Tanach · Writings

Job 8/איוב ח׳

אוַ֭יַּעַן בִּלְדַּ֥ד הַשּׁוּחִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

1Bildad the Shuhite said in reply:

בעַד־אָ֥ן תְּמַלֶּל־אֵ֑לֶּה וְר֥וּחַ כַּ֝בִּ֗יר אִמְרֵי־פִֽיךָ׃

2How long will you speak such things?Your utterances are a mighty wind!

גהַ֭אֵל יְעַוֵּ֣ת מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וְאִם־שַׁ֝דַּ֗י יְעַוֵּת־צֶֽדֶק׃

3Will God pervert the right?Will the Almighty pervert justice?

דאִם־בָּנֶ֥יךָ חָֽטְאוּ־ל֑וֹ וַֽ֝יְשַׁלְּחֵ֗ם בְּיַד־פִּשְׁעָֽם׃

4If your children sinned against [God],They were dispatched for their transgression.

האִם־אַ֭תָּה תְּשַׁחֵ֣ר אֶל־אֵ֑ל וְאֶל־שַׁ֝דַּ֗י תִּתְחַנָּֽן׃

5But if you seek GodAnd supplicate the Almighty,

ואִם־זַ֥ךְ וְיָשָׁ֗ר אָ֥֫תָּה כִּֽי־עַ֭תָּה יָעִ֣יר עָלֶ֑יךָ וְ֝שִׁלַּ֗ם נְוַ֣ת צִדְקֶֽךָ׃

6If you are blameless and upright,[God] will protect you,And grant well-being to your righteous home.

זוְהָיָ֣ה רֵאשִׁיתְךָ֣ מִצְעָ֑ר וְ֝אַחֲרִֽיתְךָ֗ יִשְׂגֶּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃

7Though your beginning be small,In the end you will grow very great.

חכִּֽי־שְׁאַל־נָ֭א לְדֹ֣ר רִישׁ֑וֹן וְ֝כוֹנֵ֗ן לְחֵ֣קֶר אֲבוֹתָֽם׃

8Ask the generation past,Study what their forebears have searched out—

טכִּֽי־תְמ֣וֹל אֲ֭נַחְנוּ וְלֹ֣א נֵדָ֑ע כִּ֤י צֵ֖ל יָמֵ֣ינוּ עֲלֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃

9For we are of yesterday and know nothing;Our days on earth are a shadow—

יהֲלֹא־הֵ֣ם י֭וֹרוּךָ יֹ֣אמְרוּ לָ֑ךְ וּ֝מִלִּבָּ֗ם יוֹצִ֥אוּ מִלִּֽים׃

10Surely they will teach you and tell you,Speaking out of their understanding.

יאהֲיִֽגְאֶה־גֹּ֭מֶא בְּלֹ֣א בִצָּ֑ה יִשְׂגֶּה־אָ֥חוּ בְלִי־מָֽיִם׃

11Can papyrus thrive without marsh?Can rushes grow without water?

יבעֹדֶ֣נּוּ בְ֭אִבּוֹ לֹ֣א יִקָּטֵ֑ף וְלִפְנֵ֖י כׇל־חָצִ֣יר יִיבָֽשׁ׃

12While still tender, not yet plucked,They would wither before any other grass.

יגכֵּ֗ן אׇ֭רְחוֹת כׇּל־שֹׁ֣כְחֵי אֵ֑ל וְתִקְוַ֖ת חָנֵ֣ף תֹּאבֵֽד׃

13Such is the fate of all who forget God;The hope of the impious man comes to naught—

ידאֲשֶׁר־יָק֥וֹט כִּסְל֑וֹ וּבֵ֥ית עַ֝כָּבִ֗ישׁ מִבְטַחֽוֹ׃

14Whose confidence is a thread of gossamer,^a Whose trust is a spider’s web.

טויִשָּׁעֵ֣ן עַל־בֵּ֭יתוֹ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲמֹ֑ד יַחֲזִ֥יק בּ֝֗וֹ וְלֹ֣א יָקֽוּם׃

15He leans on his house—it will not stand;He seizes hold of it, but it will not hold.

טזרָטֹ֣ב ה֭וּא לִפְנֵי־שָׁ֑מֶשׁ וְעַ֥ל גַּ֝נָּת֗וֹ יֹנַקְתּ֥וֹ תֵצֵֽא׃

16He stays fresh even in the sun;His shoots spring up in his garden;

יזעַל־גַּ֭ל שׇׁרָשָׁ֣יו יְסֻבָּ֑כוּ בֵּ֖ית אֲבָנִ֣ים יֶחֱזֶֽה׃

17^b His roots are twined around a heap,They take hold of a house of stones.

יחאִם־יְבַלְּעֶ֥נּוּ מִמְּקֹמ֑וֹ וְכִ֥חֶשׁ בּ֝֗וֹ לֹ֣א רְאִיתִֽיךָ׃

18When he is uprooted from his place,It denies him, [saying,]“I never saw you.”

יטהֶן־ה֭וּא מְשׂ֣וֹשׂ דַּרְכּ֑וֹ וּ֝מֵעָפָ֗ר אַחֵ֥ר יִצְמָֽחוּ׃

19Such is his happy lot;And from the earth others will grow.

כהֶן־אֵ֭ל לֹ֣א יִמְאַס־תָּ֑ם וְלֹֽא־יַ֝חֲזִ֗יק בְּיַד־מְרֵעִֽים׃

20Surely God does not despise the blameless,And gives no support to evildoers.

כאעַד־יְמַלֵּ֣ה שְׂח֣וֹק פִּ֑יךָ וּשְׂפָתֶ֥יךָ תְרוּעָֽה׃

21Your mouth will yet be filled with laughter,And your lips with shouts of joy.

כבשֹׂנְאֶ֥יךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ־בֹ֑שֶׁת וְאֹ֖הֶל רְשָׁעִ֣ים אֵינֶֽנּוּ׃

22Your enemies will be clothed in disgrace;The tent of the wicked will vanish.