1 וַיַּעַן יְהוָה אֶת־אִיֹּוב וַיֹּאמַר | 1 Stil speaking to Job, Yahweh said: |
2 הֲרֹב עִם־שַׁדַּי יִסֹּור מֹוכִיחַ אֱלֹוהַּ יַעֲנֶנָּה׃ פ | 2 Is Yahweh's opponent going to give way? Has God's critic thought up an answer? |
3 וַיַּעַן אִיֹּוב אֶת־יְהוָה וַיֹּאמַר | 3 Job replied to Yahweh: |
4 הֵן קַלֹּתִי מָה אֲשִׁיבֶךָּ יָדִי שַׂמְתִּי לְמֹו־פִי | 4 My words have been frivolous: what can I reply? I had better lay my hand over my mouth. |
5 אַחַת דִּבַּרְתִּי וְלֹא אֶעֱנֶה וּשְׁתַּיִם וְלֹא אֹוסִיף׃ פ | 5 I have spoken once, I shal not speak again; I have spoken twice, I have nothing more to say. |
6 וַיַּעַן־יְהוָה אֶת־אִיֹּוב [מִן כ] [סְעָרָה כ] (מִן ׀ ק) (סְעָרָה ק) וַיֹּאמַר | 6 Yahweh gave Job his answer from the heart of the tempest. He said: |
7 אֱזָר־נָא כְגֶבֶר חֲלָצֶיךָ אֶשְׁאָלְךָ וְהֹודִיעֵנִי | 7 Brace yourself like a fighter, I am going to ask the questions, and you are to inform me! |
8 הַאַף תָּפֵר מִשְׁפָּטִי תַּרְשִׁיעֵנִי לְמַעַן תִּצְדָּק | 8 Do you real y want to reverse my judgement, put me in the wrong and yourself in the right? |
9 וְאִם־זְרֹועַ כָּאֵל ׀ לָךְ וּבְקֹול כָּמֹהוּ תַרְעֵם | 9 Has your arm the strength of God's, can your voice thunder as loud? |
10 עֲדֵה נָא גָאֹון וָגֹבַהּ וְהֹוד וְהָדָר תִּלְבָּשׁ | 10 Come on, display your majesty and grandeur, robe yourself in splendour and glory. |
11 הָפֵץ עֶבְרֹות אַפֶּךָ וּרְאֵה כָל־גֵּאֶה וְהַשְׁפִּילֵהוּ | 11 Let the fury of your anger burst forth, humble the haughty at a glance! |
12 רְאֵה כָל־גֵּאֶה הַכְנִיעֵהוּ וַהֲדֹךְ רְשָׁעִים תַּחְתָּם | 12 At a glance, bring down al the proud, strike down the wicked where they stand. |
13 טָמְנֵם בֶּעָפָר יָחַד פְּנֵיהֶם חֲבֹשׁ בַּטָּמוּן | 13 Bury the lot of them in the ground, shut them, every one, in the Dungeon. |
14 וְגַם־אֲנִי אֹודֶךָּ כִּי־תֹושִׁעַ לְךָ יְמִינֶךָ | 14 And I shal be the first to pay you homage, since your own right hand is strong enough to save you. |
15 הִנֵּה־נָא בְהֵמֹות אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂיתִי עִמָּךְ חָצִיר כַּבָּקָר יֹאכֵל | 15 But look at Behemoth, my creature, just as you are! He feeds on greenstuff like the ox, |
16 הִנֵּה־נָא כֹחֹו בְמָתְנָיו וְאֹנֹו בִּשְׁרִירֵי בִטְנֹו | 16 but what strength he has in his loins, what power in his stomach muscles! |
17 יַחְפֹּץ זְנָבֹו כְמֹו־אָרֶז גִּידֵי [פַחֲדֹו כ] (פַחֲדָיו ק) יְשֹׂרָגוּ | 17 His tail is as stiff as a cedar, the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit. |
18 עֲצָמָיו אֲפִיקֵי נְחוּשָׁה גְּרָמָיו כִּמְטִיל בַּרְזֶל | 18 His bones are bronze tubes, his frame like forged iron. |
19 הוּא רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכֵי־אֵל הָעֹשֹׂו יַגֵּשׁ חַרְבֹּו | 19 He is the first of the works of God. His Maker threatened him with the sword, |
20 כִּי־בוּל הָרִים יִשְׂאוּ־לֹו וְכָל־חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה יְשַׂחֲקוּ־שָׁם | 20 forbidding him the mountain regions and al the wild animals that play there. |
21 תַּחַת־צֶאֱלִים יִשְׁכָּב בְּסֵתֶר קָנֶה וּבִצָּה | 21 Under the lotus he lies, he hides among the reeds in the swamps. |
22 יְסֻכֻּהוּ צֶאֱלִים צִלֲלֹו יְסֻבּוּהוּ עַרְבֵי־נָחַל | 22 The leaves of the lotus give him shade, the willows by the stream shelter him. |
23 הֵן יַעֲשֹׁק נָהָר לֹא יַחְפֹּוז יִבְטַח ׀ כִּי־יָגִיחַ יַרְדֵּן אֶל־פִּיהוּ | 23 If the river overflows, he does not worry: Jordan might come up to his mouth, but he would not care. |
24 בְּעֵינָיו יִקָּחֶנּוּ בְּמֹוקְשִׁים יִנְקָב־אָף | 24 Who is going to catch him by the eyes or put poles through his nose? |
25 תִּמְשֹׁךְ לִוְיָתָן בְּחַכָּה וּבְחֶבֶל תַּשְׁקִיעַ לְשֹׁנֹו | 25 Leviathan, too! Can you catch him with a fish-hook or hold his tongue down with a rope? |
26 הֲתָשִׂים אַגְמֹון בְּאַפֹּו וּבְחֹוחַ תִּקֹּוב לֶחֱיֹו | 26 Can you put a cane through his nostrils or pierce his jaw with a hook? |
27 הֲיַרְבֶּה אֵלֶיךָ תַּחֲנוּנִים אִם־יְדַבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ רַכֹּות | 27 Will he plead lengthily with you, addressing you in diffident tones? |
28 הֲיִכְרֹת בְּרִית עִמָּךְ תִּקָּחֶנּוּ לְעֶבֶד עֹולָם | 28 Will he strike a bargain with you to become your slave for life? |
29 הַתְשַׂחֶק־בֹּו כַּצִּפֹּור וְתִקְשְׁרֶנּוּ לְנַעֲרֹותֶיךָ | 29 Will you make a pet of him, like a bird, keep him on a lead to amuse your little girls? |
30 יִכְרוּ עָלָיו חַבָּרִים יֶחֱצוּהוּ בֵּין כְּנַעֲנִים | 30 Is he to be sold by the fishing guild and then retailed by merchants? |
31 הַתְמַלֵּא בְשֻׂכֹּות עֹורֹו וּבְצִלְצַל דָּגִים רֹאשֹׁו | 31 Riddle his hide with darts? Or his head with fishing spears? |
32 שִׂים־עָלָיו כַּפֶּךָ זְכֹר מִלְחָמָה אַל־תֹּוסַף | 32 You have only to lay a finger on him never to forget the struggle or risk it again! |