1 וַיַּעַן אִיֹּוב וַיֹּאמַר | 1 Job spoke next. He said: |
2 שִׁמְעוּ מֹועַ מִלָּתִי וּתְהִי־זֹאת תַּנְחוּמֹתֵיכֶם | 2 Listen careful y to my words; let this be the consolation you allow me. |
3 אוּנִי וְאָנֹכִי אֲדַבֵּר וְאַחַר דַּבְּרִי תַלְעִיג | 3 Permit me to speak in my turn; you may jeer when I have spoken. |
4 הֶאָנֹכִי לְאָדָם שִׂיחִי וְאִם־מַדּוּעַ לֹא־תִקְצַר רוּחִי | 4 Is my complaint just about a fellow-mortal? I have good grounds to be perturbed! |
5 פְּנוּ־אֵלַי וְהָשַׁמּוּ וְשִׂימוּ יָד עַל־פֶּה | 5 Give your attention to me; you wil be dumbfounded and wil place your hand over your mouth. |
6 וְאִם־זָכַרְתִּי וְנִבְהָלְתִּי וְאָחַז בְּשָׂרִי פַּלָּצוּת | 6 I myself am appalled at the very thought, and my flesh creeps. |
7 מַדּוּעַ רְשָׁעִים יִחְיוּ עָתְקוּ גַּם־גָּבְרוּ חָיִל | 7 Why do the wicked stil live on, their power increasing with their age? |
8 זַרְעָם נָכֹון לִפְנֵיהֶם עִמָּם וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶם לְעֵינֵיהֶם | 8 They see their posterity assured, and their offspring secure before their eyes. |
9 בָּתֵּיהֶם שָׁלֹום מִפָּחַד וְלֹא שֵׁבֶט אֱלֹוהַּ עֲלֵיהֶם | 9 The peace of their houses has nothing to fear, the rod that God wields is not for them. |
10 שֹׁורֹו עִבַּר וְלֹא יַגְעִל תְּפַלֵּט פָּרָתֹו וְלֹא תְשַׁכֵּל | 10 No mishap with their bull at breeding-time, nor miscarriage with their cow at calving. |
11 יְשַׁלְּחוּ כַצֹּאן עֲוִילֵיהֶם וְיַלְדֵיהֶם יְרַקֵּדוּן | 11 They let their infants frisk like lambs, their children dance like deer. |
12 יִשְׂאוּ כְּתֹף וְכִנֹּור וְיִשְׂמְחוּ לְקֹול עוּגָב | 12 They sing to the tambourine and harp, and rejoice to the sound of the pipe. |
13 [יְבַלּוּ כ] (יְכַלּוּ ק) בַטֹּוב יְמֵיהֶם וּבְרֶגַע שְׁאֹול יֵחָתּוּ | 13 They end their lives in happiness and go down in peace to Sheol. |
14 וַיֹּאמְרוּ לָאֵל סוּר מִמֶּנּוּ וְדַעַת דְּרָכֶיךָ לֹא חָפָצְנוּ | 14 Yet these are the ones who say to God, 'Go away! We do not want to learn your ways. |
15 מַה־שַׁדַּי כִּי־נַעַבְדֶנּוּ וּמַה־נֹּועִיל כִּי נִפְגַּע־בֹּו | 15 What is the point of our serving Shaddai? What should we gain from praying to him?' |
16 הֵן לֹא בְיָדָם טוּבָם עֲצַת רְשָׁעִים רָחֲקָה מֶנִּי | 16 Surely they have won their own prosperity, since God is kept so far from their plans? |
17 כַּמָּה ׀ נֵר־רְשָׁעִים יִדְעָךְ וְיָבֹא עָלֵימֹו אֵידָם חֲבָלִים יְחַלֵּק בְּאַפֹּו | 17 Do we often see the light of the wicked put out, or disaster overtake him, or the retribution of Goddestroy his possessions, |
18 יִהְיוּ כְּתֶבֶן לִפְנֵי־רוּחַ וּכְמֹץ גְּנָבַתּוּ סוּפָה | 18 or the wind blow him away like a straw, or a whirlwind carry him off like chaff? |
19 אֱלֹוהַּ יִצְפֹּן־לְבָנָיו אֹונֹו יְשַׁלֵּם אֵלָיו וְיֵדָע | 19 So God is storing up punishment for his children? But the wicked himself should be punished, andshould know it! |
20 יִרְאוּ [עֵינֹו כ] (עֵינָיו ק) כִּידֹו וּמֵחֲמַת שַׁדַּי יִשְׁתֶּה | 20 He himself should witness his own ruin, and himself drink the anger of Shaddai. |
21 כִּי מַה־חֶפְצֹו בְּבֵיתֹו אַחֲרָיו וּמִסְפַּר חֳדָשָׁיו חֻצָּצוּ | 21 Once he is gone, what joy can he gain from his family, once the number of his months has been cutoff? |
22 הַלְאֵל יְלַמֶּד־דָּעַת וְהוּא רָמִים יִשְׁפֹּוט | 22 But who can teach wisdom to God, to him who is judge of those on high? |
23 זֶה יָמוּת בְּעֶצֶם תֻּמֹּו כֻּלֹּו שַׁלְאֲנַן וְשָׁלֵיו | 23 And again: one person dies in the ful ness of strength, in all possible happiness and ease, |
24 עֲטִינָיו מָלְאוּ חָלָב וּמֹחַ עַצְמֹותָיו יְשֻׁקֶּה | 24 thighs padded with fat and the marrow in the bones good and moist. |
25 וְזֶה יָמוּת בְּנֶפֶשׁ מָרָה וְלֹא־אָכַל בַּטֹּובָה | 25 Another dies in bitterness of heart, never having tasted happiness. |
26 יַחַד עַל־עָפָר יִשְׁכָּבוּ וְרִמָּה תְּכַסֶּה עֲלֵיהֶם | 26 They lie together down in the dust and the worms soon cover them both. |
27 הֵן יָדַעְתִּי מַחְשְׁבֹותֵיכֶם וּמְזִמֹּות עָלַי תַּחְמֹסוּ | 27 Oh, I know what is in your minds, what you so spiteful y think about me! |
28 כִּי תֹאמְרוּ אַיֵּה בֵית־נָדִיב וְאַיֵּה אֹהֶל ׀ מִשְׁכְּנֹות רְשָׁעִים | 28 'What has become of the great lord's house,' you say, 'where is the tent where the wicked used tolive?' |
29 הֲלֹא אֶלְתֶּם עֹובְרֵי דָרֶךְ וְאֹתֹתָם לֹא תְנַכֵּרוּ | 29 Have you never questioned people who travel, do you not understand the testimony they give: |
30 כִּי לְיֹום אֵיד יֵחָשֶׂךְ רָע לְיֹום עֲבָרֹות יוּבָלוּ | 30 on the day of disaster, the wicked is spared, on the day of retribution, he is kept safe? |
31 מִי־יַגִּיד עַל־פָּנָיו דַּרְכֹּו וְהוּא־עָשָׂה מִי יְשַׁלֶּם־לֹו | 31 And who is there then to reproach him for his deeds and to pay him back for the things he has done? |
32 וְהוּא לִקְבָרֹות יוּבָל וְעַל־גָּדִישׁ יִשְׁקֹוד | 32 He is carried away to the cemetery, and a watch is kept at his tomb. |
33 מָתְקוּ־לֹו רִגְבֵי נָחַל וְאַחֲרָיו כָּל־אָדָם יִמְשֹׁוךְ וּלְפָנָיו אֵין מִסְפָּר | 33 The clods of the ravine lie easy on him, and the whole population walk behind. |
34 וְאֵיךְ תְּנַחֲמוּנִי הָבֶל וּתְשׁוּבֹתֵיכֶם נִשְׁאַר־מָעַל׃ ס | 34 So what sense is there in your empty consolation? your answers are the left-overs of infidelity! |