| א מַדּוּעַ--מִשַּׁדַּי, לֹא-נִצְפְּנוּ עִתִּים; וְיֹדְעָו, לֹא-חָזוּ יָמָיו. |
1 Why are times not laid up by the Almighty? And why do not they that know Him see His days? |
| ב גְּבֻלוֹת יַשִּׂיגוּ; עֵדֶר גָּזְלוּ, וַיִּרְעוּ. |
2 There are that remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed them. |
| ג חֲמוֹר יְתוֹמִים יִנְהָגוּ; יַחְבְּלוּ, שׁוֹר אַלְמָנָה. |
3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge. |
| ד יַטּוּ אֶבְיֹנִים מִדָּרֶךְ; יַחַד חֻבְּאוּ, עֲנִיֵּי-אָרֶץ. |
4 They turn the needy out of the way; the poor of the earth hide themselves together. |
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ה הֵן פְּרָאִים, בַּמִּדְבָּר-- יָצְאוּ בְּפָעֳלָם, מְשַׁחֲרֵי לַטָּרֶף; עֲרָבָה לוֹ לֶחֶם, לַנְּעָרִים. |
5 Behold, as wild asses in the wilderness they go forth to their work, seeking diligently for food; {N} the desert yieldeth them bread for their children. |
| ו בַּשָּׂדֶה, בְּלִילוֹ יקצירו יִקְצוֹרוּ; וְכֶרֶם רָשָׁע יְלַקֵּשׁוּ. |
6 They cut his provender in the field; and they despoil the vineyard of the wicked. |
| ז עָרוֹם יָלִינוּ, מִבְּלִי לְבוּשׁ; וְאֵין כְּסוּת, בַּקָּרָה. |
7 They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold. |
| ח מִזֶּרֶם הָרִים יִרְטָבוּ; וּמִבְּלִי מַחְסֶה, חִבְּקוּ-צוּר. |
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter. |
| ט יִגְזְלוּ, מִשֹּׁד יָתוֹם; וְעַל-עָנִי יַחְבֹּלוּ. |
9 There are that pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor; |
| י עָרוֹם הִלְּכוּ, בְּלִי לְבוּשׁ; וּרְעֵבִים, נָשְׂאוּ עֹמֶר. |
10 So that they go about naked without clothing, and being hungry they carry the sheaves; |
| יא בֵּין-שׁוּרֹתָם יַצְהִירוּ; יְקָבִים דָּרְכוּ, וַיִּצְמָאוּ. |
11 They make oil within the rows of these men; they tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst. |
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יב מֵעִיר מְתִים, יִנְאָקוּ-- וְנֶפֶשׁ-חֲלָלִים תְּשַׁוֵּעַ: וֶאֱלוֹהַּ, לֹא-יָשִׂים תִּפְלָה. |
12 From out of the populous city men groan, and the soul of the wounded crieth out; {N} yet God imputeth it not for unseemliness. |
| יג הֵמָּה, הָיוּ--בְּמֹרְדֵי-אוֹר: לֹא-הִכִּירוּ דְרָכָיו; וְלֹא יָשְׁבוּ, בִּנְתִיבֹתָיו. |
13 These are of them that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof. |
| יד לָאוֹר, יָקוּם רוֹצֵחַ--יִקְטָל-עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן; וּבַלַּיְלָה, יְהִי כַגַּנָּב. |
14 The murderer riseth with the light, to kill the poor and needy; and in the night he is as a thief. |
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טו וְעֵין נֹאֵף, שָׁמְרָה נֶשֶׁף לֵאמֹר-- לֹא-תְשׁוּרֵנִי עָיִן; וְסֵתֶר פָּנִים יָשִׂים. |
15 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying: 'No eye shall see me'; {N} and he putteth a covering on his face. |
| טז חָתַר בַּחֹשֶׁךְ, בָּתִּים: יוֹמָם חִתְּמוּ-לָמוֹ; לֹא-יָדְעוּ אוֹר. |
16 In the dark they dig through houses; they shut themselves up in the day-time; they know not the light. |
| יז כִּי יַחְדָּו, בֹּקֶר לָמוֹ צַלְמָוֶת; כִּי-יַכִּיר, בַּלְהוֹת צַלְמָוֶת. |
17 For the shadow of death is to all of them as the morning; for they know the terrors of the shadow of death. |
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יח קַל-הוּא, עַל-פְּנֵי-מַיִם-- תְּקֻלַּל חֶלְקָתָם בָּאָרֶץ; לֹא-יִפְנֶה, דֶּרֶךְ כְּרָמִים. |
18 He is swift upon the face of the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth; {N} he turneth not by the way of the vineyards. |
| יט צִיָּה גַם-חֹם, יִגְזְלוּ מֵימֵי-שֶׁלֶג; שְׁאוֹל חָטָאוּ. |
19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters; so doth the nether-world those that have sinned. |
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כ יִשְׁכָּחֵהוּ רֶחֶם, מְתָקוֹ רִמָּה-- עוֹד לֹא-יִזָּכֵר; וַתִּשָּׁבֵר כָּעֵץ עַוְלָה. |
20 The womb forgetteth him; the worm feedeth sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; {N} and unrighteousness is broken as a tree. |
| כא רֹעֶה עֲקָרָה, לֹא תֵלֵד; וְאַלְמָנָה, לֹא יְיֵטִיב. |
21 He devoureth the barren that beareth not; and doeth not good to the widow. |
| כב וּמָשַׁךְ אַבִּירִים בְּכֹחוֹ; יָקוּם, וְלֹא-יַאֲמִין בַּחַיִּין. |
22 He draweth away the mighty also by his power; he riseth up, and he trusteth not his own life. |
| כג יִתֶּן-לוֹ לָבֶטַח, וְיִשָּׁעֵן; וְעֵינֵיהוּ, עַל-דַּרְכֵיהֶם. |
23 Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth, yet His eyes are upon their ways. |
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כד רוֹמּוּ מְּעַט, וְאֵינֶנּוּ, וְהֻמְּכוּ, כַּכֹּל יִקָּפְצוּן; וּכְרֹאשׁ שִׁבֹּלֶת יִמָּלוּ. |
24 They are exalted for a little while, and they are gone; yea, they are brought low, they are gathered in as all others, {N} and wither as the tops of the ears of corn. |
| כה וְאִם-לֹא אֵפוֹ, מִי יַכְזִיבֵנִי; וְיָשֵׂם לְאַל, מִלָּתִי. | 25 And if it be not so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth? |