איוב ל״ד
Job 34
Hebrew
וַיַּ֥עַן אֱלִיה֗וּא וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ שִׁמְע֣וּ חֲכָמִ֣ים מִלָּ֑י וְ֝יֹדְעִ֗ים הַאֲזִ֥ינוּ לִֽי׃ כִּי־אֹ֭זֶן מִלִּ֣ין תִּבְחָ֑ן וְ֝חֵ֗ךְ יִטְעַ֥ם לֶאֱכֹֽל׃ מִשְׁפָּ֥ט נִבְחֲרָה־לָּ֑נוּ נֵדְעָ֖ה בֵינֵ֣ינוּ מַה־טּֽוֹב׃ כִּֽי־אָמַ֣ר אִיּ֣וֹב צָדַ֑קְתִּי וְ֝אֵ֗ל הֵסִ֥יר מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃ עַל־מִשְׁפָּטִ֥י אֲכַזֵּ֑ב אָנ֖וּשׁ חִצִּ֣י בְלִי־פָֽשַׁע׃ מִי־גֶ֥בֶר כְּאִיּ֑וֹב יִֽשְׁתֶּה־לַּ֥עַג כַּמָּֽיִם׃ וְאָרַ֣ח לְ֭חֶבְרָה עִם־פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָ֑וֶן וְ֝לָלֶ֗כֶת עִם־אַנְשֵׁי־רֶֽשַׁע׃ כִּֽי־אָ֭מַר לֹ֣א יִסְכׇּן־גָּ֑בֶר בִּ֝רְצֹת֗וֹ עִם־אֱלֹהִֽים׃ לָכֵ֤ן ׀ אַ֥נְשֵׁ֥י לֵבָ֗ב שִׁמְע֫וּ־לִ֥י חָלִ֖לָה לָאֵ֥ל מֵרֶ֗שַׁע וְשַׁדַּ֥י מֵעָֽוֶל׃ כִּ֤י פֹ֣עַל אָ֭דָם יְשַׁלֶּם־ל֑וֹ וּֽכְאֹ֥רַח אִ֝֗ישׁ יַמְצִאֶֽנּוּ׃ אַף־אׇמְנָ֗ם אֵ֥ל לֹֽא־יַרְשִׁ֑יעַ וְ֝שַׁדַּ֗י לֹא־יְעַוֵּ֥ת מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ מִֽי־פָקַ֣ד עָלָ֣יו אָ֑רְצָה וּמִ֥י שָׂ֝֗ם תֵּבֵ֥ל כֻּלָּֽהּ׃ אִם־יָשִׂ֣ים אֵלָ֣יו לִבּ֑וֹ רוּח֥וֹ וְ֝נִשְׁמָת֗וֹ אֵלָ֥יו יֶאֱסֹֽף׃ יִגְוַ֣ע כׇּל־בָּשָׂ֣ר יָ֑חַד וְ֝אָדָ֗ם עַל־עָפָ֥ר יָשֽׁוּב׃ וְאִם־בִּ֥ינָה שִׁמְעָה־זֹּ֑את הַ֝אֲזִ֗ינָה לְק֣וֹל מִלָּֽי׃ הַאַ֬ף שׂוֹנֵ֣א מִשְׁפָּ֣ט יַחֲב֑וֹשׁ וְאִם־צַדִּ֖יק כַּבִּ֣יר תַּרְשִֽׁיעַ׃ הַאֲמֹ֣ר לְמֶ֣לֶךְ בְּלִיָּ֑עַל רָ֝שָׁ֗ע אֶל־נְדִיבִֽים׃ אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־נָשָׂ֨א ׀ פְּנֵ֥י שָׂרִ֗ים וְלֹ֣א נִכַּר־שׁ֭וֹעַ לִפְנֵי־דָ֑ל כִּֽי־מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה יָדָ֣יו כֻּלָּֽם׃ רֶ֤גַע ׀ יָמֻתוּ֮ וַחֲצ֢וֹת לָ֥֫יְלָה יְגֹעֲשׁ֣וּ עָ֣ם וְיַעֲבֹ֑רוּ וְיָסִ֥ירוּ אַ֝בִּ֗יר לֹ֣א בְיָֽד׃ כִּֽי־עֵ֭ינָיו עַל־דַּרְכֵי־אִ֑ישׁ וְֽכׇל־צְעָדָ֥יו יִרְאֶֽה׃ אֵֽין־חֹ֭שֶׁךְ וְאֵ֣ין צַלְמָ֑וֶת לְהִסָּ֥תֶר שָׁ֝֗ם פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃ כִּ֤י לֹ֣א עַל־אִ֭ישׁ יָשִׂ֣ים ע֑וֹד לַהֲלֹ֥ךְ אֶל־אֵ֝֗ל בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃ יָרֹ֣עַ כַּבִּירִ֣ים לֹא־חֵ֑קֶר וַיַּעֲמֵ֖ד אֲחֵרִ֣ים תַּחְתָּֽם׃ לָכֵ֗ן יַ֭כִּיר מַעְבָּדֵיהֶ֑ם וְהָ֥פַךְ לַ֝֗יְלָה וְיִדַּכָּֽאוּ׃ תַּֽחַת־רְשָׁעִ֥ים סְפָקָ֗ם בִּמְק֥וֹם רֹאִֽים׃ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־כֵּ֭ן סָ֣רוּ מֵאַחֲרָ֑יו וְכׇל־דְּ֝רָכָ֗יו לֹ֣א הִשְׂכִּֽילוּ׃ לְהָבִ֣יא עָ֭לָיו צַעֲקַת־דָּ֑ל וְצַעֲקַ֖ת עֲנִיִּ֣ים יִשְׁמָֽע׃ וְה֤וּא יַשְׁקִ֨ט ׀ וּמִ֥י יַרְשִׁ֗עַ וְיַסְתֵּ֣ר פָּ֭נִים וּמִ֣י יְשׁוּרֶ֑נּוּ וְעַל־גּ֖וֹי וְעַל־אָדָ֣ם יָֽחַד׃ מִ֭מְּלֹךְ אָדָ֥ם חָנֵ֗ף מִמֹּ֥קְשֵׁי עָֽם׃ כִּֽי־אֶל־אֵ֭ל הֶאָמַ֥ר נָשָׂ֗אתִי לֹ֣א אֶחְבֹּֽל׃ בִּלְעֲדֵ֣י אֶ֭חֱזֶה אַתָּ֣ה הֹרֵ֑נִי אִֽם־עָ֥וֶל פָּ֝עַ֗לְתִּי לֹ֣א אֹסִֽיף׃ הֲֽמֵעִמְּךָ֬ יְשַׁלְּמֶ֨נָּה ׀ כִּֽי־מָאַ֗סְתָּ כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה תִבְחַ֣ר וְלֹא־אָ֑נִי וּֽמַה־יָּדַ֥עְתָּ דַבֵּֽר׃ אַנְשֵׁ֣י לֵ֭בָב יֹ֣אמְרוּ לִ֑י וְגֶ֥בֶר חָ֝כָ֗ם שֹׁמֵ֥עַֽ לִֽי׃ אִ֭יּוֹב לֹא־בְדַ֣עַת יְדַבֵּ֑ר וּ֝דְבָרָ֗יו לֹ֣א בְהַשְׂכֵּֽיל׃ אָבִ֗י יִבָּחֵ֣ן אִיּ֣וֹב עַד־נֶ֑צַח עַל־תְּ֝שֻׁבֹ֗ת בְּאַנְשֵׁי־אָֽוֶן׃ כִּ֥י־יֹ֘סִ֤יף עַֽל־חַטָּאת֣וֹ פֶ֭שַׁע בֵּינֵ֣ינוּ יִשְׂפּ֑וֹק וְיֶ֖רֶב אֲמָרָ֣יו לָאֵֽל׃ {פ}
English Translation
Elihu said in reply: Listen, O wise men, to my words;
You who have knowledge, give ear to me. For the ear tests arguments
As the palate tastes food. Let us decide for ourselves what is just;
Let us know among ourselves what is good. For Job has said, “I am right;
God has deprived me of justice. I declare the judgment against me false;
My arrow-wound is deadly, though I am free from transgression.” What man is like Job,
Who drinks mockery like water; Who makes common cause with evildoers,
And goes with those who are wicked? For he says, “A man gains nothing
When he is in God’s favor.” Therefore, men of understanding, listen to me;
Wickedness be far from God,
Wrongdoing, from Shaddai! For [God] pays mortals according to their actions,
And provides for people according to their conduct; For God surely does not act wickedly;
Shaddai does not pervert justice. Who placed the earth in God’s charge?
Who ordered the entire world? If [God] but intends it,
Spirit and breath can be recalled; All flesh would at once expire,
And humankind return to dust. If you would understand, listen to this;
Give ear to what I say. Would one who hates justice govern?
Would you condemn the Just Mighty One? Would you call a king a scoundrel,
Nobles, wicked? [God] is not partial to princes;
The honorable are not preferred to the wretched;
For all of them are the work of God’s hands. Some die suddenly in the middle of the night;
People are in turmoil and pass on;
Even heroes are removed—not by human hands. For God’s eyes are upon everyone’s ways,
Observing their every step. Neither darkness nor gloom offers
A hiding-place for evildoers. There is no set time for anyone
To appear before God in judgment. The mighty are shattered without number
And others set in their place. Truly, [God] knows their deeds;
Night is over, and they are crushed. The wicked are struck down
Where people can see, Because they acted disloyally
And have not understood any of God’s ways; Thus the cry of the poor is admitted;
The cry of the needy is heard. When [God] is silent, who will condemn?
If the divine face becomes hidden, who will see it,
Be it nation or person? No one impious rules anymore,
Nor do those who ensnare the people. Has anyone said to God,
“I will bear [my punishment] and offend no more. What I cannot see You teach me.
If I have done iniquity, I shall not do so again”? Should [God] requite as you see fit?
But you have acted with disdain!
You must decide, not I;
Speak what you know. Men of understanding say to me,
Wise men who hear me, “Job does not speak with knowledge;
His words lack understanding.” Would that Job were tried to the limit
For answers that befit those who are evil. He adds to his sin;
He increases his transgression among us;
He multiplies his statements against God.
You who have knowledge, give ear to me. For the ear tests arguments
As the palate tastes food. Let us decide for ourselves what is just;
Let us know among ourselves what is good. For Job has said, “I am right;
God has deprived me of justice. I declare the judgment against me false;
My arrow-wound is deadly, though I am free from transgression.” What man is like Job,
Who drinks mockery like water; Who makes common cause with evildoers,
And goes with those who are wicked? For he says, “A man gains nothing
When he is in God’s favor.” Therefore, men of understanding, listen to me;
Wickedness be far from God,
Wrongdoing, from Shaddai! For [God] pays mortals according to their actions,
And provides for people according to their conduct; For God surely does not act wickedly;
Shaddai does not pervert justice. Who placed the earth in God’s charge?
Who ordered the entire world? If [God] but intends it,
Spirit and breath can be recalled; All flesh would at once expire,
And humankind return to dust. If you would understand, listen to this;
Give ear to what I say. Would one who hates justice govern?
Would you condemn the Just Mighty One? Would you call a king a scoundrel,
Nobles, wicked? [God] is not partial to princes;
The honorable are not preferred to the wretched;
For all of them are the work of God’s hands. Some die suddenly in the middle of the night;
People are in turmoil and pass on;
Even heroes are removed—not by human hands. For God’s eyes are upon everyone’s ways,
Observing their every step. Neither darkness nor gloom offers
A hiding-place for evildoers. There is no set time for anyone
To appear before God in judgment. The mighty are shattered without number
And others set in their place. Truly, [God] knows their deeds;
Night is over, and they are crushed. The wicked are struck down
Where people can see, Because they acted disloyally
And have not understood any of God’s ways; Thus the cry of the poor is admitted;
The cry of the needy is heard. When [God] is silent, who will condemn?
If the divine face becomes hidden, who will see it,
Be it nation or person? No one impious rules anymore,
Nor do those who ensnare the people. Has anyone said to God,
“I will bear [my punishment] and offend no more. What I cannot see You teach me.
If I have done iniquity, I shall not do so again”? Should [God] requite as you see fit?
But you have acted with disdain!
You must decide, not I;
Speak what you know. Men of understanding say to me,
Wise men who hear me, “Job does not speak with knowledge;
His words lack understanding.” Would that Job were tried to the limit
For answers that befit those who are evil. He adds to his sin;
He increases his transgression among us;
He multiplies his statements against God.
About This Text
Source
Job
Category
Tanach
Reference
Job 34
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