1 וַיֹּסֶף אֱלִיהוּא וַיֹּאמַר | 1 Continuing in a similar manner, Eliu had this to say: |
2 כַּתַּר־לִי זְעֵיר וַאֲחַוֶּךָּ כִּי עֹוד לֶאֱלֹוהַּ מִלִּים | 2 Bear with me for a little while and I will show you; for I have still more to say in favor of God. |
3 אֶשָּׂא דֵעִי לְמֵרָחֹוק וּלְפֹעֲלִי אֶתֵּן־צֶדֶק | 3 I will review my knowledge from the beginning, and I will prove my Maker to be just. |
4 כִּי־אָמְנָם לֹא־שֶׁקֶר מִלָּי תְּמִים דֵּעֹות עִמָּךְ | 4 For truly my words are without any falsehood and perfect knowledge will be proven to you. |
5 הֶן־אֵל כַּבִּיר וְלֹא יִמְאָס כַּבִּיר כֹּחַ לֵב | 5 God does not abandon the powerful, for he himself is also powerful. |
6 לֹא־יְחַיֶּה רָשָׁע וּמִשְׁפַּט עֲנִיִּים יִתֵּן | 6 But he does not save the impious, though he grants judgment to the poor. |
7 לֹא־יִגְרַע מִצַּדִּיק עֵינָיו וְאֶת־מְלָכִים לַכִּסֵּא וַיֹּשִׁיבֵם לָנֶצַח וַיִּגְבָּהוּ | 7 He will not take his eyes away from the just, and he continually establishes kings on their throne, and they are exalted. |
8 וְאִם־אֲסוּרִים בַּזִּקִּים יִלָּכְדוּן בְּחַבְלֵי־עֹנִי | 8 And, if they are in captivity, or are bound with the chains of poverty, |
9 וַיַּגֵּד לָהֶם פָּעֳלָם וּפִשְׁעֵיהֶם כִּי יִתְגַּבָּרוּ | 9 he will reveal to them their works, as well as their sinfulness, in that they were violent. |
10 וַיִּגֶל אָזְנָם לַמּוּסָר וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי־יְשֻׁבוּן מֵאָוֶן | 10 Likewise, he will open their ears to his correction, and he will speak to them, so that they may return from iniquity. |
11 אִם־יִשְׁמְעוּ וְיַעֲבֹדוּ יְכַלּוּ יְמֵיהֶם בַּטֹּוב וּשְׁנֵיהֶם בַּנְּעִימִים | 11 If they listen and obey, they will fill their days with goodness and complete their years in glory. |
12 וְאִם־לֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ בְּשֶׁלַח יַעֲבֹרוּ וְיִגְוְעוּ כִּבְלִי־דָעַת | 12 But if they will not listen, they will pass away by the sword and will be consumed by foolishness. |
13 וְחַנְפֵי־לֵב יָשִׂימוּ אָף לֹא יְשַׁוְּעוּ כִּי אֲסָרָם | 13 The false and the crafty provoke the wrath of God, yet they do not cry out to him when they are chained. |
14 תָּמֹת בַּנֹּעַר נַפְשָׁם וְחַיָּתָם בַּקְּדֵשִׁים | 14 Their soul will die in a storm, and their life, among the unmanly. |
15 יְחַלֵּץ עָנִי בְעָנְיֹו וְיִגֶל בַּלַּחַץ אָזְנָם | 15 He will rescue the poor from his anguish, and he will open his ear during tribulation. |
16 וְאַף הֲסִיתְךָ ׀ מִפִּי־צָר רַחַב לֹא־מוּצָק תַּחְתֶּיהָ וְנַחַת לְחָנְךָ מָלֵא דָשֶׁן | 16 Therefore, he will save you from the narrow mouth very widely, even though it has no foundation under it. Moreover, your respite at table will be full of fatness. |
17 וְדִין־רָשָׁע מָלֵאתָ דִּין וּמִשְׁפָּט יִתְמֹכוּ | 17 Your case has been judged like that of the impious; you will withdraw your plea and your judgment. |
18 כִּי־חֵמָה פֶּן־יְסִיתְךָ בְסָפֶק וְרָב־כֹּפֶר אַל־יַטֶּךָּ | 18 Therefore, do not let anger overwhelm you so that you oppress another; neither should you allow a multitude of gifts to influence you. |
19 הֲיַעֲרֹךְ שׁוּעֲךָ לֹא בְצָר וְכֹל מַאֲמַצֵּי־כֹחַ | 19 Lay down your greatness without distress, and put aside all of your power with courage. |
20 אַל־תִּשְׁאַף הַלָּיְלָה לַעֲלֹות עַמִּים תַּחְתָּם | 20 Do not prolong the night, even if people rise on their behalf. |
21 הִשָּׁמֶר אַל־תֵּפֶן אֶל־אָוֶן כִּי־עַל־זֶה בָּחַרְתָּ מֵעֹנִי | 21 Be careful that you do not turn to iniquity; for, after your misery, you have begun to follow this. |
22 הֶן־אֵל יַשְׂגִּיב בְּכֹחֹו מִי כָמֹהוּ מֹורֶה | 22 Behold, God is exalted in his strength, and there is no one like him among the law-givers. |
23 מִי־פָקַד עָלָיו דַּרְכֹּו וּמִי־אָמַר פָּעַלְתָּ עַוְלָה | 23 Who is able to investigate his ways? And who can say, “You have done iniquity,” to him? |
24 זְכֹר כִּי־תַשְׂגִּיא פָעֳלֹו אֲשֶׁר שֹׁרְרוּ אֲנָשִׁים | 24 Remember that you are ignorant of his work, yet men have sung its praises. |
25 כָּל־אָדָם חָזוּ־בֹו אֱנֹושׁ יַבִּיט מֵרָחֹוק | 25 All men consider him; and each one ponders from a distance. |
26 הֶן־אֵל גִּיא וְלֹא נֵדָע מִסְפַּר שָׁנָיו וְלֹא־חֵקֶר | 26 Behold, God is great, defeating our knowledge; the number of his years is inestimable. |
27 כִּי יְגָרַע נִטְפֵי־מָיִם יָזֹקּוּ מָטָר לְאֵדֹו | 27 He carries away the drops of rain, and he sends forth showers like a raging whirlpool; |
28 אֲשֶׁר־יִזְּלוּ שְׁחָקִים יִרְעֲפוּ עֲלֵי ׀ אָדָם רָב | 28 they flow from the clouds that are woven above everything. |
29 אַף אִם־יָבִין מִפְרְשֵׂי־עָב תְּשֻׁאֹות סֻכָּתֹו | 29 If he wills it, he extends the clouds as his tent |
30 הֵן־פָּרַשׂ עָלָיו אֹורֹו וְשָׁרְשֵׁי הַיָּם כִּסָּה | 30 and shines with his light from above; likewise, he covers the oceans within his tent. |
31 כִּי־בָם יָדִין עַמִּים יִתֶּן־אֹכֶל לְמַכְבִּיר | 31 For he judges the people by these things, and he gives food to a multitude of mortals. |
32 עַל־כַּפַּיִם כִּסָּה־אֹור וַיְצַו עָלֶיהָ בְמַפְגִּיעַ | 32 Within his hands, he hides the light, and he commands it to come forth again. |
33 יַגִּיד עָלָיו רֵעֹו מִקְנֶה אַף עַל־עֹולֶה | 33 He announces it to his friend, for it is his possession and he is able to reach out to it. |