Tanach · Writings

Job 38/איוב ל״ח

אוַיַּעַן־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֶת־אִ֭יּוֹב (מנהסערה) [מִ֥ן׀הַסְּעָרָ֗ה] וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

1Then GOD replied to Job out of the tempest and said:

במִ֤י זֶ֨ה׀ מַחְשִׁ֖יךְ עֵצָ֥ה בְמִלִּ֗ין בְּֽלִי־דָֽעַת׃

2Who is this who darkens counsel,Speaking without knowledge?

גאֱזׇר־נָ֣א כְגֶ֣בֶר חֲלָצֶ֑יךָ וְ֝אֶשְׁאָלְךָ֗ וְהוֹדִיעֵֽנִי׃

3Gird your loins like a man;^a—prepare to defend yourself (verbally), for I am about to challenge you. I will ask and you will inform Me.

דאֵיפֹ֣ה הָ֭יִיתָ בְּיׇסְדִי־אָ֑רֶץ הַ֝גֵּ֗ד אִם־יָדַ֥עְתָּ בִינָֽה׃

4Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations?Speak if you have understanding.

המִי־שָׂ֣ם מְ֭מַדֶּיהָ כִּ֣י תֵדָ֑ע א֤וֹ מִֽי־נָטָ֖ה עָלֶ֣יהָ קָּֽו׃

5Do you know who fixed its dimensionsOr who measured it with a line?

ועַל־מָ֭ה אֲדָנֶ֣יהָ הׇטְבָּ֑עוּ א֥וֹ מִי־יָ֝רָ֗ה אֶ֣בֶן פִּנָּתָֽהּ׃

6Onto what were its bases sunk?Who set its cornerstone

זבְּרׇן־יַ֭חַד כּ֣וֹכְבֵי בֹ֑קֶר וַ֝יָּרִ֗יעוּ כׇּל־בְּנֵ֥י אֱלֹהִֽים׃

7When the morning stars sang togetherAnd all the divine beings shouted for joy?

חוַיָּ֣סֶךְ בִּדְלָתַ֣יִם יָ֑ם בְּ֝גִיח֗וֹ מֵרֶ֥חֶם יֵצֵֽא׃

8Who closed the sea behind doorsWhen it gushed forth out of the womb,

טבְּשׂוּמִ֣י עָנָ֣ן לְבֻשׁ֑וֹ וַ֝עֲרָפֶ֗ל חֲתֻלָּתֽוֹ׃

9When I clothed it in clouds,Swaddled it in dense clouds,

יוָאֶשְׁבֹּ֣ר עָלָ֣יו חֻקִּ֑י וָ֝אָשִׂ֗ים בְּרִ֣יחַ וּדְלָתָֽיִם׃

10When I made breakers My limit for it,And set up its bar and doors,

יאוָאֹמַ֗ר עַד־פֹּ֣ה תָ֭בוֹא וְלֹ֣א תֹסִ֑יף וּפֹא־יָ֝שִׁ֗ית בִּגְא֥וֹן גַּלֶּֽיךָ׃

11And said, “You may come so far and no farther;Here your surging waves will stop”?

יבהֲֽ֭מִיָּמֶיךָ צִוִּ֣יתָ בֹּ֑קֶר (ידעתה שחר) [יִדַּ֖עְתָּ הַשַּׁ֣חַר] מְקֹמֽוֹ׃

12Have you ever commanded the day to break,Assigned the dawn its place,

יגלֶ֭אֱחֹז בְּכַנְפ֣וֹת הָאָ֑רֶץ וְיִנָּעֲר֖וּ רְשָׁעִ֣ים מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

13So that it seizes the corners of the earthAnd shakes the wicked out of it?

ידתִּ֭תְהַפֵּךְ כְּחֹ֣מֶר חוֹתָ֑ם וְ֝יִֽתְיַצְּב֗וּ כְּמ֣וֹ לְבֽוּשׁ׃

14It changes like clay under the sealTill [its hues] are fixed like those of a garment.

טווְיִמָּנַ֣ע מֵרְשָׁעִ֣ים אוֹרָ֑ם וּזְר֥וֹעַ רָ֝מָ֗ה תִּשָּׁבֵֽר׃

15Their light is withheld from the wicked,And the upraised arm is broken.

טזהֲ֭בָאתָ עַד־נִבְכֵי־יָ֑ם וּבְחֵ֥קֶר תְּ֝ה֗וֹם הִתְהַלָּֽכְתָּ׃

16Have you penetrated to the sources of the sea,Or walked in the recesses of the deep?

יזהֲנִגְל֣וּ לְ֭ךָ שַׁעֲרֵי־מָ֑וֶת וְשַׁעֲרֵ֖י צַלְמָ֣וֶת תִּרְאֶֽה׃

17Have the gates of death been disclosed to you?Have you seen the gates of deep darkness?

יחהִ֭תְבֹּנַנְתָּ עַד־רַחֲבֵי־אָ֑רֶץ הַ֝גֵּ֗ד אִם־יָדַ֥עְתָּ כֻלָּֽהּ׃

18Have you surveyed the expanses of the earth?If you know of these—tell Me.

יטאֵי־זֶ֣ה הַ֭דֶּרֶךְ יִשְׁכׇּן־א֑וֹר וְ֝חֹ֗שֶׁךְ אֵי־זֶ֥ה מְקֹמֽוֹ׃

19Which path leads to where light dwells,And where is the place of darkness,

ככִּ֣י תִ֭קָּחֶנּוּ אֶל־גְּבוּל֑וֹ וְכִי־תָ֝בִ֗ין נְתִיב֥וֹת בֵּיתֽוֹ׃

20That you may take it to its domainAnd know the way to its home?

כאיָ֭דַעְתָּ כִּי־אָ֣ז תִּוָּלֵ֑ד וּמִסְפַּ֖ר יָמֶ֣יךָ רַבִּֽים׃

21Surely you know, for you were born then,And the number of your years is many!

כבהֲ֭בָאתָ אֶל־אֹצְר֣וֹת שָׁ֑לֶג וְאוֹצְר֖וֹת בָּרָ֣ד תִּרְאֶֽה׃

22Have you penetrated the vaults of snow,Seen the vaults of hail,

כגאֲשֶׁר־חָשַׂ֥כְתִּי לְעֶת־צָ֑ר לְי֥וֹם קְ֝רָ֗ב וּמִלְחָמָֽה׃

23Which I have put aside for a time of adversity,For a day of war and battle?

כדאֵי־זֶ֣ה הַ֭דֶּרֶךְ יֵחָ֣לֶק א֑וֹר יָפֵ֖ץ קָדִ֣ים עֲלֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃

24By what path is the west wind^b. dispersed,The east wind scattered over the earth?

כהמִֽי־פִלַּ֣ג לַשֶּׁ֣טֶף תְּעָלָ֑ה וְ֝דֶ֗רֶךְ לַחֲזִ֥יז קֹלֽוֹת׃

25Who cut a channel for the torrentsAnd a path for the thunderstorms,

כולְ֭הַמְטִיר עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ לֹא־אִ֑ישׁ מִ֝דְבָּ֗ר לֹא־אָדָ֥ם בּֽוֹ׃

26To rain down on uninhabited land,On the wilderness where no one lives,

כזלְהַשְׂבִּ֣יעַ שֹׁ֭אָה וּמְשֹׁאָ֑ה וּ֝לְהַצְמִ֗יחַ מֹ֣צָא דֶֽשֶׁא׃

27To saturate the desolate wasteland,And make the crop of grass sprout forth?

כחהֲיֵשׁ־לַמָּטָ֥ר אָ֑ב א֥וֹ מִי־ה֝וֹלִ֗יד אֶגְלֵי־טָֽל׃

28Does the rain have a progenitor?Who begot the dewdrops?

כטמִבֶּ֣טֶן מִ֭י יָצָ֣א הַקָּ֑רַח וּכְפֹ֥ר שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם מִ֣י יְלָדֽוֹ׃

29From whose belly came forth the ice?Who gave birth to the frost of heaven?

לכָּ֭אֶבֶן מַ֣יִם יִתְחַבָּ֑אוּ וּפְנֵ֥י תְ֝ה֗וֹם יִתְלַכָּֽדוּ׃

30Water congeals like stone,And the surface of the deep compacts.

לאהַֽ֭תְקַשֵּׁר מַעֲדַנּ֣וֹת כִּימָ֑ה אֽוֹ־מֹשְׁכ֖וֹת כְּסִ֣יל תְּפַתֵּֽחַ׃

31Can you tie cords to PleiadesOr undo the reins of Orion?

לבהֲתֹצִ֣יא מַזָּר֣וֹת בְּעִתּ֑וֹ וְ֝עַ֗יִשׁ עַל־בָּנֶ֥יהָ תַנְחֵֽם׃

32Can you lead out Mazzaroth^c in its season,Conduct the Bear with her children?

לגהֲ֭יָדַעְתָּ חֻקּ֣וֹת שָׁמָ֑יִם אִם־תָּשִׂ֖ים מִשְׁטָר֣וֹ בָאָֽרֶץ׃

33Do you know the laws of heavenOr impose its authority on earth?

לדהֲתָרִ֣ים לָעָ֣ב קוֹלֶ֑ךָ וְֽשִׁפְעַת־מַ֥יִם תְּכַסֶּֽךָּ׃

34Can you send up an order to the cloudsFor an abundance of water to cover you?

לההַֽתְשַׁלַּ֣ח בְּרָקִ֣ים וְיֵלֵ֑כוּ וְיֹאמְר֖וּ לְךָ֣ הִנֵּֽנוּ׃

35Can you dispatch the lightning on a missionAnd have it answer you, “I am ready”?

לומִי־שָׁ֭ת בַּטֻּח֣וֹת חׇכְמָ֑ה א֤וֹ מִֽי־נָתַ֖ן לַשֶּׂ֣כְוִי בִינָֽה׃

36Who put wisdom in the hidden parts?Who gave understanding to the mind?^d

לזמִֽי־יְסַפֵּ֣ר שְׁחָקִ֣ים בְּחׇכְמָ֑ה וְנִבְלֵ֥י שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם מִ֣י יַשְׁכִּֽיב׃

37Who is wise enough to give an account of the heavens?Who can tilt the bottles of the sky,

לחבְּצֶ֣קֶת עָ֭פָר לַמּוּצָ֑ק וּרְגָבִ֥ים יְדֻבָּֽקוּ׃

38Whereupon the earth melts into a mass,And its clods stick together.

לטהֲתָצ֣וּד לְלָבִ֣יא טָ֑רֶף וְחַיַּ֖ת כְּפִירִ֣ים תְּמַלֵּֽא׃

39Can you hunt prey for the lion,And satisfy the appetite of the king of beasts?

מכִּֽי־יָשֹׁ֥חוּ בַמְּעוֹנ֑וֹת יֵשְׁב֖וּ בַסֻּכָּ֣ה לְמוֹ־אָֽרֶב׃

40They crouch in their dens,Lie in ambush in their lairs.

מאמִ֤י יָכִ֥ין לָעֹרֵ֗ב צֵ֫יד֥וֹ כִּֽי־יְ֭לָדָו אֶל־אֵ֣ל יְשַׁוֵּ֑עוּ יִ֝תְע֗וּ לִבְלִי־אֹֽכֶל׃

41Who provides food for the ravenWhen its young cry out to GodAnd wander about without food?