איוב 21
| ויען איוב ויאמר׃ | 1 |
Job replied,
| שמעו שמוע מלתי ותהי זאת תנחומתיכם׃ | 2 |
“Please listen carefully to what I say—that would be one comfort you could give me.
| שאוני ואנכי אדבר ואחר דברי תלעיג׃ | 3 |
Bear with me; let me speak. After I've spoken you can resume mocking me.
| האנכי לאדם שיחי ואם מדוע לא תקצר רוחי׃ | 4 |
Am I complaining against people? Of course not. Why shouldn't I be impatient?
| פנו אלי והשמו ושימו יד על פה׃ | 5 |
Just take a look at me. Aren't you appalled? Cover your mouth with your hand in shock!
| ואם זכרתי ונבהלתי ואחז בשרי פלצות׃ | 6 |
Every time I think of what's happened to me I am horrified and I shake all over with fear.
| מדוע רשעים יחיו עתקו גם גברו חיל׃ | 7 |
Why do the wicked continue to live, to grow old and increasingly powerful?
| זרעם נכון לפניהם עמם וצאצאיהם לעיניהם׃ | 8 |
Their children are with them; they watch their grandchildren grow up.
| בתיהם שלום מפחד ולא שבט אלוה עליהם׃ | 9 |
They live in their homes in safety—they are not afraid. God does not use his rod to beat them.
| שורו עבר ולא יגעל תפלט פרתו ולא תשכל׃ | 10 |
Their bulls always breed successfully; their cows give birth to calves and do not miscarry.
| ישלחו כצאן עויליהם וילדיהם ירקדון׃ | 11 |
They send out their little ones like lambs to play; their children dance around.
| ישאו כתף וכנור וישמחו לקול עוגב׃ | 12 |
They sing accompanied by the tambourine and lyre; they celebrate with the music of the flute.
| יבלו בטוב ימיהם וברגע שאול יחתו׃ (Sheol h7585) | 13 |
They live out their lives contentedly, and go down to Sheol in peace. (Sheol h7585)
| ויאמרו לאל סור ממנו ודעת דרכיך לא חפצנו׃ | 14 |
Yet they tell God, ‘Get lost! We don't want anything to do with you.
| מה שדי כי נעבדנו ומה נועיל כי נפגע בו׃ | 15 |
Who does the Almighty think he is for us to serve him as slaves? What benefit is there for us if we pray to him?’
| הן לא בידם טובם עצת רשעים רחקה מני׃ | 16 |
Such people believe they make their own fortune, but I don't accept their way of thinking.
| כמה נר רשעים ידעך ויבא עלימו אידם חבלים יחלק באפו׃ | 17 |
How often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out? How often does disaster come upon them? How often does God punish the wicked in his anger?
| יהיו כתבן לפני רוח וכמץ גנבתו סופה׃ | 18 |
Are they blown along like straw in the wind? Does a tornado come in and carry them away?
| אלוה יצפן לבניו אונו ישלם אליו וידע׃ | 19 |
Some say, ‘God saves up people's punishment for their children.’ But I say, ‘God should punish those people themselves so that they can learn from it.’
| יראו עינו כידו ומחמת שדי ישתה׃ | 20 |
Let them see their destruction themselves, and drink deeply from God's anger.
| כי מה חפצו בביתו אחריו ומספר חדשיו חצצו׃ | 21 |
For they don't care what happens to their families once they're dead.
| הלאל ילמד דעת והוא רמים ישפוט׃ | 22 |
Can anyone teach God anything he doesn't already know, since he is the one who judges even heavenly beings?
| זה ימות בעצם תמו כלו שלאנן ושליו׃ | 23 |
One person dies in good health, totally comfortable and secure.
| עטיניו מלאו חלב ומח עצמותיו ישקה׃ | 24 |
Their body is fat from eating well; their bones still strong.
| וזה ימות בנפש מרה ולא אכל בטובה׃ | 25 |
Another dies after a miserable life without every experiencing happiness.
| יחד על עפר ישכבו ורמה תכסה עליהם׃ | 26 |
Yet they are both buried in the same dust; they are treated alike in death, eaten by maggots.
| הן ידעתי מחשבותיכם ומזמות עלי תחמסו׃ | 27 |
Look, I know what you're thinking, and your schemes to do me wrong.
| כי תאמרו איה בית נדיב ואיה אהל משכנות רשעים׃ | 28 |
You may ask me, ‘Where is the home of the great man? Where is the place where the wicked live?’
| הלא שאלתם עוברי דרך ואתתם לא תנכרו׃ | 29 |
Haven't you asked people who travel? Don't you pay attention to what they tell you?
| כי ליום איד יחשך רע ליום עברות יובלו׃ | 30 |
Wicked people are spared in times of disaster; they are rescued from the day of judgment.
| מי יגיד על פניו דרכו והוא עשה מי ישלם לו׃ | 31 |
Who confronts them with their actions? Who pays them back for what they have done?
| והוא לקברות יובל ועל גדיש ישקוד׃ | 32 |
When they eventually die and are carried to the graveyard, their tomb is guarded. The earth of the grave softly covers them.
| מתקו לו רגבי נחל ואחריו כל אדם ימשוך ולפניו אין מספר׃ | 33 |
Everyone attends their funeral service; a huge procession of people comes to pay their last respects.
| ואיך תנחמוני הבל ותשובתיכם נשאר מעל׃ | 34 |
Why do you try to comfort me with worthless nonsense? Your answers are just a pack of lies!”
