Shir ha-Shirim (שיר השירים ) - Cantico dei Cantici 38

STUTTGARTENSIA-DELITZSCH	NEW JERUSALEM
1 וַיַּעַן־יְהוָה אֶת־אִיֹּוב [מִן כ] [הַסְּעָרָה כ] (מִן ׀ ק) (הַסְּעָרָה ק) וַיֹּאמַר	1 Then from the heart of the tempest Yahweh gave Job his answer. He said:
2 מִי זֶה ׀ מַחְשִׁיךְ עֵצָה בְמִלִּין בְּלִי־דָעַת	2 Who is this, obscuring my intentions with his ignorant words?
3 אֱזָר־נָא כְגֶבֶר חֲלָצֶיךָ וְאֶשְׁאָלְךָ וְהֹודִיעֵנִי	3 Brace yourself like a fighter; I am going to ask the questions, and you are to inform me!
4 אֵיפֹה הָיִיתָ בְּיָסְדִי־אָרֶץ הַגֵּד אִם־יָדַעְתָּ בִינָה	4 Where were you when I laid the earth's foundations? Tel me, since you are so wel -informed!
5 מִי־שָׂם מְמַדֶּיהָ כִּי תֵדָע אֹו מִי־נָטָה עָלֶיהָ קָּו	5 Who decided its dimensions, do you know? Or who stretched the measuring line across it?
6 עַל־מָה אֲדָנֶיהָ הָטְבָּעוּ אֹו מִי־יָרָה אֶבֶן פִּנָּתָהּ	6 What supports its pil ars at their bases? Who laid its cornerstone
7 בְּרָן־יַחַד כֹּוכְבֵי בֹקֶר וַיָּרִיעוּ כָּל־בְּנֵי אֱלֹהִים	7 to the joyful concert of the morning stars and unanimous acclaim of the sons of God?
8 וַיָּסֶךְ בִּדְלָתַיִם יָם בְּגִיחֹו מֵרֶחֶם יֵצֵא	8 Who pent up the sea behind closed doors when it leapt tumultuous from the womb,
9 בְּשׂוּמִי עָנָן לְבֻשֹׁו וַעֲרָפֶל חֲתֻלָּתֹו	9 when I wrapped it in a robe of mist and made black clouds its swaddling bands;
10 וָאֶשְׁבֹּר עָלָיו חֻקִּי וָאָשִׂים בְּרִיחַ וּדְלָתָיִם	10 when I cut out the place I had decreed for it and imposed gates and a bolt?
11 וָאֹמַר עַד־פֹּה תָבֹוא וְלֹא תֹסִיף וּפֹא־יָשִׁית בִּגְאֹון גַּלֶּיךָ	11 'Come so far,' I said, 'and no further; here your proud waves must break!'
12 הְמִיָּמֶיךָ צִוִּיתָ בֹּקֶר [יִדַּעְתָּה כ] [שַׁחַר כ] (יִדַּעְתָּ ק) (הַשַּׁחַר ק) מְקֹמֹו	12 Have you ever in your life given orders to the morning or sent the dawn to its post,
13 לֶאֱחֹז בְּכַנְפֹות הָאָרֶץ וְיִנָּעֲרוּ רְשָׁעִים מִמֶּנָּה	13 to grasp the earth by its edges and shake the wicked out of it?
14 תִּתְהַפֵּךְ כְּחֹמֶר חֹותָם וְיִתְיַצְּבוּ כְּמֹו לְבוּשׁ	14 She turns it as red as a clay seal, she tints it as though it were a dress,
15 וְיִמָּנַע מֵרְשָׁעִים אֹורָם וּזְרֹועַ רָמָה תִּשָּׁבֵר	15 stealing the light from evil-doers and breaking the arm raised to strike.
16 הֲבָאתָ עַד־נִבְכֵי־יָם וּבְחֵקֶר תְּהֹום הִתְהַלָּכְתָּ	16 Have you been right down to the sources of the sea and walked about at the bottom of the Abyss?
17 הֲנִגְלוּ לְךָ שַׁעֲרֵי־מָוֶת וְשַׁעֲרֵי צַלְמָוֶת תִּרְאֶה	17 Have you been shown the gates of Death, have you seen the janitors of the Shadow dark as death?
18 הִתְבֹּנַנְתָּ עַד־רַחֲבֵי־אָרֶץ הַגֵּד אִם־יָדַעְתָּ כֻלָּהּ	18 Have you an inkling of the extent of the earth? Tell me al about it if you have!
19 אֵי־זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ יִשְׁכָּן־אֹור וְחֹשֶׁךְ אֵי־זֶה מְקֹמֹו	19 Which is the way to the home of the Light, and where does darkness live? -
20 כִּי תִקָּחֶנּוּ אֶל־גְּבוּלֹו וְכִי־תָבִין נְתִיבֹות בֵּיתֹו	20 You could then show them the way to their proper places, you could put them on the path homeagain!
21 יָדַעְתָּ כִּי־אָז תִּוָּלֵד וּמִסְפַּר יָמֶיךָ רַבִּים	21 If you do know, you must have been born when they were, you must be very old by now!
22 הֲבָאתָ אֶל־אֹצְרֹות שָׁלֶג וְאֹצְרֹות בָּרָד תִּרְאֶה	22 Have you visited the place where the snow is stored? Have you seen the stores of hail,
23 אֲשֶׁר־חָשַׂכְתִּי לְעֶת־צָר לְיֹום קְרָב וּמִלְחָמָה	23 which I keep for times of distress, for days of battle and war?
24 אֵי־זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ יֵחָלֶק אֹור יָפֵץ קָדִים עֲלֵי־אָרֶץ	24 From which direction does the lightning fork, where in the world does the east wind blow itself out?
25 מִי־פִלַּג לַשֶּׁטֶף תְּעָלָה וְדֶרֶךְ לַחֲזִיז קֹלֹות	25 Who bores a channel for the downpour or clears the way for the rol ing thunder
26 לְהַמְטִיר עַל־אֶרֶץ לֹא־אִישׁ מִדְבָּר לֹא־אָדָם בֹּו	26 so that rain may fal on lands where no one lives, and the deserts void of human dwel ing,
27 לְהַשְׂבִּיעַ שֹׁאָה וּמְשֹׁאָה וּלְהַצְמִיחַ מֹצָא דֶשֶׁא	27 to meet the needs of the lonely wastes and make grass sprout on the thirsty ground?
28 הֲיֵשׁ־לַמָּטָר אָב אֹו מִי־הֹולִיד אֶגְלֵי־טָל	28 Has the rain a father? Who begets the dewdrops?
29 מִבֶּטֶן מִי יָצָא הַקָּרַח וּכְפֹר מַיִם מִי יְלָדֹו	29 What womb brings forth the ice, who gives birth to the frost of heaven,
30 כָּאֶבֶן מַיִם יִתְחַבָּאוּ וּפְנֵי תְהֹום יִתְלַכָּדוּ	30 when the waters grow hard as stone and the surface of the deep congeals?
31 הַתְקַשֵּׁר מַעֲדַנֹּות כִּימָה אֹו־מֹשְׁכֹות כְּסִיל תְּפַתֵּחַ	31 Can you fasten the harness of the Pleiades, or untie Orion's bands?
32 הֲתֹצִיא מַזָּרֹות בְּעִתֹּו וְעַיִשׁ עַל־בָּנֶיהָ תַנְחֵם	32 Can you guide the Crown season by season and show the Bear and its cubs which way to go?
33 הֲיָדַעְתָּ חֻקֹּות שָׁמָיִם אִם־תָּשִׂים מִשְׁטָרֹו בָאָרֶץ	33 Have you grasped the celestial laws? Could you make their writ run on the earth?
34 הֲתָרִים לָעָב קֹולֶךָ וְשִׁפְעַת־מַיִם תְּכַסֶּךָּ	34 Can your voice carry as far as the clouds and make the pent-up waters do your bidding?
35 הַתְשַׁלַּח בְּרָקִים וְיֵלֵכוּ וְיֹאמְרוּ לְךָ הִנֵּנוּ	35 Will lightning flashes come at your command and answer, 'Here we are'?
36 מִישָׁ־ת בַּטֻּחֹות חָכְמָה אֹו מִי־נָתַן לַשֶּׂכְוִי בִינָה	36 Who endowed the ibis with wisdom and gave the cock his intel igence?
37 מִי־יְסַפֵּר שְׁחָקִים בְּחָכְמָה וְנִבְלֵי מַיִם מִי יַשְׁכִּיב	37 Whose skil details every cloud and tilts the water-skins of heaven
38 בְּצֶקֶת עָפָר לַמּוּצָק וּרְגָבִים יְדֻבָּקוּ	38 until the dust solidifies and the cracks in the ground close up?
39 הֲתָצוּד לְלָבִיא טָרֶף וְחַיַּת כְּפִירִים תְּמַלֵּא	39 Do you go hunting prey for the lioness; do you satisfy the hunger of young lions
40 כִּי־יָשֹׁחוּ בַמְּעֹונֹות יֵשְׁבוּ בַסֻּכָּה לְמֹו־אָרֶב	40 where they crouch in their den, waiting eagerly in the bushes?
41 מִי יָכִין לָעֹרֵב צֵידֹו כִּי־ [יְלָדֹו כ] (יְלָדָיו ק) אֶל־אֵל יְשַׁוֵּעוּ יִתְעוּ לִבְלִי־אֹכֶל	41 Who makes provision for the raven when his little ones cry out to God craning their necks in search offood?