Job Chapter 21 אִיּוֹב

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?