Tanach · Writings

Job 12/איוב י״ב

אוַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

1Then Job said in reply:

באׇ֭מְנָם כִּ֣י אַתֶּם־עָ֑ם וְ֝עִמָּכֶ֗ם תָּמ֥וּת חׇכְמָֽה׃

2Indeed, you are the [voice of] the people,And wisdom will die with you.

גגַּם־לִ֤י לֵבָ֨ב׀ כְּֽמוֹכֶ֗ם לֹא־נֹפֵ֣ל אָנֹכִ֣י מִכֶּ֑ם וְאֶת־מִי־אֵ֥ין כְּמוֹ־אֵֽלֶּה׃

3But I, like you, have a mind,And am not less than you.Who does not know such things?

דשְׂחֹ֤ק לְרֵעֵ֨הוּ׀ אֶהְיֶ֗ה קֹרֵ֣א לֶ֭אֱלוֹהַּ וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑הוּ שְׂ֝ח֗וֹק צַדִּ֥יק תָּמִֽים׃

4I have become a laughingstock to my friend—“One who calls to God and is answered,Blamelessly innocent”—a laughingstock.

הלַפִּ֣יד בּ֭וּז לְעַשְׁתּ֣וּת שַׁאֲנָ֑ן נָ֝כ֗וֹן לְמ֣וֹעֲדֵי רָֽגֶל׃

5^a In the thought of the complacent there is contempt for calamity;It is ready for those whose foot slips.

ויִשְׁלָ֤יוּ אֹהָלִ֨ים׀ לְשֹׁ֥דְדִ֗ים וּֽ֭בַטֻּחוֹת לְמַרְגִּ֣יזֵי אֵ֑ל לַאֲשֶׁ֤ר הֵבִ֖יא אֱל֣וֹהַּ בְּיָדֽוֹ׃

6Robbers live untroubled in their tents,And those who provoke God are secure,Those whom God’s hands have produced.^b

זוְֽאוּלָ֗ם שְׁאַל־נָ֣א בְהֵמ֣וֹת וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וְע֥וֹף הַ֝שָּׁמַ֗יִם וְיַגֶּד־לָֽךְ׃

7But ask the beasts, and they^c will teach you;The birds of the sky, they will tell you,

חא֤וֹ שִׂ֣יחַ לָאָ֣רֶץ וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וִיסַפְּר֥וּ לְ֝ךָ֗ דְּגֵ֣י הַיָּֽם׃

8Or speak to the earth, it will teach you;The fish of the sea, they will inform you.

טמִ֭י לֹא־יָדַ֣ע בְּכׇל־אֵ֑לֶּה כִּ֥י יַד־יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה עָ֣שְׂתָה זֹּֽאת׃

9Who among all these does not knowThat GOD’s hand has done this?

יאֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּ֭יָדוֹ נֶ֣פֶשׁ כׇּל־חָ֑י וְ֝ר֗וּחַ כׇּל־בְּשַׂר־אִֽישׁ׃

10In that hand is every living soulAnd the breath of all humankind.^d

יאהֲלֹא־אֹ֭זֶן מִלִּ֣ין תִּבְחָ֑ן וְ֝חֵ֗ךְ אֹ֣כֶל יִטְעַם־לֽוֹ׃

11Truly, the ear tests argumentsAs the palate tastes foods.

יבבִּישִׁישִׁ֥ים חׇכְמָ֑ה וְאֹ֖רֶךְ יָמִ֣ים תְּבוּנָֽה׃

12Is wisdom in the agedAnd understanding in the long-lived?

יגעִ֭מּוֹ חׇכְמָ֣ה וּגְבוּרָ֑ה ל֝֗וֹ עֵצָ֥ה וּתְבוּנָֽה׃

13Wisdom and courage are God’s,As are counsel and understanding.

ידהֵ֣ן יַ֭הֲרוֹס וְלֹ֣א יִבָּנֶ֑ה יִסְגֹּ֥ר עַל־אִ֝֗ישׁ וְלֹ֣א יִפָּתֵֽחַ׃

14Whatever [God] tears down cannot be rebuilt;Whoever is imprisoned cannot be set free.

טוהֵ֤ן יַעְצֹ֣ר בַּמַּ֣יִם וְיִבָ֑שׁוּ וִ֝ישַׁלְּחֵ֗ם וְיַ֖הַפְכוּ־אָֽרֶץ׃

15When the waters are held back, they dry up;When they are let loose, they tear up the land.

טזעִ֭מּוֹ עֹ֣ז וְתוּשִׁיָּ֑ה ל֝֗וֹ שֹׁגֵ֥ג וּמַשְׁגֶּֽה׃

16Strength and resourcefulness are God’s,So are erring and causing to err.

יזמוֹלִ֣יךְ יוֹעֲצִ֣ים שׁוֹלָ֑ל וְֽשֹׁפְטִ֥ים יְהוֹלֵֽל׃

17[God] thus makes counselors go about naked^e And causes judges to go mad;

יחמוּסַ֣ר מְלָכִ֣ים פִּתֵּ֑חַ וַיֶּאְסֹ֥ר אֵ֝ז֗וֹר בְּמׇתְנֵיהֶֽם׃

18Undoes the belts of kingsAnd fastens loincloths on them;

יטמוֹלִ֣יךְ כֹּהֲנִ֣ים שׁוֹלָ֑ל וְאֵ֖תָנִ֣ים יְסַלֵּֽף׃

19Makes priests go about naked^f And leads temple-servants^g, a class of temple servants; in contrast to others “the mighty.” astray;

כמֵסִ֣יר שָׂ֭פָה לְנֶאֱמָנִ֑ים וְטַ֖עַם זְקֵנִ֣ים יִקָּֽח׃

20Deprives trusted ones of speechAnd takes away the reason of elders;

כאשׁוֹפֵ֣ךְ בּ֭וּז עַל־נְדִיבִ֑ים וּמְזִ֖יחַ אֲפִיקִ֣ים רִפָּֽה׃

21Pours disgrace upon noblesAnd loosens the belt of the mighty;

כבמְגַלֶּ֣ה עֲ֭מֻקוֹת מִנִּי־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וַיֹּצֵ֖א לָא֣וֹר צַלְמָֽוֶת׃

22Draws mysteries out of the darknessAnd brings obscurities to light;

כגמַשְׂגִּ֣יא לַ֭גּוֹיִם וַֽיְאַבְּדֵ֑ם שֹׁטֵ֥חַ לַ֝גּוֹיִ֗ם וַיַּנְחֵֽם׃

23Exalts nations, then destroys them,And expands nations, then leads them away.

כדמֵסִ֗יר לֵ֭ב רָאשֵׁ֣י עַם־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם בְּתֹ֣הוּ לֹא־דָֽרֶךְ׃

24[God] deranges the leaders of the peopleAnd makes them wander in a trackless waste.

כהיְמַֽשְׁשׁוּ־חֹ֥שֶׁךְ וְלֹא־א֑וֹר וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם כַּשִּׁכּֽוֹר׃

25They grope without light in the darkness,Made to wander as if drunk.