Tanach · Writings

Job 21/איוב כ״א

אוַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

1Job said in reply:

בשִׁמְע֣וּ שָׁ֭מוֹעַ מִלָּתִ֑י וּתְהִי־זֹ֝֗את תַּנְח֥וּמֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃

2Listen well to what I say,And let that be your consolation.

גשָׂ֭אוּנִי וְאָנֹכִ֣י אֲדַבֵּ֑ר וְאַחַ֖ר דַּבְּרִ֣י תַלְעִֽיג׃

3Bear with me while I speak,And after I have spoken, you may mock.

דהֶ֭אָנֹכִי לְאָדָ֣ם שִׂיחִ֑י וְאִם־מַ֝דּ֗וּעַ לֹֽא־תִקְצַ֥ר רוּחִֽי׃

4Is my complaint directed toward a human?Why should I not lose my patience?

הפְּנוּ־אֵלַ֥י וְהָשַׁ֑מּוּ וְשִׂ֖ימוּ יָ֣ד עַל־פֶּֽה׃

5Look at me and be appalled,And clap your hand to your mouth.

ווְאִם־זָכַ֥רְתִּי וְנִבְהָ֑לְתִּי וְאָחַ֥ז בְּ֝שָׂרִ֗י פַּלָּצֽוּת׃

6When I think of it I am terrified;My body is seized with shuddering.

זמַ֭דּוּעַ רְשָׁעִ֣ים יִֽחְי֑וּ עָ֝תְק֗וּ גַּם־גָּ֥בְרוּ חָֽיִל׃

7Why do the wicked live on,Prosper and grow wealthy?

חזַרְעָ֤ם נָכ֣וֹן לִפְנֵיהֶ֣ם עִמָּ֑ם וְ֝צֶאֱצָאֵיהֶ֗ם לְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃

8Their children are with them always,And they see their children’s children.

טבָּתֵּיהֶ֣ם שָׁל֣וֹם מִפָּ֑חַד וְלֹ֤א שֵׁ֖בֶט אֱל֣וֹהַּ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

9Their homes are secure, without fear;They do not feel the rod of God.

ישׁוֹר֣וֹ עִ֭בַּר וְלֹ֣א יַגְעִ֑ל תְּפַלֵּ֥ט פָּ֝רָת֗וֹ וְלֹ֣א תְשַׁכֵּֽל׃

10Their bull breeds and does not fail;Their cow calves and never miscarries;

יאיְשַׁלְּח֣וּ כַ֭צֹּאן עֲוִילֵיהֶ֑ם וְ֝יַלְדֵיהֶ֗ם יְרַקֵּדֽוּן׃

11They let their infants run loose like sheep,And their children skip about.

יביִ֭שְׂאוּ כְּתֹ֣ף וְכִנּ֑וֹר וְ֝יִשְׂמְח֗וּ לְק֣וֹל עוּגָֽב׃

12They sing to the music of hand-drum and lute,And revel to the tune of the pipe;

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

13They spend their days in happiness,And go down to Sheol in peace.

ידוַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לָ֭אֵל ס֣וּר מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וְדַ֥עַת דְּ֝רָכֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א חָפָֽצְנוּ׃

14They say to God, “Leave us alone,We do not want to learn Your ways;

טומַה־שַּׁדַּ֥י כִּֽי־נַעַבְדֶ֑נּוּ וּמַה־נּ֝וֹעִ֗יל כִּ֣י נִפְגַּע־בּֽוֹ׃

15What is Shaddai that we should render service?What will we gain by offering prayer?”

טזהֵ֤ן לֹ֣א בְיָדָ֣ם טוּבָ֑ם עֲצַ֥ת רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים רָ֣חֲקָה מֶֽנִּי׃

16Their happiness is not their own doing.(The thoughts of the wicked are beyond me!)

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

17How seldom does the lamp of the wicked fail,Does the calamity they deserve befall them,Are their lots apportioned in anger!

יחיִֽהְי֗וּ כְּתֶ֥בֶן לִפְנֵי־ר֑וּחַ וּ֝כְמֹ֗ץ גְּנָבַ֥תּוּ סוּפָֽה׃

18Let them become like straw in the wind,Like chaff carried off by a storm.

יטאֱל֗וֹהַּ יִצְפֹּן־לְבָנָ֥יו אוֹנ֑וֹ יְשַׁלֵּ֖ם אֵלָ֣יו וְיֵדָֽע׃

19[You say,] “God is reserving his punishment for his children”;Let it be paid back to him that he may feel it,

כיִרְא֣וּ עֵינָ֣ו כִּיד֑וֹ וּמֵחֲמַ֖ת שַׁדַּ֣י יִשְׁתֶּֽה׃

20Let his eyes see his ruin,And let him drink the wrath of Shaddai!

כאכִּ֤י מַה־חֶפְצ֣וֹ בְּבֵית֣וֹ אַחֲרָ֑יו וּמִסְפַּ֖ר חֳדָשָׁ֣יו חֻצָּֽצוּ׃

21For what does he care about the fate of his family,When his number of months runs out?

כבהַלְאֵ֥ל יְלַמֶּד־דָּ֑עַת וְ֝ה֗וּא רָמִ֥ים יִשְׁפּֽוֹט׃

22Can God be instructed in knowledge,The One who judges from such heights?

כגזֶ֗ה יָ֭מוּת בְּעֶ֣צֶם תֻּמּ֑וֹ כֻּ֝לּ֗וֹ שַׁלְאֲנַ֥ן וְשָׁלֵֽיו׃

23This one^a dies in robust health,All tranquil and untroubled,

כדעֲ֭טִינָיו מָלְא֣וּ חָלָ֑ב וּמֹ֖חַ עַצְמוֹתָ֣יו יְשֻׁקֶּֽה׃

24With the pails full of milk,The bones’ marrow juicy.

כהוְזֶ֗ה יָ֭מוּת בְּנֶ֣פֶשׁ מָרָ֑ה וְלֹֽא־אָ֝כַ֗ל בַּטּוֹבָֽה׃

25While that one^b dies embittered,Never having tasted happiness.

כויַ֭חַד עַל־עָפָ֣ר יִשְׁכָּ֑בוּ וְ֝רִמָּ֗ה תְּכַסֶּ֥ה עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

26They both lie in the dustAnd are covered with worms.

כזהֵ֣ן יָ֭דַעְתִּי מַחְשְׁבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֑ם וּ֝מְזִמּ֗וֹת עָלַ֥י תַּחְמֹֽסוּ׃

27Oh, I know your thoughts,And the tactics you will devise against me.

כחכִּ֤י תֹאמְר֗וּ אַיֵּ֥ה בֵית־נָדִ֑יב וְ֝אַיֵּ֗ה אֹ֤הֶל׀ מִשְׁכְּנ֬וֹת רְשָׁעִֽים׃

28You will say, “Where is the house of the noble—And where the tent in which the wicked dwelled?”

כטהֲלֹ֣א שְׁ֭אֶלְתֶּם ע֣וֹבְרֵי דָ֑רֶךְ וְ֝אֹתֹתָ֗ם לֹ֣א תְנַכֵּֽרוּ׃

29You must have consulted the wayfarers;You cannot deny their evidence.

לכִּ֤י לְי֣וֹם אֵ֭יד יֵחָ֣שֶׂךְ רָ֑ע לְי֖וֹם עֲבָר֣וֹת יוּבָֽלוּ׃

30For the evildoer is spared on the day of calamity,On the day when wrath is led forth.

לאמִֽי־יַגִּ֣יד עַל־פָּנָ֣יו דַּרְכּ֑וֹ וְהוּא־עָ֝שָׂ֗ה מִ֣י יְשַׁלֶּם־לֽוֹ׃

31Who will upbraid him to his face?Who will requite him for what he has done?

לבוְ֭הוּא לִקְבָר֣וֹת יוּבָ֑ל וְֽעַל־גָּדִ֥ישׁ יִשְׁקֽוֹד׃

32He is brought to the grave,While a watch is kept at his tomb.

לגמָֽתְקוּ־ל֗וֹ רִגְבֵ֫י־נָ֥חַל וְ֭אַחֲרָיו כׇּל־אָדָ֣ם יִמְשׁ֑וֹךְ וּ֝לְפָנָ֗יו אֵ֣ין מִסְפָּֽר׃

33The clods of the wadi are sweet to him,Everyone follows behind him,Innumerable are those who precede him.

לדוְ֭אֵיךְ תְּנַחֲמ֣וּנִי הָ֑בֶל וּ֝תְשׁ֥וּבֹתֵיכֶ֗ם נִשְׁאַר־מָֽעַל׃

34Why then do you offer me empty consolation?Of your replies only the perfidy remains.