1 וַיַּעַן בִּלְדַּד הַשּׁוּחִי וַיֹאמַר | 1 The Baldad the Suhite answered, 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 overthrow that which is just? |
4 אִם־בָּנֶיךָ חָטְאוּ־לֹו וַיְשַׁלְּחֵם בְּיַד־פִּשְׁעָם | 4 Although thy children have sinned against him, and he hath left them in the hand of their iniquity: |
5 אִם־אַתָּה תְּשַׁחֵר אֶל־אֵל וְאֶלשַׁ־דַּי תִּתְחַנָּן | 5 Yet if thou wilt arise early to God, and wilt beseech the Almighty: |
6 אִם־זַךְ וְיָשָׁר אָתָּה כִּי־עַתָּה יָעִיר עָלֶיךָ וְשִׁלַּם נְוַת צִדְקֶךָ | 6 If thou wilt walk clean and upright, he will presently awake onto thee, and will make the dwelling of thy justice peaceable: |
7 וְהָיָה רֵאשִׁיתְךָ מִצְעָר וְאַחֲרִיתְךָ יִשְׂגֶּה מְאֹד | 7 Insomuch, that if thy former things were small, thy latter things would be multiplied exceedingly. |
8 כִּי־שְׁאַל־נָא לְדֹר רִישֹׁון וְכֹונֵן לְחֵקֶר אֲבֹותָם | 8 For inquire of the former generation, and search diligently into the memory of the fathers: |
9 כִּי־תְמֹול אֲנַחְנוּ וְלֹא נֵדָע כִּי צֵל יָמֵינוּ עֲלֵי־אָרֶץ | 9 (For we are but of yesterday, and are ignorant that our days upon earth are but a shadow:) |
10 הֲלֹא־הֵם יֹורוּךָ יֹאמְרוּ לָךְ וּמִלִּבָּם יֹוצִאוּ מִלִּים | 10 And they shall teach thee: they shall speak to thee, and utter words out of their hearts. |
11 הֲיִגְאֶה־גֹּמֶא בְּלֹא בִצָּה יִשְׂגֶּה־אָחוּ בְלִי־מָיִם | 11 Can the rush be green without moisture? or a sedge-bush grow without water? |
12 עֹדֶנּוּ בְאִבֹּו לֹא יִקָּטֵף וְלִפְנֵי כָל־חָצִיר יִיבָשׁ | 12 When it is yet in flower, and is not plucked up with the hand, it withereth before all herbs. |
13 כֵּן אָרְחֹות כָּל־שֹׁכְחֵי אֵל וְתִקְוַת חָנֵף תֹּאבֵד | 13 Even so are the ways of all that forget God, and the hope of the hypocrite shall perish: |
14 אֲשֶׁר־יָקֹוט כִּסְלֹו וּבֵית עַכָּבִישׁ מִבְטַחֹו | 14 His folly shall not please him, and his trust shall be like the spider's web. |
15 יִשָּׁעֵן עַל־בֵּיתֹו וְלֹא יַעֲמֹד יַחֲזִיק בֹּו וְלֹא יָקוּם | 15 He shall lean upon his house, and it shall not stand: he shall prop it up, and it shall not rise: |
16 רָטֹב הוּא לִפְנֵי־שָׁמֶשׁ וְעַל גַּנָּתֹו יֹנַקְתֹּו תֵצֵא | 16 He seemeth to have moisture before the sun cometh, and at his rising his blossom shall shoot forth. |
17 עַל־גַּל שָׁרָשָׁיו יְסֻבָּכוּ בֵּית אֲבָנִים יֶחֱזֶה | 17 His roots shall be thick upon a heap of stones, and among the stones he shall abide. |
18 אִם־יְבַלְּעֶנּוּ מִמְּקֹומֹו וְכִחֶשׁ בֹּו לֹא רְאִיתִיךָ | 18 If one swallow him up out of his place, he shall deny him, and shall say: I know thee not. |
19 הֶן־הוּא מְשֹׂושׂ דַּרְכֹּו וּמֵעָפָר אַחֵר יִצְמָחוּ | 19 For this is the joy of his way, that others may spring again out of the earth. |
20 הֶן־אֵל לֹא יִמְאַס־תָּם וְלֹא־יַחֲזִיק בְּיַד־מְרֵעִים | 20 God will not cast away the simple, nor reach out his hand to the evildoer: |
21 עַד־יְמַלֵּה שְׂחֹוק פִּיךָ וּשְׂפָתֶיךָ תְרוּעָה | 21 Until thy mouth be filled with laughter, and thy lips with rejoicing. |
22 שֹׂנְאֶיךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ־בֹשֶׁת וְאֹהֶל רְשָׁעִים אֵינֶנּוּ׃ פ | 22 They that hate thee, shall be clothed with confusion: and the dwelling of the wicked shall not stand. |