אִיּוֹב 36

1 וַיֹּ֥סֶף אֱלִיה֗וּא וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Elihu [finished by] saying this:

2 כַּתַּר־לִ֣י זְ֭עֵיר וַאֲחַוֶּ֑ךָּ כִּ֤י ע֖וֹד לֶאֱל֣וֹהַּ 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 אֶשָּׂ֣א דֵ֭עִי לְמֵרָח֑וֹק וּ֝לְפֹעֲלִ֗י 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־אָ֭מְנָם לֹא־שֶׁ֣קֶר מִלָּ֑י תְּמִ֖ים דֵּע֣וֹת 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־אֵ֣ל כַּ֭בִּיר וְלֹ֣א יִמְאָ֑ס כַּ֝בִּ֗יר כֹּ֣חַֽ לֵֽב׃

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

6 לֹא־יְחַיֶּ֥ה רָשָׁ֑ע וּמִשְׁפַּ֖ט עֲנִיִּ֣ים יִתֵּֽן׃

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

7 לֹֽא־יִגְרַ֥ע מִצַּדִּ֗יק עֵ֫ינָ֥יו וְאֶת־מְלָכִ֥ים לַכִּסֵּ֑א וַיֹּשִׁיבֵ֥ם לָ֝נֶ֗צַח 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־אֲסוּרִ֥ים בַּזִּקִּ֑ים יִ֝לָּכְד֗וּן 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 וַיַּגֵּ֣ד לָהֶ֣ם פָּעֳלָ֑ם וּ֝פִשְׁעֵיהֶ֗ם כִּ֣י 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 וַיִּ֣גֶל אָ֭זְנָם לַמּוּסָ֑ר וַ֝יֹּ֗אמֶר כִּֽי־יְשֻׁב֥וּן 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־יִשְׁמְע֗וּ וְֽיַ֫עֲבֹ֥דוּ יְכַלּ֣וּ יְמֵיהֶ֣ם בַּטּ֑וֹב וּ֝שְׁנֵיהֶ֗ם 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־לֹ֣א יִ֭שְׁמְעוּ בְּשֶׁ֣לַח יַעֲבֹ֑רוּ וְ֝יִגְוְע֗וּ 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־לֵ֭ב יָשִׂ֣ימוּ אָ֑ף לֹ֥א יְ֝שַׁוְּע֗וּ כִּ֣י אֲסָרָֽם׃

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

14 תָּמֹ֣ת בַּנֹּ֣עַר נַפְשָׁ֑ם וְ֝חַיָּתָ֗ם בַּקְּדֵשִֽׁים׃

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

15 יְחַלֵּ֣ץ עָנִ֣י בְעָנְי֑וֹ וְיִ֖גֶל בַּלַּ֣חַץ 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 וְאַ֤ף הֲסִיתְךָ֨ ׀ מִפִּי־צָ֗ר רַ֭חַב לֹא־מוּצָ֣ק תַּחְתֶּ֑יהָ וְנַ֥חַת שֻׁ֝לְחָנְךָ֗ מָ֣לֵא 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־רָשָׁ֥ע מָלֵ֑אתָ דִּ֖ין וּמִשְׁפָּ֣ט 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־חֵ֭מָה פֶּן־יְסִֽיתְךָ֣ בְסָ֑פֶק וְרָב־כֹּ֝֗פֶר 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 הֲיַעֲרֹ֣ךְ שׁ֭וּעֲךָ לֹ֣א בְצָ֑ר וְ֝כֹ֗ל 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־תִּשְׁאַ֥ף הַלָּ֑יְלָה לַעֲל֖וֹת עַמִּ֣ים 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 הִ֭שָּׁמֶר אַל־תֵּ֣פֶן אֶל־אָ֑וֶן כִּֽי־עַל־זֶ֝֗ה בָּחַ֥רְתָּ מֵעֹֽנִי׃

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

22 הֶן־אֵ֭ל יַשְׂגִּ֣יב בְּכֹח֑וֹ מִ֖י כָמֹ֣הוּ מוֹרֶֽה׃

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

23 מִֽי־פָקַ֣ד עָלָ֣יו דַּרְכּ֑וֹ וּמִֽי־אָ֝מַ֗ר פָּעַ֥לְתָּ 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 זְ֭כֹר כִּֽי־תַשְׂגִּ֣יא פָעֳל֑וֹ אֲשֶׁ֖ר שֹׁרְר֣וּ אֲנָשִֽׁים׃

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

25 כָּל־אָדָ֥ם חָֽזוּ־ב֑וֹ אֱ֝נ֗וֹשׁ יַבִּ֥יט מֵרָחֽוֹק׃

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

26 הֶן־אֵ֣ל שַׂ֭גִּיא וְלֹ֣א נֵדָ֑ע מִסְפַּ֖ר שָׁנָ֣יו 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 כִּ֭י יְגָרַ֣ע נִטְפֵי־מָ֑יִם יָזֹ֖קּוּ מָטָ֣ר לְאֵדֽוֹ׃

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

28 אֲשֶֽׁר־יִזְּל֥וּ שְׁחָקִ֑ים יִ֝רְעֲפ֗וּ עֲלֵ֤י ׀ אָדָ֬ם רָֽב׃

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

29 אַ֣ף אִם־יָ֭בִין מִפְרְשֵׂי־עָ֑ב תְּ֝שֻׁא֗וֹת 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־פָּרַ֣שׂ עָלָ֣יו אוֹר֑וֹ וְשָׁרְשֵׁ֖י הַיָּ֣ם כִּסָּֽה׃

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

31 כִּי־בָ֭ם יָדִ֣ין עַמִּ֑ים יִֽתֶּן־אֹ֥כֶל לְמַכְבִּֽיר׃

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

32 עַל־כַּפַּ֥יִם כִּסָּה־א֑וֹר וַיְצַ֖ו עָלֶ֣יהָ 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 יַגִּ֣יד עָלָ֣יו רֵע֑וֹ מִ֝קְנֶ֗ה אַ֣ף עַל־עוֹלֶֽה׃

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