איוב 34

1 וַיַּעַן אֱלִיהוּא וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

And Elihu answers and says:

2 שִׁמְעוּ חֲכָמִים מִלָּי וְיֹדְעִים הַאֲזִינוּ לִֽי׃

“Hear, O wise men, my words, And, O knowing ones, give ear to me.

3 כִּי־אֹזֶן מִלִּין תִּבְחָן וְחֵךְ יִטְעַם לֶאֱכֹֽל׃

For the ear tries words, And the palate tastes to eat.

4 מִשְׁפָּט נִבְחֲרָה־לָּנוּ נֵדְעָה בֵינֵינוּ מַה־טּֽוֹב׃

Let us choose judgment for ourselves, Let us know among ourselves what [is] good.

5 כִּֽי־אָמַר אִיּוֹב צָדַקְתִּי וְאֵל הֵסִיר מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃

For Job has said, I have been righteous, And God has turned aside my right,

6 עַל־מִשְׁפָּטִי אֲכַזֵּב אָנוּשׁ חִצִּי בְלִי־פָֽשַׁע׃

Against my right do I lie? My arrow [is] mortal—without transgression.

7 מִי־גֶבֶר כְּאִיּוֹב יִֽשְׁתֶּה־לַּעַג כַּמָּֽיִם׃

Who [is] a man like Job? He drinks scoffing like water,

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

And he has traveled for company With workers of iniquity, So as to go with men of wickedness.

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

For he has said, It does not profit a man When he delights himself with God.

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

Therefore, O men of heart, listen to me; Far be it from God to do wickedness, And [from] the Mighty to do perverseness,

11 כִּי פֹעַל אָדָם יְשַׁלֶּם־לוֹ וּֽכְאֹרַח אִישׁ יַמְצִאֶֽנּוּ׃

For He repays the work of man to him, And according to the path of each He causes him to find.

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

Indeed, truly, God does not do wickedly, And the Mighty does not pervert judgment.

13 מִֽי־פָקַד עָלָיו אָרְצָה וּמִי שָׂם תֵּבֵל כֻּלָּֽהּ׃

Who has inspected for Himself the earth? And who has placed all the habitable world?

14 אִם־יָשִׂים אֵלָיו לִבּוֹ רוּחוֹ וְנִשְׁמָתוֹ אֵלָיו יֶאֱסֹֽף׃

If He sets His heart on him, [If] He gathers His Spirit and His breath to Himself,

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

All flesh expires together, And man returns to dust.

16 וְאִם־בִּינָה שִׁמְעָה־זֹּאת הַאֲזִינָה לְקוֹל מִלָּֽי׃

And if [there is] understanding, hear this, Give ear to the voice of my words.

17 הַאַף שׂוֹנֵא מִשְׁפָּט יַחֲבוֹשׁ וְאִם־צַדִּיק כַּבִּיר תַּרְשִֽׁיעַ׃

Indeed, does one hating justice govern? Or do you condemn the Most Just?

18 הַאֲמֹר לְמֶלֶךְ בְּלִיָּעַל רָשָׁע אֶל־נְדִיבִֽים׃

Who has said to a king, Worthless, To princes, Wicked?

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

That has not accepted the person of princes, Nor has known the rich before the poor, For all of them [are] a work of His hands.

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

[In] a moment they die, And at midnight people shake, And they pass away, And they remove the mighty without hand.

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

For His eyes [are] on the ways of each, And He sees all his steps.

22 אֵֽין־חֹשֶׁךְ וְאֵין צַלְמָוֶת לְהִסָּתֶר שָׁם פֹּעֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃

There is no darkness nor death-shade, For workers of iniquity to be hidden there;

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

For He does not permit man anymore, To go to God in judgment,

24 יָרֹעַ כַּבִּירִים לֹא־חֵקֶר וַיַּעֲמֵד אֲחֵרִים תַּחְתָּֽם׃

He breaks the mighty—no searching! And He appoints others in their stead.

25 לָכֵן יַכִּיר מַעְבָּֽדֵיהֶם וְהָפַךְ לַיְלָה וְיִדַּכָּֽאוּ׃

Therefore He knows their works, And He has overturned by night, And they are bruised.

26 תַּֽחַת־רְשָׁעִים סְפָקָם בִּמְקוֹם רֹאִֽים׃

As wicked He has struck them, In the place of beholders.

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

Because that against right They have turned aside from after Him, And have considered none of His ways,

28 לְהָבִיא עָלָיו צַֽעֲקַת־דָּל וְצַעֲקַת עֲנִיִּים יִשְׁמָֽע׃

To cause to come to Him The cry of the poor, And He hears the cry of the afflicted.

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

And He gives rest, and who makes wrong? And hides the face, and who beholds it? And in reference to a nation and to a man, [It is] the same.

30 מִמְּלֹךְ אָדָם חָנֵף מִמֹּקְשֵׁי עָֽם׃

From the reigning of a profane man, From the snares of a people;

31 כִּֽי־אֶל־אֵל הֶאָמַר נָשָׂאתִי לֹא אֶחְבֹּֽל׃

For has any said to God: I have taken away, I do not do corruptly,

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

Besides [that which] I see, You show me, If I have done iniquity—I do not add?

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

Does He repay by you, that you have refused—That you choose, and not I? And what you have known, speak.

34 אַנְשֵׁי לֵבָב יֹאמְרוּ לִי וְגֶבֶר חָכָם שֹׁמֵעַֽ לִֽי׃

Let men of heart say to me, And a wise man is listening to me:

35 אִיּוֹב לֹא־בְדַעַת יְדַבֵּר וּדְבָרָיו לֹא בְהַשְׂכֵּֽיל׃

Job—he does not speak with knowledge, And his words [are] not with wisdom.

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

My Father! Let Job be tried—to victory, Because of answers for men of iniquity,

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

For he adds to his sin, He vomits transgression among us, And multiplies his sayings to God.”