| א וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב, וַיֹּאמַר. |
1 {S} Then Job answered and said: |
| ב שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ, מִלָּתִי; וּתְהִי-זֹאת, תַּנְחוּמֹתֵיכֶם. |
2 Hear diligently my speech; and let this be your consolations. |
| ג שָׂאוּנִי, וְאָנֹכִי אֲדַבֵּר; וְאַחַר דַּבְּרִי תַלְעִיג. |
3 Suffer me, that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on. |
| ד הֶאָנֹכִי, לְאָדָם שִׂיחִי; וְאִם-מַדּוּעַ, לֹא-תִקְצַר רוּחִי. |
4 As for me, is my complaint to man? Or why should I not be impatient? |
| ה פְּנוּ-אֵלַי וְהָשַׁמּוּ; וְשִׂימוּ יָד עַל-פֶּה. |
5 Turn unto me, and be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth. |
| ו וְאִם-זָכַרְתִּי וְנִבְהָלְתִּי; וְאָחַז בְּשָׂרִי, פַּלָּצוּת. |
6 Even when I remember I am affrighted, and horror hath taketh hold on my flesh. |
| ז מַדּוּעַ, רְשָׁעִים יִחְיוּ; עָתְקוּ, גַּם-גָּבְרוּ חָיִל. |
7 Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, wax mighty in power? |
| ח זַרְעָם נָכוֹן לִפְנֵיהֶם עִמָּם; וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶם, לְעֵינֵיהֶם. |
8 Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes. |
| ט בָּתֵּיהֶם שָׁלוֹם מִפָּחַד; וְלֹא שֵׁבֶט אֱלוֹהַּ עֲלֵיהֶם. |
9 Their houses are safe, without fear, neither is the rod of God upon them. |
| י שׁוֹרוֹ עִבַּר, וְלֹא יַגְעִל; תְּפַלֵּט פָּרָתוֹ, וְלֹא תְשַׁכֵּל. |
10 Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf. |
| יא יְשַׁלְּחוּ כַצֹּאן, עֲוִילֵיהֶם; וְיַלְדֵיהֶם, יְרַקֵּדוּן. |
11 They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance. |
| יב יִשְׂאוּ, כְּתֹף וְכִנּוֹר; וְיִשְׂמְחוּ, לְקוֹל עוּגָב. |
12 They sing to the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe. |
| יג יבלו יְכַלּוּ בַטּוֹב יְמֵיהֶם; וּבְרֶגַע, שְׁאוֹל יֵחָתּוּ. |
13 They spend their days in prosperity, and peacefully they go down to the grave. |
| יד וַיֹּאמְרוּ לָאֵל, סוּר מִמֶּנּוּ; וְדַעַת דְּרָכֶיךָ, לֹא חָפָצְנוּ. |
14 Yet they said unto God: 'Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways. |
| טו מַה-שַּׁדַּי כִּי-נַעַבְדֶנּוּ; וּמַה-נּוֹעִיל, כִּי נִפְגַּע-בּוֹ. |
15 What is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit should we have, if we pray unto Him?'-- |
| טז הֵן לֹא בְיָדָם טוּבָם; עֲצַת רְשָׁעִים, רָחֲקָה מֶנִּי. |
16 Lo, their prosperity is not in their hand; the counsel of the wicked is far from me. |
|
יז כַּמָּה, נֵר-רְשָׁעִים יִדְעָךְ-- וְיָבֹא עָלֵימוֹ אֵידָם; חֲבָלִים, יְחַלֵּק בְּאַפּוֹ. |
17 How oft is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out? that their calamity cometh upon them? {N} that He distributeth pains in His anger? |
| יח יִהְיוּ, כְּתֶבֶן לִפְנֵי-רוּחַ; וּכְמֹץ, גְּנָבַתּוּ סוּפָה. |
18 That they are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm stealeth away? |
| יט אֱלוֹהַּ, יִצְפֹּן-לְבָנָיו אוֹנוֹ; יְשַׁלֵּם אֵלָיו וְיֵדָע. |
19 'God layeth up his iniquity for his children!'--let Him recompense it unto himself, that he may know it. |
| כ יִרְאוּ עֵינָו כִּידוֹ; וּמֵחֲמַת שַׁדַּי יִשְׁתֶּה. |
20 Let his own eyes see his destruction, and let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty. |
| כא כִּי מַה-חֶפְצוֹ בְּבֵיתוֹ אַחֲרָיו; וּמִסְפַּר חֳדָשָׁיו חֻצָּצוּ. |
21 For what pleasure hath he in his house after him? seeing the number of his months is determined. |
| כב הַלְאֵל יְלַמֶּד-דָּעַת; וְהוּא, רָמִים יִשְׁפּוֹט. |
22 Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing it is He that judgeth those that are high. |
| כג זֶה--יָמוּת, בְּעֶצֶם תֻּמּוֹ; כֻּלּוֹ, שַׁלְאֲנַן וְשָׁלֵיו. |
23 One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet; |
| כד עֲטִינָיו, מָלְאוּ חָלָב; וּמֹחַ עַצְמוֹתָיו יְשֻׁקֶּה. |
24 His pails are full of milk, and the marrow of his bones is moistened. |
| כה וְזֶה--יָמוּת, בְּנֶפֶשׁ מָרָה; וְלֹא-אָכַל, בַּטּוֹבָה. |
25 And another dieth in bitterness of soul, and hath never tasted of good. |
| כו יַחַד, עַל-עָפָר יִשְׁכָּבוּ; וְרִמָּה, תְּכַסֶּה עֲלֵיהֶם. |
26 They lie down alike in the dust, and the worm covereth them. |
| כז הֵן יָדַעְתִּי, מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵיכֶם; וּמְזִמּוֹת, עָלַי תַּחְמֹסוּ. |
27 Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me. |
| כח כִּי תֹאמְרוּ, אַיֵּה בֵית-נָדִיב; וְאַיֵּה, אֹהֶל מִשְׁכְּנוֹת רְשָׁעִים. |
28 For ye say: 'Where is the house of the prince? And where is the tent wherein the wicked dwelt?' |
| כט הֲלֹא שְׁאֶלְתֶּם, עוֹבְרֵי דָרֶךְ; וְאֹתֹתָם, לֹא תְנַכֵּרוּ. |
29 Have ye not asked them that go by the way; and will ye misdeem their tokens, |
| ל כִּי לְיוֹם אֵיד, יֵחָשֶׂךְ רָע; לְיוֹם עֲבָרוֹת יוּבָלוּ. |
30 That the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity, that they are led forth to the day of wrath? |
| לא מִי-יַגִּיד עַל-פָּנָיו דַּרְכּוֹ; וְהוּא-עָשָׂה, מִי יְשַׁלֶּם-לוֹ. |
31 But who shall declare his way to his face? And who shall repay him what he hath done? |
| לב וְהוּא, לִקְבָרוֹת יוּבָל; וְעַל-גָּדִישׁ יִשְׁקוֹד. |
32 For he is borne to the grave, and watch is kept over his tomb. |
| לג מָתְקוּ-לוֹ, רִגְבֵי-נָחַל: וְאַחֲרָיו, כָּל-אָדָם יִמְשׁוֹךְ; וּלְפָנָיו, אֵין מִסְפָּר. |
33 The clods of the valley are sweet unto him, and all men draw after him, as there were innumerable before him. |
| לד וְאֵיךְ, תְּנַחֲמוּנִי הָבֶל; וּתְשׁוּבֹתֵיכֶם, נִשְׁאַר-מָעַל. | 34 How then comfort ye me in vain? And as for your answers, there remaineth only faithlessness? |