< איוב 8 >
But Baldad the Suhite, responding, said:
עד אן תמלל אלה ורוח כביר אמרי פיך׃ | 2 |
How long will you speak this way, so that the words of your mouth are like a changeable wind?
האל יעות משפט ואם שדי יעות צדק׃ | 3 |
Does God supplant judgment, or does the Almighty subvert that which is just?
אם בניך חטאו לו וישלחם ביד פשעם׃ | 4 |
And if now your children have sinned against him, and he has dismissed them into the power of their iniquity,
אם אתה תשחר אל אל ואל שדי תתחנן׃ | 5 |
even so, you should arise early to God, so as to beseech the Almighty.
אם זך וישר אתה כי עתה יעיר עליך ושלם נות צדקך׃ | 6 |
If you approach with purity and honesty, he will quickly be attentive to you, and a peaceful life will repay your righteousness,
והיה ראשיתך מצער ואחריתך ישגה מאד׃ | 7 |
so much so that, if your former things were small, your latter things would be multiplied greatly.
כי שאל נא לדר רישון וכונן לחקר אבותם׃ | 8 |
For inquire of the earliest generation, and investigate diligently the history of the fathers,
כי תמול אנחנו ולא נדע כי צל ימינו עלי ארץ׃ | 9 |
(of course, we are but of yesterday and are ignorant that our days on earth are like a shadow, )
הלא הם יורוך יאמרו לך ומלבם יוצאו מלים׃ | 10 |
and they will teach you; they will speak with you and will offer you the eloquence of their hearts.
היגאה גמא בלא בצה ישגה אחו בלי מים׃ | 11 |
Can the marsh plant live without moisture? Or can sedges grow without water?
עדנו באבו לא יקטף ולפני כל חציר ייבש׃ | 12 |
When it is still in flower, and has not been pulled up by hand, it withers before all other plants.
כן ארחות כל שכחי אל ותקות חנף תאבד׃ | 13 |
Just so are the ways of all who forget God, and the hope of the hypocrite will perish.
אשר יקוט כסלו ובית עכביש מבטחו׃ | 14 |
His frenzy will not please him, and his faith will be like a spider’s web.
ישען על ביתו ולא יעמד יחזיק בו ולא יקום׃ | 15 |
He will lean on his house, and it will not stand; he will prop it up, but it will not rise.
רטב הוא לפני שמש ועל גנתו ינקתו תצא׃ | 16 |
He seems to have moisture before the sun arrives; and at sunrise, his sprout shoots forth.
על גל שרשיו יסבכו בית אבנים יחזה׃ | 17 |
His roots will crowd together over a heap of stones, and among the stones he will remain.
אם יבלענו ממקומו וכחש בו לא ראיתיך׃ | 18 |
If someone is devoured right beside him, he will deny him and will say: “I do not know you.”
הן הוא משוש דרכו ומעפר אחר יצמחו׃ | 19 |
For this is the benefit of his way, that others in turn may spring up from the earth.
הן אל לא ימאס תם ולא יחזיק ביד מרעים׃ | 20 |
God will not discard the simple, nor will he extend his hand to the spiteful,
עד ימלה שחוק פיך ושפתיך תרועה׃ | 21 |
even until your mouth is filled with laughter and your lips with rejoicing.
שנאיך ילבשו בשת ואהל רשעים איננו׃ | 22 |
Those who hate you, will be clothed with confusion, and the tabernacle of the impious will not continue.