איוב כ״א
Job 21
Hebrew
וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ שִׁמְע֣וּ שָׁ֭מוֹעַ מִלָּתִ֑י וּתְהִי־זֹ֝֗את תַּנְח֥וּמֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃ שָׂ֭אוּנִי וְאָנֹכִ֣י אֲדַבֵּ֑ר וְאַחַ֖ר דַּבְּרִ֣י תַלְעִֽיג׃ הֶ֭אָנֹכִי לְאָדָ֣ם שִׂיחִ֑י וְאִם־מַ֝דּ֗וּעַ לֹֽא־תִקְצַ֥ר רוּחִֽי׃ פְּנוּ־אֵלַ֥י וְהָשַׁ֑מּוּ וְשִׂ֖ימוּ יָ֣ד עַל־פֶּֽה׃ וְאִם־זָכַ֥רְתִּי וְנִבְהָ֑לְתִּי וְאָחַ֥ז בְּ֝שָׂרִ֗י פַּלָּצֽוּת׃ מַ֭דּוּעַ רְשָׁעִ֣ים יִֽחְי֑וּ עָ֝תְק֗וּ גַּם־גָּ֥בְרוּ חָֽיִל׃ זַרְעָ֤ם נָכ֣וֹן לִפְנֵיהֶ֣ם עִמָּ֑ם וְ֝צֶאֱצָאֵיהֶ֗ם לְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃ בָּתֵּיהֶ֣ם שָׁל֣וֹם מִפָּ֑חַד וְלֹ֤א שֵׁ֖בֶט אֱל֣וֹהַּ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ שׁוֹר֣וֹ עִ֭בַּר וְלֹ֣א יַגְעִ֑ל תְּפַלֵּ֥ט פָּ֝רָת֗וֹ וְלֹ֣א תְשַׁכֵּֽל׃ יְשַׁלְּח֣וּ כַ֭צֹּאן עֲוִילֵיהֶ֑ם וְ֝יַלְדֵיהֶ֗ם יְרַקֵּדֽוּן׃ יִ֭שְׂאוּ כְּתֹ֣ף וְכִנּ֑וֹר וְ֝יִשְׂמְח֗וּ לְק֣וֹל עוּגָֽב׃ (יבלו) [יְכַלּ֣וּ] בַטּ֣וֹב יְמֵיהֶ֑ם וּ֝בְרֶ֗גַע שְׁא֣וֹל יֵחָֽתּוּ׃ וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לָ֭אֵל ס֣וּר מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וְדַ֥עַת דְּ֝רָכֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א חָפָֽצְנוּ׃ מַה־שַּׁדַּ֥י כִּֽי־נַעַבְדֶ֑נּוּ וּמַה־נּ֝וֹעִ֗יל כִּ֣י נִפְגַּע־בּֽוֹ׃ הֵ֤ן לֹ֣א בְיָדָ֣ם טוּבָ֑ם עֲצַ֥ת רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים רָ֣חֲקָה מֶֽנִּי׃ כַּמָּ֤ה ׀ נֵר־רְשָׁ֘עִ֤ים יִדְעָ֗ךְ וְיָבֹ֣א עָלֵ֣ימוֹ אֵידָ֑ם חֲ֝בָלִ֗ים יְחַלֵּ֥ק בְּאַפּֽוֹ׃ יִֽהְי֗וּ כְּתֶ֥בֶן לִפְנֵי־ר֑וּחַ וּ֝כְמֹ֗ץ גְּנָבַ֥תּוּ סוּפָֽה׃ אֱל֗וֹהַּ יִצְפֹּן־לְבָנָ֥יו אוֹנ֑וֹ יְשַׁלֵּ֖ם אֵלָ֣יו וְיֵדָֽע׃ יִרְא֣וּ עֵינָ֣ו כִּיד֑וֹ וּמֵחֲמַ֖ת שַׁדַּ֣י יִשְׁתֶּֽה׃ כִּ֤י מַה־חֶפְצ֣וֹ בְּבֵית֣וֹ אַחֲרָ֑יו וּמִסְפַּ֖ר חֳדָשָׁ֣יו חֻצָּֽצוּ׃ הַלְאֵ֥ל יְלַמֶּד־דָּ֑עַת וְ֝ה֗וּא רָמִ֥ים יִשְׁפּֽוֹט׃ זֶ֗ה יָ֭מוּת בְּעֶ֣צֶם תֻּמּ֑וֹ כֻּ֝לּ֗וֹ שַׁלְאֲנַ֥ן וְשָׁלֵֽיו׃ עֲ֭טִינָיו מָלְא֣וּ חָלָ֑ב וּמֹ֖חַ עַצְמוֹתָ֣יו יְשֻׁקֶּֽה׃ וְזֶ֗ה יָ֭מוּת בְּנֶ֣פֶשׁ מָרָ֑ה וְלֹֽא־אָ֝כַ֗ל בַּטּוֹבָֽה׃ יַ֭חַד עַל־עָפָ֣ר יִשְׁכָּ֑בוּ וְ֝רִמָּ֗ה תְּכַסֶּ֥ה עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ הֵ֣ן יָ֭דַעְתִּי מַחְשְׁבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֑ם וּ֝מְזִמּ֗וֹת עָלַ֥י תַּחְמֹֽסוּ׃ כִּ֤י תֹאמְר֗וּ אַיֵּ֥ה בֵית־נָדִ֑יב וְ֝אַיֵּ֗ה אֹ֤הֶל ׀ מִשְׁכְּנ֬וֹת רְשָׁעִֽים׃ הֲלֹ֣א שְׁ֭אֶלְתֶּם ע֣וֹבְרֵי דָ֑רֶךְ וְ֝אֹתֹתָ֗ם לֹ֣א תְנַכֵּֽרוּ׃ כִּ֤י לְי֣וֹם אֵ֭יד יֵחָ֣שֶׂךְ רָ֑ע לְי֖וֹם עֲבָר֣וֹת יוּבָֽלוּ׃ מִֽי־יַגִּ֣יד עַל־פָּנָ֣יו דַּרְכּ֑וֹ וְהוּא־עָ֝שָׂ֗ה מִ֣י יְשַׁלֶּם־לֽוֹ׃ וְ֭הוּא לִקְבָר֣וֹת יוּבָ֑ל וְֽעַל־גָּדִ֥ישׁ יִשְׁקֽוֹד׃ מָֽתְקוּ־ל֗וֹ רִגְבֵ֫י־נָ֥חַל וְ֭אַחֲרָיו כׇּל־אָדָ֣ם יִמְשׁ֑וֹךְ וּ֝לְפָנָ֗יו אֵ֣ין מִסְפָּֽר׃ וְ֭אֵיךְ תְּנַחֲמ֣וּנִי הָ֑בֶל וּ֝תְשׁ֥וּבֹתֵיכֶ֗ם נִשְׁאַר־מָֽעַל׃ {פ}
English Translation
Job said in reply: Listen well to what I say,
And let that be your consolation. Bear with me while I speak,
And after I have spoken, you may mock. Is my complaint directed toward a human?
Why should I not lose my patience? Look at me and be appalled,
And clap your hand to your mouth. When I think of it I am terrified;
My body is seized with shuddering. Why do the wicked live on,
Prosper and grow wealthy? Their children are with them always,
And they see their children’s children. Their homes are secure, without fear;
They do not feel the rod of God. Their bull breeds and does not fail;
Their cow calves and never miscarries; They let their infants run loose like sheep,
And their children skip about. They sing to the music of hand-drum and lute,
And revel to the tune of the pipe; They spend their days in happiness,
And go down to Sheol in peace. They say to God, “Leave us alone,
We do not want to learn Your ways; What is Shaddai that we should render service?
What will we gain by offering prayer?” Their happiness is not their own doing.
(The thoughts of the wicked are beyond me!) How seldom does the lamp of the wicked fail,
Does the calamity they deserve befall them,
Are their lots apportioned in anger! Let them become like straw in the wind,
Like chaff carried off by a storm. [You say,] “God is reserving his punishment for his children”;
Let it be paid back to him that he may feel it, Let his eyes see his ruin,
And let him drink the wrath of Shaddai! For what does he care about the fate of his family,
When his number of months runs out? Can God be instructed in knowledge,
The One who judges from such heights? This oneaThis one I.e., someone wicked. dies in robust health,
All tranquil and untroubled, With the pails full of milk,
The bones’ marrow juicy. While that onebthat one I.e., someone righteous. dies embittered,
Never having tasted happiness. They both lie in the dust
And are covered with worms. Oh, I know your thoughts,
And the tactics you will devise against me. You will say, “Where is the house of the noble—
And where the tent in which the wicked dwelled?” You must have consulted the wayfarers;
You cannot deny their evidence. For the evildoer is spared on the day of calamity,
On the day when wrath is led forth. Who will upbraid him to his face?
Who will requite him for what he has done? He is brought to the grave,
While a watch is kept at his tomb. The clods of the wadi are sweet to him,
Everyone follows behind him,
Innumerable are those who precede him. Why then do you offer me empty consolation?
Of your replies only the perfidy remains.
And let that be your consolation. Bear with me while I speak,
And after I have spoken, you may mock. Is my complaint directed toward a human?
Why should I not lose my patience? Look at me and be appalled,
And clap your hand to your mouth. When I think of it I am terrified;
My body is seized with shuddering. Why do the wicked live on,
Prosper and grow wealthy? Their children are with them always,
And they see their children’s children. Their homes are secure, without fear;
They do not feel the rod of God. Their bull breeds and does not fail;
Their cow calves and never miscarries; They let their infants run loose like sheep,
And their children skip about. They sing to the music of hand-drum and lute,
And revel to the tune of the pipe; They spend their days in happiness,
And go down to Sheol in peace. They say to God, “Leave us alone,
We do not want to learn Your ways; What is Shaddai that we should render service?
What will we gain by offering prayer?” Their happiness is not their own doing.
(The thoughts of the wicked are beyond me!) How seldom does the lamp of the wicked fail,
Does the calamity they deserve befall them,
Are their lots apportioned in anger! Let them become like straw in the wind,
Like chaff carried off by a storm. [You say,] “God is reserving his punishment for his children”;
Let it be paid back to him that he may feel it, Let his eyes see his ruin,
And let him drink the wrath of Shaddai! For what does he care about the fate of his family,
When his number of months runs out? Can God be instructed in knowledge,
The One who judges from such heights? This oneaThis one I.e., someone wicked. dies in robust health,
All tranquil and untroubled, With the pails full of milk,
The bones’ marrow juicy. While that onebthat one I.e., someone righteous. dies embittered,
Never having tasted happiness. They both lie in the dust
And are covered with worms. Oh, I know your thoughts,
And the tactics you will devise against me. You will say, “Where is the house of the noble—
And where the tent in which the wicked dwelled?” You must have consulted the wayfarers;
You cannot deny their evidence. For the evildoer is spared on the day of calamity,
On the day when wrath is led forth. Who will upbraid him to his face?
Who will requite him for what he has done? He is brought to the grave,
While a watch is kept at his tomb. The clods of the wadi are sweet to him,
Everyone follows behind him,
Innumerable are those who precede him. Why then do you offer me empty consolation?
Of your replies only the perfidy remains.
About This Text
Source
Job
Category
Tanach
Reference
Job 21
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