Job 21

וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then Job answered:

But Job answered and said,

שִׁמְע֣וּ שָׁ֭מוֹעַ מִלָּתִ֑י וּתְהִי־זֹ֝֗את תַּנְח֥וּמֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃

“Listen carefully to my words; let this be your consolation to me.

Hear diligently my speech, and let this be your consolations.

שָׂ֭אוּנִי וְאָנֹכִ֣י אֲדַבֵּ֑ר וְאַחַ֖ר דַּבְּרִ֣י תַלְעִֽיג׃

Bear with me while I speak; then, after I have spoken, you may go on mocking.

Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on.

הֶ֭אָנֹכִי לְאָדָ֣ם שִׂיחִ֑י וְאִם־מַ֝דּ֗וּעַ לֹא־תִקְצַ֥ר רוּחִֽי׃

Is my complaint against a man? Then why should I not be impatient?

As for me, is my complaint to man? and if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled?

פְּנוּ־אֵלַ֥י וְהָשַׁ֑מּוּ וְשִׂ֖ימוּ יָ֣ד עַל־פֶּֽה׃

Look at me and be appalled; put your hand over your mouth.

Mark me, and be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth.

וְאִם־זָכַ֥רְתִּי וְנִבְהָ֑לְתִּי וְאָחַ֥ז בְּ֝שָׂרִ֗י פַּלָּצֽוּת׃

When I remember, terror takes hold, and my body trembles in horror.

Even when I remember I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh.

מַדּ֣וּעַ רְשָׁעִ֣ים יִחְי֑וּ עָ֝תְק֗וּ גַּם־גָּ֥בְרוּ חָֽיִל׃

Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?

Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?

זַרְעָ֤ם נָכ֣וֹן לִפְנֵיהֶ֣ם עִמָּ֑ם וְ֝צֶאֱצָאֵיהֶ֗ם לְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃

Their descendants are established around them, and their offspring before their eyes.

Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes.

בָּתֵּיהֶ֣ם שָׁל֣וֹם מִפָּ֑חַד וְלֹ֤א שֵׁ֖בֶט אֱל֣וֹהַּ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

Their homes are safe from fear; no rod of punishment from God is upon them.

Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.

שׁוֹר֣וֹ עִ֭בַּר וְלֹ֣א יַגְעִ֑ל תְּפַלֵּ֥ט פָּ֝רָת֗וֹ וְלֹ֣א תְשַׁכֵּֽל׃

Their bulls breed without fail; their cows bear calves and do not miscarry.

Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.

יְשַׁלְּח֣וּ כַ֭צֹּאן עֲוִילֵיהֶ֑ם וְ֝יַלְדֵיהֶ֗ם יְרַקֵּדֽוּן׃

They send forth their little ones like a flock; their children skip about,

They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.

יִ֭שְׂאוּ כְּתֹ֣ף וְכִנּ֑וֹר וְ֝יִשְׂמְח֗וּ לְק֣וֹל עוּגָֽב׃

singing to the tambourine and lyre and making merry at the sound of the flute.

They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.

(יבלו) [יְכַלּ֣וּ] בַטּ֣וֹב יְמֵיהֶ֑ם וּ֝בְרֶ֗גַע שְׁא֣וֹל יֵחָֽתּוּ׃

They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace.

They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.

וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לָ֭אֵל ס֣וּר מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וְדַ֥עַת דְּ֝רָכֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א חָפָֽצְנוּ׃

Yet they say to God: ‘Leave us alone! For we have no desire to know Your ways.

Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

מַה־שַׁדַּ֥י כִּֽי־נַֽעַבְדֶ֑נּוּ וּמַה־נּ֝וֹעִ֗יל כִּ֣י נִפְגַּע־בּֽוֹ׃

Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, and what would we gain if we pray to Him?’

What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?

הֵ֤ן לֹ֣א בְיָדָ֣ם טוּבָ֑ם עֲצַ֥ת רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים רָ֣חֲקָה מֶֽנִּי׃

Still, their prosperity is not in their own hands, so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked.

Lo, their good is not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

כַּמָּ֤ה ׀ נֵר־רְשָׁ֘עִ֤ים יִדְעָ֗ךְ וְיָבֹ֣א עָלֵ֣ימוֹ אֵידָ֑ם חֲ֝בָלִ֗ים יְחַלֵּ֥ק בְּאַפּֽוֹ׃

How often is the lamp of the wicked put out? Does disaster come upon them? Does God, in His anger, apportion destruction?

How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and how oft cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth sorrows in his anger.

יִהְי֗וּ כְּתֶ֥בֶן לִפְנֵי־ר֑וּחַ וּ֝כְמֹ֗ץ גְּנָבַ֥תּוּ סוּפָֽה׃

Are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a storm?

They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.

אֱל֗וֹהַּ יִצְפֹּן־לְבָנָ֥יו אוֹנ֑וֹ יְשַׁלֵּ֖ם אֵלָ֣יו וְיֵדָֽע׃

It is said that God lays up one’s punishment for his children. Let God repay the man himself, so he will know it.

God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know it.

יִרְא֣וּ (עינו) [עֵינָ֣יו] כִּיד֑וֹ וּמֵחֲמַ֖ת שַׁדַּ֣י יִשְׁתֶּֽה׃

Let his eyes see his own destruction; let him drink for himself the wrath of the Almighty.

His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

כִּ֤י מַה־חֶפְצ֣וֹ בְּבֵית֣וֹ אַחֲרָ֑יו וּמִסְפַּ֖ר חֳדָשָׁ֣יו חֻצָּֽצוּ׃

For what does he care about his household after him, when the number of his months has run out?

For what pleasure hath he in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midst?

הַלְאֵ֥ל יְלַמֶּד־דָּ֑עַת וְ֝ה֗וּא רָמִ֥ים יִשְׁפּֽוֹט׃

Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since He judges those on high?

Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high.

זֶ֗ה יָ֭מוּת בְּעֶ֣צֶם תֻּמּ֑וֹ כֻּ֝לּ֗וֹ שַׁלְאֲנַ֥ן וְשָׁלֵֽיו׃

One man dies full of vigor, completely secure and at ease.

One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.

עֲ֭טִינָיו מָלְא֣וּ חָלָ֑ב וּמֹ֖חַ עַצְמוֹתָ֣יו יְשֻׁקֶּֽה׃

His body is well nourished, and his bones are rich with marrow.

His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow.

וְזֶ֗ה יָ֭מוּת בְּנֶ֣פֶשׁ מָרָ֑ה וְלֹֽא־אָ֝כַ֗ל בַּטּוֹבָֽה׃

Yet another man dies in the bitterness of his soul, having never tasted prosperity.

And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure.

יַ֭חַד עַל־עָפָ֣ר יִשְׁכָּ֑בוּ וְ֝רִמָּ֗ה תְּכַסֶּ֥ה עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

But together they lie down in the dust, and worms cover them both.

They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them.

הֵ֣ן יָ֭דַעְתִּי מַחְשְׁבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֑ם וּ֝מְזִמּ֗וֹת עָלַ֥י תַּחְמֹֽסוּ׃

Behold, I know your thoughts full well, the schemes by which you would wrong me.

Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.

כִּ֤י תֹֽאמְר֗וּ אַיֵּ֥ה בֵית־נָדִ֑יב וְ֝אַיֵּ֗ה אֹ֤הֶל ׀ מִשְׁכְּנ֬וֹת רְשָׁעִֽים׃

For you say, ‘Where now is the nobleman’s house, and where are the tents in which the wicked dwell?’

For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? and where are the dwelling places of the wicked?

הֲלֹ֣א שְׁ֭אֶלְתֶּם ע֣וֹבְרֵי דָ֑רֶךְ וְ֝אֹתֹתָ֗ם לֹ֣א תְנַכֵּֽרוּ׃

Have you never asked those who travel the roads? Do you not accept their reports?

Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens,

כִּ֤י לְי֣וֹם אֵ֭יד יֵחָ֣שֶׂךְ רָ֑ע לְי֖וֹם עֲבָר֣וֹת יוּבָֽלוּ׃

Indeed, the evil man is spared from the day of calamity, delivered from the day of wrath.

That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.

מִֽי־יַגִּ֣יד עַל־פָּנָ֣יו דַּרְכּ֑וֹ וְהֽוּא־עָ֝שָׂ֗ה מִ֣י יְשַׁלֶּם־לֽוֹ׃

Who denounces his behavior to his face? Who repays him for what he has done?

Who shall declare his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done?

וְ֭הוּא לִקְבָר֣וֹת יוּבָ֑ל וְֽעַל־גָּדִ֥ישׁ יִשְׁקֽוֹד׃

He is carried to the grave, and watch is kept over his tomb.

Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the tomb.

מָֽתְקוּ־ל֗וֹ רִגְבֵ֫י נָ֥חַל וְ֭אַחֲרָיו כָּל־אָדָ֣ם יִמְשׁ֑וֹךְ וּ֝לְפָנָ֗יו אֵ֣ין מִסְפָּֽר׃

The clods of the valley are sweet to him; everyone follows behind him, and those before him are without number.

The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, and every man shall draw after him, as there are innumerable before him.

וְ֭אֵיךְ תְּנַחֲמ֣וּנִי הָ֑בֶל וּ֝תְשֽׁוּבֹתֵיכֶ֗ם נִשְׁאַר־מָֽעַל׃

So how can you comfort me with empty words? For your answers remain full of falsehood.”

How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?