Shir ha-Shirim (שיר השירים ) - Cantico dei Cantici 12

STUTTGARTENSIA-DELITZSCH	NEW JERUSALEM
1 וַיַּעַן אִיֹּוב וַיֹּאמַר	1 Job spoke next. He said:
2 אָמְנָם כִּי אַתֶּם־עָם וְעִמָּכֶם תָּמוּת חָכְמָה	2 Doubtless, you are the voice of the people, and when you die, wisdom wil die with you!
3 גַּם־לִי לֵבָב ׀ כְּמֹוכֶם לֹא־נֹפֵל אָנֹכִי מִכֶּם וְאֶת־מִי־אֵין כְּמֹו־אֵלֶּה	3 But I have a brain, as well as you, I am in no way inferior to you, and who, in any case, does not know al that?
4 שְׂחֹק לְרֵעֵהוּ ׀ אֶהְיֶה קֹרֵא לֶאֱלֹוהַּ וַיַּעֲנֵהוּ חֹוק צַדִּיק תָּמִים	4 Anyone becomes a laughing-stock to his friends if he cries to God and expects an answer. Peoplelaugh at anyone who has integrity and is upright.
5 לַפִּיד בּוּז לְעַשְׁתּוּת שַׁאֲנָן נָכֹון לְמֹועֲדֵי רָגֶל	5 'Add insult to injury,' think the prosperous, 'strike the fel ow now that he is staggering!'
6 יִשְׁלָיוּ אֹהָלִים ׀ לְשֹׁדְדִים וּבַטֻּחֹות לְמַרְגִּיזֵי אֵל לַאֲשֶׁר הֵבִיא אֱלֹוהַּ בְּיָדֹו	6 And yet the tents of brigands are left in peace: those who provoke God dwel secure and so doesanyone who makes a god of his fist!
7 וְאוּלָם שְׁאַל־נָא בְהֵמֹות וְתֹרֶךָּ וְעֹוף הַשָּׁמַיִם וְיַגֶּד־לָךְ	7 You have only to ask the cattle, for them to instruct you, and the birds of the sky, for them to informyou.
8 אֹו שִׂיחַ לָאָרֶץ וְתֹרֶךָּ וִיסַפְּרוּ לְךָ דְּגֵי הַיָּם	8 The creeping things of earth wil give you lessons, and the fish of the sea provide you an explanation:
9 מִי לֹא־יָדַע בְּכָל־אֵלֶּה כִּי יַד־יְהוָה עָשְׂתָה זֹּאת	9 there is not one such creature but wil know that the hand of God has arranged things like this!
10 אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדֹו נֶפֶשׁ כָּל־חָי וְרוּחַ כָּל־בְּשַׂר־אִישׁ	10 In his hand is the soul of every living thing and the breath of every human being!
11 הֲלֹא־אֹזֶן מִלִּין תִּבְחָן וְחֵךְ אֹכֶל יִטְעַם־לֹו	11 Can the ear not distinguish the value of what is said, just as the palate can tel one food fromanother?
12 בִּישִׁישִׁים חָכְמָה וְאֹרֶךְ יָמִים תְּבוּנָה	12 Wisdom is found in the old, and discretion comes with great age.
13 עִמֹּו חָכְמָה וּגְבוּרָה לֹו עֵצָה וּתְבוּנָה	13 But in him there is wisdom, and power too, and good counsel no less than discretion.
14 הֵן יַהֲרֹוס וְלֹא יִבָּנֶה יִסְגֹּר עַל־אִישׁ וְלֹא יִפָּתֵחַ	14 What he destroys, no one can rebuild; whom he imprisons, no one can release.
15 הֵן יַעְצֹר בַּמַּיִם וְיִבָשׁוּ וִישַׁלְּחֵם וְיַהַפְכוּ אָרֶץ	15 Is there a drought? He has withheld the waters. Do they play havoc on earth? He has let them loose.
16 עִמֹּו עֹז וְתוּשִׁיָּה לֹו שֹׁגֵג וּמַשְׁגֶּה	16 In him is strength, in him resourcefulness, beguiler and beguiled alike are his.
17 מֹולִיךְ יֹועֲצִים שֹׁולָל וְשֹׁפְטִים יְהֹולֵל	17 He robs a country's counsel ors of their wits, turns judges into fools.
18 מוּסַר מְלָכִים פִּתֵּחַ וַיֶּאְסֹר אֵזֹור בְּמָתְנֵיהֶם	18 He undoes the belts of kings and knots a rope round their waists.
19 מֹולִיךְ כֹּהֲנִים שֹׁולָל וְאֵתָנִים יְסַלֵּף	19 He makes priests walk barefoot, and overthrows the powers that are established.
20 מֵסִיר פָה לְנֶאֱמָנִים וְטַעַם זְקֵנִים יִקָּח	20 He strikes the most assured of speakers dumb and robs old people of their discretion.
21 שֹׁופֵךְ בּוּז עַל־נְדִיבִים וּמְזִיחַ אֲפִיקִים רִפָּה	21 He pours contempt on the nobly born, and unbuckles the belt of the strong.
22 מְגַלֶּה עֲמֻקֹות מִנִּי־חֹשֶׁךְ וַיֹּצֵא לָאֹור צַלְמָוֶת	22 He unveils the depths of darkness, brings shadow dark as death to the light.
23 מַשְׂגִּיא לַגֹּויִם וַיְאַבְּדֵם שֹׁטֵחַ לַגֹּויִם וַיַּנְחֵם	23 He builds nations up, then ruins them, he makes peoples expand, then suppresses them.
24 מֵסִיר לֵב רָאשֵׁי עַם־הָאָרֶץ וַיַּתְעֵם בְּתֹהוּ לֹא־דָרֶךְ	24 He strips a country's leaders of their judgement, and leaves them to wander in a trackless waste,
25 יְמַשְׁשׁוּ־חֹשֶׁךְ וְלֹא־אֹור וַיַּתְעֵם כַּשִּׁכֹּור	25 to grope about in unlit darkness, lurching to and fro as though drunk.