1 וַיַּעַן בִּלְדַּד הַשּׁוּחִי וַיֹאמַר | 1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, |
2 עַד־אָן תְּמַלֶּל־אֵלֶּה וְרוּחַ כַּבִּיר אִמְרֵי־פִיךָ | 2 How long wilt thou speak these things? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind? |
3 הַאֵל יְעַוֵּת מִשְׁפָּט וְאִםשַׁ־דַּי יְעַוֵּת־צֶדֶק | 3 Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice? |
4 אִם־בָּנֶיךָ חָטְאוּ־לֹו וַיְשַׁלְּחֵם בְּיַד־פִּשְׁעָם | 4 If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression; |
5 אִם־אַתָּה תְּשַׁחֵר אֶל־אֵל וְאֶלשַׁ־דַּי תִּתְחַנָּן | 5 If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty; |
6 אִם־זַךְ וְיָשָׁר אָתָּה כִּי־עַתָּה יָעִיר עָלֶיךָ וְשִׁלַּם נְוַת צִדְקֶךָ | 6 If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. |
7 וְהָיָה רֵאשִׁיתְךָ מִצְעָר וְאַחֲרִיתְךָ יִשְׂגֶּה מְאֹד | 7 Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase. |
8 כִּי־שְׁאַל־נָא לְדֹר רִישֹׁון וְכֹונֵן לְחֵקֶר אֲבֹותָם | 8 For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers: |
9 כִּי־תְמֹול אֲנַחְנוּ וְלֹא נֵדָע כִּי צֵל יָמֵינוּ עֲלֵי־אָרֶץ | 9 (For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:) |
10 הֲלֹא־הֵם יֹורוּךָ יֹאמְרוּ לָךְ וּמִלִּבָּם יֹוצִאוּ מִלִּים | 10 Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart? |
11 הֲיִגְאֶה־גֹּמֶא בְּלֹא בִצָּה יִשְׂגֶּה־אָחוּ בְלִי־מָיִם | 11 Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water? |
12 עֹדֶנּוּ בְאִבֹּו לֹא יִקָּטֵף וְלִפְנֵי כָל־חָצִיר יִיבָשׁ | 12 Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb. |
13 כֵּן אָרְחֹות כָּל־שֹׁכְחֵי אֵל וְתִקְוַת חָנֵף תֹּאבֵד | 13 So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish: |
14 אֲשֶׁר־יָקֹוט כִּסְלֹו וּבֵית עַכָּבִישׁ מִבְטַחֹו | 14 Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web. |
15 יִשָּׁעֵן עַל־בֵּיתֹו וְלֹא יַעֲמֹד יַחֲזִיק בֹּו וְלֹא יָקוּם | 15 He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure. |
16 רָטֹב הוּא לִפְנֵי־שָׁמֶשׁ וְעַל גַּנָּתֹו יֹנַקְתֹּו תֵצֵא | 16 He is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden. |
17 עַל־גַּל שָׁרָשָׁיו יְסֻבָּכוּ בֵּית אֲבָנִים יֶחֱזֶה | 17 His roots are wrapped about the heap, and seeth the place of stones. |
18 אִם־יְבַלְּעֶנּוּ מִמְּקֹומֹו וְכִחֶשׁ בֹּו לֹא רְאִיתִיךָ | 18 If he destroy him from his place, then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee. |
19 הֶן־הוּא מְשֹׂושׂ דַּרְכֹּו וּמֵעָפָר אַחֵר יִצְמָחוּ | 19 Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the earth shall others grow. |
20 הֶן־אֵל לֹא יִמְאַס־תָּם וְלֹא־יַחֲזִיק בְּיַד־מְרֵעִים | 20 Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers: |
21 עַד־יְמַלֵּה שְׂחֹוק פִּיךָ וּשְׂפָתֶיךָ תְרוּעָה | 21 Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing. |
22 שֹׂנְאֶיךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ־בֹשֶׁת וְאֹהֶל רְשָׁעִים אֵינֶנּוּ׃ פ | 22 They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought. |