1 וַיֹּסֶף אֱלִיהוּא וַיֹּאמַר | 1 Elihu went on speaking. He said: |
2 כַּתַּר־לִי זְעֵיר וַאֲחַוֶּךָּ כִּי עֹוד לֶאֱלֹוהַּ מִלִּים | 2 Be patient a little longer while I explain, for I have more to say on God's behalf. |
3 אֶשָּׂא דֵעִי לְמֵרָחֹוק וּלְפֹעֲלִי אֶתֵּן־צֶדֶק | 3 I shal range far afield for my arguments to prove my Maker just. |
4 כִּי־אָמְנָם לֹא־שֶׁקֶר מִלָּי תְּמִים דֵּעֹות עִמָּךְ | 4 I guarantee, nothing I shal say wil be untrue: you have a man of sound learning here. |
5 הֶן־אֵל כַּבִּיר וְלֹא יִמְאָס כַּבִּיר כֹּחַ לֵב | 5 God does not reject anyone whose heart is pure |
6 לֹא־יְחַיֶּה רָשָׁע וּמִשְׁפַּט עֲנִיִּים יִתֵּן | 6 or let the sinner live on in al his power. He does accord fair judgement to the afflicted; |
7 לֹא־יִגְרַע מִצַּדִּיק עֵינָיו וְאֶת־מְלָכִים לַכִּסֵּא וַיֹּשִׁיבֵם לָנֶצַח וַיִּגְבָּהוּ | 7 he does uphold what the upright deserve. When he raises kings to thrones, if they grow proud of theirunending rule, |
8 וְאִם־אֲסוּרִים בַּזִּקִּים יִלָּכְדוּן בְּחַבְלֵי־עֹנִי | 8 then he fetters them with chains, they are caught in the bonds of affliction. |
9 וַיַּגֵּד לָהֶם פָּעֳלָם וּפִשְׁעֵיהֶם כִּי יִתְגַּבָּרוּ | 9 He shows them the import of their deeds, of the sins of pride they have committed. |
10 וַיִּגֶל אָזְנָם לַמּוּסָר וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי־יְשֻׁבוּן מֵאָוֶן | 10 In their ears he sounds a warning, ordering them to turn back from doing wrong. |
11 אִם־יִשְׁמְעוּ וְיַעֲבֹדוּ יְכַלּוּ יְמֵיהֶם בַּטֹּוב וּשְׁנֵיהֶם בַּנְּעִימִים | 11 If they take notice and obey him, the rest of their days are prosperous and the years pass pleasantly. |
12 וְאִם־לֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ בְּשֶׁלַח יַעֲבֹרוּ וְיִגְוְעוּ כִּבְלִי־דָעַת | 12 If not, they go down the Canal and perish in their stupidity. |
13 וְחַנְפֵי־לֵב יָשִׂימוּ אָף לֹא יְשַׁוְּעוּ כִּי אֲסָרָם | 13 The stubborn, who cherish their anger and do not cry for help when he chains them, |
14 תָּמֹת בַּנֹּעַר נַפְשָׁם וְחַיָּתָם בַּקְּדֵשִׁים | 14 die in the bloom of youth or live among the male prostitutes of the temple. |
15 יְחַלֵּץ עָנִי בְעָנְיֹו וְיִגֶל בַּלַּחַץ אָזְנָם | 15 But God saves the afflicted by his affliction, warning him in his misery. |
16 וְאַף הֲסִיתְךָ ׀ מִפִּי־צָר רַחַב לֹא־מוּצָק תַּחְתֶּיהָ וְנַחַת לְחָנְךָ מָלֵא דָשֶׁן | 16 You, too, he would like to snatch from torment. While you were enjoying boundless abundance, withrich food piled high on your table, |
17 וְדִין־רָשָׁע מָלֵאתָ דִּין וּמִשְׁפָּט יִתְמֹכוּ | 17 you did not bring the wicked to trial and did not give fair judgement to the orphan. |
18 כִּי־חֵמָה פֶּן־יְסִיתְךָ בְסָפֶק וְרָב־כֹּפֶר אַל־יַטֶּךָּ | 18 Beware of being led astray by abundance, of being corrupted by expensive presents. |
19 הֲיַעֲרֹךְ שׁוּעֲךָ לֹא בְצָר וְכֹל מַאֲמַצֵּי־כֹחַ | 19 Take the powerful to law, not merely the penniless, those whose arm is strong, not merely the weak. |
20 אַל־תִּשְׁאַף הַלָּיְלָה לַעֲלֹות עַמִּים תַּחְתָּם | 20 Do not crush people you do not know to instal your relations in their place. |
21 הִשָּׁמֶר אַל־תֵּפֶן אֶל־אָוֶן כִּי־עַל־זֶה בָּחַרְתָּ מֵעֹנִי | 21 Avoid any tendency to wrong-doing, for this is why affliction is testing you now. |
22 הֶן־אֵל יַשְׂגִּיב בְּכֹחֹו מִי כָמֹהוּ מֹורֶה | 22 See, God is sublime in his strength and who can teach lessons as he does? |
23 מִי־פָקַד עָלָיו דַּרְכֹּו וּמִי־אָמַר פָּעַלְתָּ עַוְלָה | 23 Who has even told him which course to take, or dared to say to him, 'You have done wrong'? |
24 זְכֹר כִּי־תַשְׂגִּיא פָעֳלֹו אֲשֶׁר שֹׁרְרוּ אֲנָשִׁים | 24 Consider, rather, how you may praise his work, a theme that many have sung. |
25 כָּל־אָדָם חָזוּ־בֹו אֱנֹושׁ יַבִּיט מֵרָחֹוק | 25 This is something that everyone can see, gazing, as we do, from afar. |
26 הֶן־אֵל גִּיא וְלֹא נֵדָע מִסְפַּר שָׁנָיו וְלֹא־חֵקֶר | 26 Yes, the greatness of God exceeds our knowledge, the number of his years is past counting. |
27 כִּי יְגָרַע נִטְפֵי־מָיִם יָזֹקּוּ מָטָר לְאֵדֹו | 27 It is he who makes the raindrops smal and pulverises the rain into mist. |
28 אֲשֶׁר־יִזְּלוּ שְׁחָקִים יִרְעֲפוּ עֲלֵי ׀ אָדָם רָב | 28 And the clouds then pour this out, sending it streaming down on the human race. |
29 אַף אִם־יָבִין מִפְרְשֵׂי־עָב תְּשֻׁאֹות סֻכָּתֹו | 29 And who can fathom how he spreads the clouds, or why such crashes thunder from his tent? |
30 הֵן־פָּרַשׂ עָלָיו אֹורֹו וְשָׁרְשֵׁי הַיָּם כִּסָּה | 30 He spreads a mist before him and covers the tops of the mountains. |
31 כִּי־בָם יָדִין עַמִּים יִתֶּן־אֹכֶל לְמַכְבִּיר | 31 By these means, he sustains the peoples, giving them plenty to eat. |
32 עַל־כַּפַּיִם כִּסָּה־אֹור וַיְצַו עָלֶיהָ בְמַפְגִּיעַ | 32 He gathers up the lightning in his hands, assigning it the mark where to strike. |
33 יַגִּיד עָלָיו רֵעֹו מִקְנֶה אַף עַל־עֹולֶה | 33 His crashing gives warning of its coming, anger flashes out against iniquity. |