איוב י״ב
Job 12
Hebrew
וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ אׇ֭מְנָם כִּ֣י אַתֶּם־עָ֑ם וְ֝עִמָּכֶ֗ם תָּמ֥וּת חׇכְמָֽה׃ גַּם־לִ֤י לֵבָ֨ב ׀ כְּֽמוֹכֶ֗ם לֹא־נֹפֵ֣ל אָנֹכִ֣י מִכֶּ֑ם וְאֶת־מִי־אֵ֥ין כְּמוֹ־אֵֽלֶּה׃ שְׂחֹ֤ק לְרֵעֵ֨הוּ ׀ אֶהְיֶ֗ה קֹרֵ֣א לֶ֭אֱלוֹהַּ וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑הוּ שְׂ֝ח֗וֹק צַדִּ֥יק תָּמִֽים׃ לַפִּ֣יד בּ֭וּז לְעַשְׁתּ֣וּת שַׁאֲנָ֑ן נָ֝כ֗וֹן לְמ֣וֹעֲדֵי רָֽגֶל׃ יִשְׁלָ֤יוּ אֹהָלִ֨ים ׀ לְשֹׁ֥דְדִ֗ים וּֽ֭בַטֻּחוֹת לְמַרְגִּ֣יזֵי אֵ֑ל לַאֲשֶׁ֤ר הֵבִ֖יא אֱל֣וֹהַּ בְּיָדֽוֹ׃ וְֽאוּלָ֗ם שְׁאַל־נָ֣א בְהֵמ֣וֹת וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וְע֥וֹף הַ֝שָּׁמַ֗יִם וְיַגֶּד־לָֽךְ׃ א֤וֹ שִׂ֣יחַ לָאָ֣רֶץ וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וִיסַפְּר֥וּ לְ֝ךָ֗ דְּגֵ֣י הַיָּֽם׃ מִ֭י לֹא־יָדַ֣ע בְּכׇל־אֵ֑לֶּה כִּ֥י יַד־יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה עָ֣שְׂתָה זֹּֽאת׃ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּ֭יָדוֹ נֶ֣פֶשׁ כׇּל־חָ֑י וְ֝ר֗וּחַ כׇּל־בְּשַׂר־אִֽישׁ׃ הֲלֹא־אֹ֭זֶן מִלִּ֣ין תִּבְחָ֑ן וְ֝חֵ֗ךְ אֹ֣כֶל יִטְעַם־לֽוֹ׃ בִּישִׁישִׁ֥ים חׇכְמָ֑ה וְאֹ֖רֶךְ יָמִ֣ים תְּבוּנָֽה׃ עִ֭מּוֹ חׇכְמָ֣ה וּגְבוּרָ֑ה ל֝֗וֹ עֵצָ֥ה וּתְבוּנָֽה׃ הֵ֣ן יַ֭הֲרוֹס וְלֹ֣א יִבָּנֶ֑ה יִסְגֹּ֥ר עַל־אִ֝֗ישׁ וְלֹ֣א יִפָּתֵֽחַ׃ הֵ֤ן יַעְצֹ֣ר בַּמַּ֣יִם וְיִבָ֑שׁוּ וִ֝ישַׁלְּחֵ֗ם וְיַ֖הַפְכוּ־אָֽרֶץ׃ עִ֭מּוֹ עֹ֣ז וְתוּשִׁיָּ֑ה ל֝֗וֹ שֹׁגֵ֥ג וּמַשְׁגֶּֽה׃ מוֹלִ֣יךְ יוֹעֲצִ֣ים שׁוֹלָ֑ל וְֽשֹׁפְטִ֥ים יְהוֹלֵֽל׃ מוּסַ֣ר מְלָכִ֣ים פִּתֵּ֑חַ וַיֶּאְסֹ֥ר אֵ֝ז֗וֹר בְּמׇתְנֵיהֶֽם׃ מוֹלִ֣יךְ כֹּהֲנִ֣ים שׁוֹלָ֑ל וְאֵ֖תָנִ֣ים יְסַלֵּֽף׃ מֵסִ֣יר שָׂ֭פָה לְנֶאֱמָנִ֑ים וְטַ֖עַם זְקֵנִ֣ים יִקָּֽח׃ שׁוֹפֵ֣ךְ בּ֭וּז עַל־נְדִיבִ֑ים וּמְזִ֖יחַ אֲפִיקִ֣ים רִפָּֽה׃ מְגַלֶּ֣ה עֲ֭מֻקוֹת מִנִּי־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וַיֹּצֵ֖א לָא֣וֹר צַלְמָֽוֶת׃ מַשְׂגִּ֣יא לַ֭גּוֹיִם וַֽיְאַבְּדֵ֑ם שֹׁטֵ֥חַ לַ֝גּוֹיִ֗ם וַיַּנְחֵֽם׃ מֵסִ֗יר לֵ֭ב רָאשֵׁ֣י עַם־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם בְּתֹ֣הוּ לֹא־דָֽרֶךְ׃ יְמַֽשְׁשׁוּ־חֹ֥שֶׁךְ וְלֹא־א֑וֹר וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם כַּשִּׁכּֽוֹר׃
English Translation
Then Job said in reply: Indeed, you are the [voice of] the people,
And wisdom will die with you. But I, like you, have a mind,
And am not less than you.
Who does not know such things? I have become a laughingstock to my friend—
“One who calls to God and is answered,
Blamelessly innocent”—a laughingstock. aMeaning of verse uncertain. In the thought of the complacent there is contempt for calamity;
It is ready for those whose foot slips. Robbers live untroubled in their tents,
And those who provoke God are secure,
Those whom God’s hands have produced.bThose whom God’s hands have produced Meaning of Heb. uncertain. But ask the beasts, and theycthe beasts, and they Or “behemoth, and it,” referring to a mythological being; cf. 40.15–24. will teach you;
The birds of the sky, they will tell you, Or speak to the earth, it will teach you;
The fish of the sea, they will inform you. Who among all these does not know
That GOD’s hand has done this? In that hand is every living soul
And the breath of all humankind.dall humankind Or “every single being,” i.e., including the animals, birds, and fish of vv. 7–9; cf. Gen. 7.2. Truly, the ear tests arguments
As the palate tastes foods. Is wisdom in the aged
And understanding in the long-lived? Wisdom and courage are God’s,
As are counsel and understanding. Whatever [God] tears down cannot be rebuilt;
Whoever is imprisoned cannot be set free. When the waters are held back, they dry up;
When they are let loose, they tear up the land. Strength and resourcefulness are God’s,
So are erring and causing to err. [God] thus makes counselors go about nakedenaked A sign of madness.
And causes judges to go mad; Undoes the belts of kings
And fastens loincloths on them; Makes priests go about nakedfnaked See note at v. 17.
And leads temple-servantsgtemple-servants Cf. Ugaritic ytnm, a class of temple servants; in contrast to others “the mighty.” astray; Deprives trusted ones of speech
And takes away the reason of elders; Pours disgrace upon nobles
And loosens the belt of the mighty; Draws mysteries out of the darkness
And brings obscurities to light; Exalts nations, then destroys them,
And expands nations, then leads them away. [God] deranges the leaders of the people
And makes them wander in a trackless waste. They grope without light in the darkness,
Made to wander as if drunk.
And wisdom will die with you. But I, like you, have a mind,
And am not less than you.
Who does not know such things? I have become a laughingstock to my friend—
“One who calls to God and is answered,
Blamelessly innocent”—a laughingstock. aMeaning of verse uncertain. In the thought of the complacent there is contempt for calamity;
It is ready for those whose foot slips. Robbers live untroubled in their tents,
And those who provoke God are secure,
Those whom God’s hands have produced.bThose whom God’s hands have produced Meaning of Heb. uncertain. But ask the beasts, and theycthe beasts, and they Or “behemoth, and it,” referring to a mythological being; cf. 40.15–24. will teach you;
The birds of the sky, they will tell you, Or speak to the earth, it will teach you;
The fish of the sea, they will inform you. Who among all these does not know
That GOD’s hand has done this? In that hand is every living soul
And the breath of all humankind.dall humankind Or “every single being,” i.e., including the animals, birds, and fish of vv. 7–9; cf. Gen. 7.2. Truly, the ear tests arguments
As the palate tastes foods. Is wisdom in the aged
And understanding in the long-lived? Wisdom and courage are God’s,
As are counsel and understanding. Whatever [God] tears down cannot be rebuilt;
Whoever is imprisoned cannot be set free. When the waters are held back, they dry up;
When they are let loose, they tear up the land. Strength and resourcefulness are God’s,
So are erring and causing to err. [God] thus makes counselors go about nakedenaked A sign of madness.
And causes judges to go mad; Undoes the belts of kings
And fastens loincloths on them; Makes priests go about nakedfnaked See note at v. 17.
And leads temple-servantsgtemple-servants Cf. Ugaritic ytnm, a class of temple servants; in contrast to others “the mighty.” astray; Deprives trusted ones of speech
And takes away the reason of elders; Pours disgrace upon nobles
And loosens the belt of the mighty; Draws mysteries out of the darkness
And brings obscurities to light; Exalts nations, then destroys them,
And expands nations, then leads them away. [God] deranges the leaders of the people
And makes them wander in a trackless waste. They grope without light in the darkness,
Made to wander as if drunk.
About This Text
Source
Job
Category
Tanach
Reference
Job 12
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