איוב 36

1 וַיֹּסֶף אֱלִיהוּא וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Elihu also continued, and said,

2 כַּתַּר־לִי זְעֵיר וַאֲחַוֶּךָּ כִּי עוֹד לֶאֱלוֹהַּ מִלִּֽים׃

“Bear with me a little, and I will show you; for I still have something to say on God’s behalf.

3 אֶשָּׂא דֵעִי לְמֵרָחוֹק וּלְפֹעֲלִי אֶֽתֵּֽן־צֶֽדֶק׃

I will get my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

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

For truly my words are not false. One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.

5 הֶן־אֵל כַּבִּיר וְלֹא יִמְאָס כַּבִּיר כֹּחַֽ לֵֽב׃

“Behold, God is mighty, and doesn’t despise anyone. He is mighty in strength of understanding.

6 לֹא־יְחַיֶּה רָשָׁע וּמִשְׁפַּט עֲנִיִּים יִתֵּֽן׃

He doesn’t preserve the life of the wicked, but gives justice to the afflicted.

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

He doesn’t withdraw his eyes from the righteous, but with kings on the throne, he sets them forever, and they are exalted.

8 וְאִם־אֲסוּרִים בַּזִּקִּים יִלָּכְדוּן בְּחַבְלֵי־עֹֽנִי׃

If they are bound in fetters, and are taken in the cords of afflictions,

9 וַיַּגֵּד לָהֶם פָּעֳלָם וּפִשְׁעֵיהֶם כִּי יִתְגַּבָּֽרוּ׃

then he shows them their work, and their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly.

10 וַיִּגֶל אָזְנָם לַמּוּסָר וַיֹּאמֶר כִּֽי־יְשֻׁבוּן מֵאָֽוֶן׃

He also opens their ears to instruction, and commands that they return from iniquity.

11 אִֽם־יִשְׁמְעוּ וְֽיַעֲבֹדוּ יְכַלּוּ יְמֵיהֶם בַּטּוֹב וּשְׁנֵיהֶם בַּנְּעִימִֽים׃

If they listen and serve him, they will spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.

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

But if they don’t listen, they will perish by the sword; they will die without knowledge.

13 וְֽחַנְפֵי־לֵב יָשִׂימוּ אָף לֹא יְשַׁוְּעוּ כִּי אֲסָרָֽם׃

“But those who are godless in heart lay up anger. They don’t cry for help when he binds them.

14 תָּמֹת בַּנֹּעַר נַפְשָׁם וְחַיָּתָם בַּקְּדֵשִֽׁים׃

They die in youth. Their life perishes among the unclean.

15 יְחַלֵּץ עָנִי בְעָנְיוֹ וְיִגֶל בַּלַּחַץ אָזְנָֽם׃

He delivers the afflicted by their affliction, and opens their ear in oppression.

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

Yes, he would have allured you out of distress, into a wide place, where there is no restriction. That which is set on your table would be full of fatness.

17 וְדִין־רָשָׁע מָלֵאתָ דִּין וּמִשְׁפָּט יִתְמֹֽכוּ׃

“But you are full of the judgment of the wicked. Judgment and justice take hold of you.

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

Don’t let riches entice you to wrath, neither let the great size of a bribe turn you aside.

19 הֲיַעֲרֹךְ שׁוּעֲךָ לֹא בְצָר וְכֹל מַאֲמַצֵּי־כֹֽחַ׃

Would your wealth sustain you in distress, or all the might of your strength?

20 אַל־תִּשְׁאַף הַלָּיְלָה לַעֲלוֹת עַמִּים תַּחְתָּֽם׃

Don’t desire the night, when people are cut off in their place.

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

Take heed, don’t regard iniquity; for you have chosen this rather than affliction.

22 הֶן־אֵל יַשְׂגִּיב בְּכֹחוֹ מִי כָמֹהוּ מוֹרֶֽה׃

Behold, God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him?

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

Who has prescribed his way for him? Or who can say, ‘You have committed unrighteousness’?

24 זְכֹר כִּֽי־תַשְׂגִּיא פָעֳלוֹ אֲשֶׁר שֹׁרְרוּ אֲנָשִֽׁים׃

“Remember that you magnify his work, about which men have sung.

25 כָּל־אָדָם חָֽזוּ־בוֹ אֱנוֹשׁ יַבִּיט מֵרָחֽוֹק׃

All men have looked on it. Man sees it afar off.

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

Behold, God is great, and we don’t know him. The number of his years is unsearchable.

27 כִּי יְגָרַע נִטְפֵי־מָיִם יָזֹקּוּ מָטָר לְאֵדֽוֹ׃

For he draws up the drops of water, which distill in rain from his vapor,

28 אֲשֶֽׁר־יִזְּלוּ שְׁחָקִים יִרְעֲפוּ עֲלֵי ׀ אָדָם רָֽב׃

which the skies pour down and which drop on man abundantly.

29 אַף אִם־יָבִין מִפְרְשֵׂי־עָב תְּשֻׁאוֹת סֻכָּתֽוֹ׃

Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds and the thunderings of his pavilion?

30 הֵן־פָּרַשׂ עָלָיו אוֹרוֹ וְשָׁרְשֵׁי הַיָּם כִּסָּֽה׃

Behold, he spreads his light around him. He covers the bottom of the sea.

31 כִּי־בָם יָדִין עַמִּים יִֽתֶּן־אֹכֶל לְמַכְבִּֽיר׃

For by these he judges the people. He gives food in abundance.

32 עַל־כַּפַּיִם כִּסָּה־אוֹר וַיְצַו עָלֶיהָ בְמַפְגִּֽיעַ׃

He covers his hands with the lightning, and commands it to strike the mark.

33 יַגִּיד עָלָיו רֵעוֹ מִקְנֶה אַף עַל־עוֹלֶֽה׃

Its noise tells about him, and the livestock also, concerning the storm that comes up.