איוב 36

1 וַיֹּסֶף אֱלִיהוּא וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Elihu [finished by] saying this:

2 כַּתַּר־לִי זְעֵיר וַאֲחַוֶּךָּ כִּי עוֹד לֶאֱלוֹהַּ מִלִּֽים׃

“[Job, ] be patient with me a little longer, because I have something else to teach you. I have something else to say that God [wants you to know].

3 אֶשָּׂא דֵעִי לְמֵרָחוֹק וּלְפֹעֲלִי אֶֽתֵּֽן־צֶֽדֶק׃

I will tell you what I have learned from many sources, in order to show that God, my creator, is just/fair.

4 כִּֽי־אָמְנָם לֹא־שֶׁקֶר מִלָּי תְּמִים דֵּעוֹת עִמָּֽךְ׃

I am not saying anything to you that is false; I, who am standing in front of you, am someone who understands things (very well/perfectly) [HYP].

5 הֶן־אֵל כַּבִּיר וְלֹא יִמְאָס כַּבִּיר כֹּחַֽ לֵֽב׃

“Hey, God is [very] powerful, and he does not despise anyone, and he understands everything.

6 לֹא־יְחַיֶּה רָשָׁע וּמִשְׁפַּט עֲנִיִּים יִתֵּֽן׃

He does not allow wicked people to remain alive, and he always acts justly toward those who are poor.

7 לֹֽא־יִגְרַע מִצַּדִּיק עֵינָיו וְאֶת־מְלָכִים לַכִּסֵּא וַיֹּשִׁיבֵם לָנֶצַח וַיִּגְבָּֽהוּ׃

He always watches over [MTY] those who are righteous; he allows them to sit on thrones [and rule] with kings, and they are honored forever.

8 וְאִם־אֲסוּרִים בַּזִּקִּים יִלָּכְדוּן בְּחַבְלֵי־עֹֽנִי׃

But if people [who commit crimes] are caught, they [are thrown into prison and] are caused to suffer by being fastened with chains.

9 וַיַּגֵּד לָהֶם פָּעֳלָם וּפִשְׁעֵיהֶם כִּי יִתְגַּבָּֽרוּ׃

When that happens, God shows them what they have done; he shows them the sins that they have committed, and he shows them that they have been proud/arrogant.

10 וַיִּגֶל אָזְנָם לַמּוּסָר וַיֹּאמֶר כִּֽי־יְשֻׁבוּן מֵאָֽוֶן׃

He causes them to listen [MTY] to what he is warning them, and he commands them to turn away from [doing what is] evil.

11 אִֽם־יִשְׁמְעוּ וְֽיַעֲבֹדוּ יְכַלּוּ יְמֵיהֶם בַּטּוֹב וּשְׁנֵיהֶם בַּנְּעִימִֽים׃

If they (listen to/heed) him and serve him, [after they get out of prison] they will prosper for all the years that they are alive and be peaceful/happy.

12 וְאִם־לֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ בְּשֶׁלַח יַעֲבֹרוּ וְיִגְוְעוּ כִּבְלִי־דָֽעַת׃

But if they do not (listen/pay attention) to him, they will die violently, not knowing [why God is causing them to die].

13 וְֽחַנְפֵי־לֵב יָשִׂימוּ אָף לֹא יְשַׁוְּעוּ כִּי אֲסָרָֽם׃

“Godless/Wicked people continue being angry, and they do not cry out for help, [even] when God is punishing them.

14 תָּמֹת בַּנֹּעַר נַפְשָׁם וְחַיָּתָם בַּקְּדֵשִֽׁים׃

They die while they are still young, disgraced because of their very immoral behavior [EUP].

15 יְחַלֵּץ עָנִי בְעָנְיוֹ וְיִגֶל בַּלַּחַץ אָזְנָֽם׃

But God teaches people by causing them to suffer; by afflicting them, he causes them to listen to [MTY] what he is telling them.

16 וְאַף הֲסִיתְךָ ׀ מִפִּי־צָר רַחַב לֹא־מוּצָק תַּחְתֶּיהָ וְנַחַת שֻׁלְחָנְךָ מָלֵא דָֽשֶׁן׃

“And Job, [I think that] God [wants to] bring you out of your troubles and allow you to live without distress; he wants your table to be full of very nice food.

17 וְדִין־רָשָׁע מָלֵאתָ דִּין וּמִשְׁפָּט יִתְמֹֽכוּ׃

But now, you are being punished [MTY] as wicked people are punished; [God] [PRS] has been punishing you (justly/as you deserve).

18 כִּֽי־חֵמָה פֶּן־יְסִֽיתְךָ בְסָפֶק וְרָב־כֹּפֶר אַל־יַטֶּֽךָּ׃

So be careful that you are not deceived by [desiring to acquire] money or that you are not ruined by [accepting] large bribes.

19 הֲיַעֲרֹךְ שׁוּעֲךָ לֹא בְצָר וְכֹל מַאֲמַצֵּי־כֹֽחַ׃

[If you are deceived by those things, ] it certainly will not [RHQ] help you to cry out when you are distressed; all of your strength will not help you.

20 אַל־תִּשְׁאַף הַלָּיְלָה לַעֲלוֹת עַמִּים תַּחְתָּֽם׃

Do not wish that it would be nighttime [in order that God will not see you and punish you], because night is the time when [even] people-groups are destroyed!

21 הִשָּׁמֶר אַל־תֵּפֶן אֶל־אָוֶן כִּֽי־עַל־זֶה בָּחַרְתָּ מֵעֹֽנִי׃

Be careful not to [begin doing] evil things, because [God] has caused you to suffer to prevent you from doing evil.

22 הֶן־אֵל יַשְׂגִּיב בְּכֹחוֹ מִי כָמֹהוּ מוֹרֶֽה׃

“Hey, God is extremely powerful; there is certainly [RHQ] no teacher who teaches like he does.

23 מִֽי־פָקַד עָלָיו דַּרְכּוֹ וּמִֽי־אָמַר פָּעַלְתָּ עַוְלָֽה׃

No one has [RHQ] told him what he should do, and no one has [RHQ] said to him, ‘You have done what is wrong!’

24 זְכֹר כִּֽי־תַשְׂגִּיא פָעֳלוֹ אֲשֶׁר שֹׁרְרוּ אֲנָשִֽׁים׃

People have [always] sung to praise him, so you also should never forget to praise him for what he has done.

25 כָּל־אָדָם חָֽזוּ־בוֹ אֱנוֹשׁ יַבִּיט מֵרָחֽוֹק׃

Everyone has seen [what he has done], but [sometimes] we can see it only from far away.

26 הֶן־אֵל שַׂגִּיא וְלֹא נֵדָע מִסְפַּר שָׁנָיו וְלֹא־חֵֽקֶר׃

“Hey, God is very great, and we are not able to know how great he is, and we do not know how old he is.

27 כִּי יְגָרַע נִטְפֵי־מָיִם יָזֹקּוּ מָטָר לְאֵדֽוֹ׃

He draws water up [from the earth and puts it in clouds] and causes it to become rain.

28 אֲשֶֽׁר־יִזְּלוּ שְׁחָקִים יִרְעֲפוּ עֲלֵי ׀ אָדָם רָֽב׃

The rain pours down from the sky/clouds; God causes abundant showers to fall on everyone.

29 אַף אִם־יָבִין מִפְרְשֵׂי־עָב תְּשֻׁאוֹת סֻכָּתֽוֹ׃

No one can [RHQ] understand how the clouds move [across the sky] or how it thunders in the sky where God lives.

30 הֵן־פָּרַשׂ עָלָיו אוֹרוֹ וְשָׁרְשֵׁי הַיָּם כִּסָּֽה׃

He causes lightning to flash all around him, but he causes the bottom of the oceans to remain dark.

31 כִּי־בָם יָדִין עַמִּים יִֽתֶּן־אֹכֶל לְמַכְבִּֽיר׃

By providing plenty of rain for us, he enables us to have abundant food.

32 עַל־כַּפַּיִם כִּסָּה־אוֹר וַיְצַו עָלֶיהָ בְמַפְגִּֽיעַ׃

[It is as though] he holds the lightning in his hands, and [then] he commands it to strike where he wants it to.

33 יַגִּיד עָלָיו רֵעוֹ מִקְנֶה אַף עַל־עוֹלֶֽה׃

When we hear his thunder, we know that there will be a storm, and the cattle know it, too.”