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? |