֲזִינוּ לִֽי׃

Hear my words, O ye wise [men; ] and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

3 כִּי־אֹזֶן מִלִּין תִּבְחָן וְחֵךְ יִטְעַם לֶאֱכֹֽל׃

For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.

4 מִשְׁפָּט נִבְחֲרָה־לָּנוּ נֵדְעָה בֵינֵינוּ מַה־טּֽוֹב׃

Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what [is] good.

5 כִּֽי־אָמַר אִיּוֹב צָדַקְתִּי וְאֵל הֵסִיר מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃

For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.

6 עַל־מִשְׁפָּטִי אֲכַזֵּב אָנוּשׁ חִצִּי בְלִי־פָֽשַׁע׃

Should I lie against my right? my wound [is] incurable without transgression.

7 מִי־גֶבֶר כְּאִיּוֹב יִֽשְׁתֶּה־לַּעַג כַּמָּֽיִם׃

What man [is] like Job, [who] drinketh up scorning like water?

8 וְאָרַח לְחֶבְרָה עִם־פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן וְלָלֶכֶת עִם־אַנְשֵׁי־רֶֽשַׁע׃

Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.

9 כִּֽי־אָמַר לֹא יִסְכָּן־גָּבֶר בִּרְצֹתוֹ עִם־אֱלֹהִֽים׃

For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.

10 לָכֵן ׀ אַנֲשֵׁי לֵבָב שִׁמְעוּ לִי חָלִלָה לָאֵל מֵרֶשַׁע וְשַׁדַּי מֵעָֽוֶל׃

Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, [that he should do] wickedness; and [from] the Almighty, [that he should commit] iniquity.

11 כִּי פֹעַל אָדָם יְשַׁלֶּם־לוֹ וּֽכְאֹרַח אִישׁ יַמְצִאֶֽנּוּ׃

For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to [his] ways.

12 אַף־אָמְנָם אֵל לֹֽא־יַרְשִׁיעַ וְשַׁדַּי לֹֽא־יְעַוֵּת מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.

13 מִֽי־פָקַד עָלָיו אָרְצָה וּמִי שָׂם תֵּבֵל כֻּלָּֽהּ׃

Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?

14 אִם־יָשִׂים אֵלָיו לִבּוֹ רוּחוֹ וְנִשְׁמָתוֹ אֵלָיו יֶאֱסֹֽף׃

If he set his heart upon man, [if] he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;

15 יִגְוַע כָּל־בָּשָׂר יָחַד וְאָדָם עַל־עָפָר יָשֽׁוּב׃

All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.

16 וְאִם־בִּינָה שִׁמְעָה־זֹּאת הַאֲזִינָה לְקוֹל מִלָּֽי׃

If now [thou hast] understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.

17 הַאַף שׂוֹנֵא מִשְׁפָּט יַחֲבוֹשׁ וְאִם־צַדִּיק כַּבִּיר תַּרְשִֽׁיעַ׃

Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?

18 הַאֲמֹר לְמֶלֶךְ בְּלִיָּעַל רָשָׁע אֶל־נְדִיבִֽים׃

[Is it fit] to say to a king, [Thou art] wicked? [and] to princes, [Ye are] ungodly?

19 אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־נָשָׂא ׀ פְּנֵי שָׂרִים וְלֹא נִכַּר־שׁוֹעַ לִפְנֵי־דָל כִּֽי־מַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו כֻּלָּֽם׃

[How much less to him] that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all [are] the work of his hands.

20 רֶגַע ׀ יָמֻתוּ וַחֲצוֹת לָיְלָה יְגֹעֲשׁוּ עָם וְיַעֲבֹרוּ וְיָסִירוּ אַבִּיר לֹא בְיָֽד׃

In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.

21 כִּי־עֵינָיו עַל־דַּרְכֵי־אִישׁ וְֽכָל־צְעָדָיו יִרְאֶֽה׃

For his eyes [are] upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.

22 אֵֽין־חֹשֶׁךְ וְאֵין צַלְמָוֶת לְהִסָּתֶר שָׁם פֹּעֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃

[There is] no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

23 כִּי לֹא עַל־אִישׁ יָשִׂים עוֹד לַהֲלֹךְ אֶל־אֵל בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

For he will not lay upon man more [than right; ] that he should enter into judgment with God.

24 יָרֹעַ כַּבִּירִים לֹא־חֵקֶר וַיַּעֲמֵד אֲחֵרִים תַּחְתָּֽם׃

He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead.

25 לָכֵן יַכִּיר מַעְבָּֽדֵיהֶם וְהָפַךְ לַיְלָה וְיִדַּכָּֽאוּ׃

Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth [them] in the night, so that they are destroyed.

26 תַּֽחַת־רְשָׁעִים סְפָקָם בִּמְקוֹם רֹאִֽים׃

He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others;

27 אֲשֶׁר עַל־כֵּן סָרוּ מֵֽאַחֲרָיו וְכָל־דְּרָכָיו לֹא הִשְׂכִּֽילוּ׃

Because they turned back from him, and would not consider any of his ways:

28 לְהָבִיא עָלָיו צַֽעֲקַת־דָּל וְצַעֲקַת עֲנִיִּים יִשְׁמָֽע׃

So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.

29 וְהוּא יַשְׁקִט ׀ וּמִי יַרְשִׁעַ וְיַסְתֵּר פָּנִים וּמִי יְשׁוּרֶנּוּ וְעַל־גּוֹי וְעַל־אָדָם יָֽחַד׃

When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth [his] face, who then can behold him? whether [it be done] against a nation, or against a man only:

30 מִמְּלֹךְ אָדָם חָנֵף מִמֹּקְשֵׁי עָֽם׃

That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared.

31 כִּֽי־אֶל־אֵל הֶאָמַר נָשָׂאתִי לֹא אֶחְבֹּֽל׃

Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne [chastisement], I will not offend [any more: ]

32 בִּלְעֲדֵי אֶחֱזֶה אַתָּה הֹרֵנִי אִֽם־עָוֶל פָּעַלְתִּי לֹא אֹסִֽיף׃

[That which] I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.

33 הַֽמֵעִמְּךָ יְשַׁלְמֶנָּה כִּֽי־מָאַסְתָּ כִּי־אַתָּה תִבְחַר וְלֹא־אָנִי וּֽמַה־יָדַעְתָּ דַבֵּֽר׃

[Should it be] according to thy mind? he will recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.

34 אַנְשֵׁי לֵבָב יֹאמְרוּ לִי וְגֶבֶר חָכָם שֹׁמֵעַֽ לִֽי׃

Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken unto me.

35 אִיּוֹב לֹא־בְדַעַת יְדַבֵּר וּדְבָרָיו לֹא בְהַשְׂכֵּֽיל׃

Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words [were] without wisdom.

36 אָבִי יִבָּחֵן אִיּוֹב עַד־נֶצַח עַל־תְּשֻׁבֹת בְּאַנְשֵׁי־אָֽוֶן׃

My desire [is that] Job may be tried unto the end because of [his] answers for wicked men.

37 כִּי יֹסִיף עַֽל־חַטָּאתוֹ פֶשַׁע בֵּינֵינוּ יִסְפּוֹק וְיֶרֶב אֲמָרָיו לָאֵֽל׃

For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth [his hands] among us, and multiplieth his words against God.