(ב) וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ (ג) יֹ֣אבַד י֭וֹם אִוָּ֣לֶד בּ֑וֹ וְהַלַּ֥יְלָה אָ֝מַ֗ר הֹ֣רָה גָֽבֶר׃ (ד) הַיּ֥וֹם הַה֗וּא יְֽהִ֫י־חֹ֥שֶׁךְ אַֽל־יִדְרְשֵׁ֣הוּ אֱל֣וֹהַּ מִמַּ֑עַל וְאַל־תּוֹפַ֖ע עָלָ֣יו נְהָרָֽה׃ (ה) יִגְאָלֻ֡הוּ חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְ֭צַלְמָוֶת תִּשְׁכׇּן־עָלָ֣יו עֲנָנָ֑ה יְ֝בַעֲתֻ֗הוּ כִּֽמְרִ֥ירֵי יֽוֹם׃
Job's Lament
(1) Afterward, Job began to speak and cursed the day of his birth. (2) Job spoke up and said:
(3) Perish the day on which I was born,
And the night it was announced,
“A male has been conceived!” (4) May that day be darkness;
May God above have no concern for it;
May light not shine on it; (5) May darkness and deep gloom reclaim it;
May a pall lie over it;
May what blackens-b the day terrify it.
Eliphaz's reply: You should rely on your past faith; the guilty are never punished.
(1) Then Eliphaz the Temanite said in reply: (2) If one ventures a word with you, will it be too much?
But who can hold back his words? (3) See, you have encouraged many;
You have strengthened failing hands. (4) Your words have kept him who stumbled from falling;
You have braced knees that gave way. (5) But now that it overtakes you, it is too much;
It reaches you, and you are unnerved. (6) Is not your piety your confidence,
Your integrity your hope? (7) Think now, what innocent man ever perished?
Where have the upright been destroyed? (8) As I have seen, those who plow evil
And sow mischief reap them. (9) They perish by a blast from God,
Are gone at the breath of His nostrils. (10) The lion may roar, the cub may howl,
But the teeth of the king of beasts are broken.-a (11) The lion perishes for lack of prey,
And its whelps are scattered.
Job's rejoinder:
Life is short; I will issue my complaint - God is too focused on my every deed so he will be able to punish me.
(1) Truly man has a term of service on earth;
His days are like those of a hireling— (2) Like a slave who longs for [evening’s] shadows,
Like a hireling who waits for his wage. (3) So have I been allotted months of futility;
Nights of misery have been apportioned to me....
(6) My days fly faster than a weaver’s shuttle,
And come to their end without hope....
(9) As a cloud fades away, So whoever goes down to Sheol does not come up; (10) He returns no more to his home; His place does not know him. (11) On my part, I will not speak with restraint; I will give voice to the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul....
(15) Till I prefer strangulation,
Death, to my wasted frame. (16) I am sick of it. I shall not live forever; Let me be, for my days are a breath. (17) What is man, that You make much of him, That You fix Your attention upon him? (18) You inspect him every morning, Examine him every minute. (19) Will You not look away from me for a while, Let me be, till I swallow my spittle? (20) If I have sinned, what have I done to You, Watcher of men? Why make of me Your target, And a burden to myself? (21) Why do You not pardon my transgression
And forgive my iniquity?
For soon I shall lie down in the dust;
When You seek me, I shall be gone.
Bildad's reply: Your words are foolish. Goes does not pervert justice. Your sons' deaths were merited. Past generations will confirm my understanding of divine justice.
(1) Bildad the Shuhite said in reply: (2) How long will you speak such things?
Your utterances are a mighty wind! (3) Will God pervert the right? Will the Almighty pervert justice? (4) If your sons sinned against Him, He dispatched them for their transgression. (5) But if you seek God And supplicate the Almighty, (6) If you are blameless and upright, He will protect you....
8) Ask the generation past, Study what their fathers have searched out— (9) For we are of yesterday and know nothing;
Our days on earth are a shadow....
(13) Such is the fate of all who forget God;
The hope of the impious man comes to naught— (14) Whose confidence is a thread of gossamer, Whose trust is a spider’s web.
(1) I am disgusted with life;
I will give rein to my complaint,
Speak in the bitterness of my soul. (2) I say to God, “Do not condemn me;
Let me know what You charge me with. (3) Does it benefit You to defraud,
To despise the toil of Your hands,
While smiling on the counsel of the wicked? (4) Do You have the eyes of flesh?
Is Your vision that of mere men? (5) Are Your days the days of a mortal,
Are Your years the years of a man, (6) That You seek my iniquity
And search out my sin? (7) You know that I am not guilty,
And that there is none to deliver from Your hand....
(10) You poured me out like milk,
Congealed me like cheese; (11) You clothed me with skin and flesh
And wove me of bones and sinews;
(13) Yet these things You hid in Your heart;
I know that You had this in mind: (14) To watch me when I sinned
And not clear me of my iniquity; (15) Should I be guilty—the worse for me!
And even when innocent, I cannot lift my head;
So sated am I with shame,
And drenched in my misery. (16) It is something to be proud of-a to hunt me like a lion,
To show Yourself wondrous through-b me time and again!
Job replies that his friends' words are foolishness and a defamation of true wisdom.
(1) Then Job said in reply: (2) Indeed, you are the [voice of] the people,
And wisdom will die with you. (3) But I, like you, have a mind,
And am not less than you.
Who does not know such things?
Job defiantly insists on bring God to a "Din Torah" which he will win.
(1) My eye has seen all this;
My ear has heard and understood it. (2) What you know, I know also;
I am not less than you. (3) Indeed, I would speak to the Almighty;
I insist on arguing with God. (4) But you invent lies;
All of you are quacks. (5) If you would only keep quiet
It would be considered wisdom on your part.
(18) See now, I have prepared a case;
I know that I will win it....
(22) Then summon me and I will respond,
Or I will speak and You reply to me. (23) How many are my iniquities and sins?
Advise me of my transgression and sin. (24) Why do You hide Your face,
And treat me like an enemy? (25) Will You harass a driven leaf,
Will You pursue dried-up straw,
(ז) כִּ֤י יֵ֥שׁ לָעֵ֗ץ תִּ֫קְוָ֥ה אִֽם־יִ֭כָּרֵת וְע֣וֹד יַחֲלִ֑יף וְ֝יֹנַקְתּ֗וֹ לֹ֣א תֶחְדָּֽל׃ (ח) אִם־יַזְקִ֣ין בָּאָ֣רֶץ שׇׁרְשׁ֑וֹ וּ֝בֶעָפָ֗ר יָמ֥וּת גִּזְעֽוֹ׃ (ט) מֵרֵ֣יחַ מַ֣יִם יַפְרִ֑חַ וְעָשָׂ֖ה קָצִ֣יר כְּמוֹ־נָֽטַע׃ (י) וְגֶ֣בֶר יָ֭מוּת וַֽיֶּחֱלָ֑שׁ וַיִּגְוַ֖ע אָדָ֣ם וְאַיּֽוֹ׃
Job compares human life with that of a tree. Unlike a chopped tree who can regrow, once man dies his life ends.
7) There is hope for a tree;
If it is cut down it will renew itself;
Its shoots will not cease.....
(10) But mortals languish and die;
Man expires; where is he?
Eliphaz replies: you subvert true piety with mere wind.
(1) Eliphaz the Temanite said in reply: (2) Does a wise man answer with windy opinions,
And fill his belly with the east wind?....
(4) You subvert piety
And restrain prayer to God.
(8) Have you listened in on the council of God? Have you sole possession of wisdom? (9) What do you know that we do not know,
Or understand that we do not?
(ב) וַיִּ֤חַר אַ֨ף ׀ אֱלִיה֣וּא בֶן־בַּרַכְאֵ֣ל הַבּוּזִי֮ מִמִּשְׁפַּ֢חַ֫ת־רָ֥ם בְּ֭אִיּוֹב חָרָ֣ה אַפּ֑וֹ עַֽל־צַדְּק֥וֹ נַ֝פְשׁ֗וֹ מֵאֱלֹהִֽים׃ (ג) וּבִשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת רֵעָיו֮ חָרָ֢ה אַ֫פּ֥וֹ עַ֤ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־מָצְא֣וּ מַעֲנֶ֑ה וַ֝יַּרְשִׁ֗יעוּ אֶת־אִיּֽוֹב׃ (ד) וֶאֱלִיה֗וּ חִכָּ֣ה אֶת־אִ֭יּוֹב בִּדְבָרִ֑ים כִּ֤י זְֽקֵנִים־הֵ֖מָּה מִמֶּ֣נּוּ לְיָמִֽים׃ (ה) וַיַּ֤רְא אֱלִיה֗וּא כִּ֘י אֵ֤ין מַֽעֲנֶ֗ה בְּ֭פִי שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֗ים וַיִּ֥חַר אַפּֽוֹ׃ {פ}
(ו) וַיַּ֤עַן ׀ אֱלִיה֖וּא בֶן־בַּרַכְאֵ֥ל הַבּוּזִ֗י וַיֹּ֫אמַ֥ר צָ֘עִ֤יר אֲנִ֣י לְ֭יָמִים וְאַתֶּ֣ם יְשִׁישִׁ֑ים עַל־כֵּ֖ן זָחַ֥לְתִּי וָאִירָ֓א ׀ מֵחַוֺּ֖ת דֵּעִ֣י אֶתְכֶֽם׃ (ז) אָ֭מַרְתִּי יָמִ֣ים יְדַבֵּ֑רוּ וְרֹ֥ב שָׁ֝נִ֗ים יֹדִ֥יעוּ חׇכְמָֽה׃ (ח) אָ֭כֵן רוּחַ־הִ֣יא בֶאֱנ֑וֹשׁ וְנִשְׁמַ֖ת שַׁדַּ֣י תְּבִינֵֽם׃ (ט) לֹא־רַבִּ֥ים יֶחְכָּ֑מוּ וּ֝זְקֵנִ֗ים יָבִ֥ינוּ מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ (י) לָכֵ֣ן אָ֭מַרְתִּי שִׁמְעָה־לִּ֑י אֲחַוֶּ֖ה דֵעִ֣י אַף־אָֽנִי׃ (יא) הֵ֤ן הוֹחַ֨לְתִּי ׀ לְֽדִבְרֵיכֶ֗ם אָ֭זִין עַד־תְּב֥וּנֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם עַֽד־תַּחְקְר֥וּן מִלִּֽין׃ (יב) וְעָ֥דֵיכֶ֗ם אֶתְבּ֫וֹנָ֥ן וְהִנֵּ֤ה אֵ֣ין לְאִיּ֣וֹב מוֹכִ֑יחַ עוֹנֶ֖ה אֲמָרָ֣יו מִכֶּֽם׃ (יג) פֶּן־תֹּ֣֭אמְרוּ מָצָ֣אנוּ חׇכְמָ֑ה אֵ֖ל יִדְּפֶ֣נּוּ לֹא־אִֽישׁ׃ (יד) וְלֹא־עָרַ֣ךְ אֵלַ֣י מִלִּ֑ין וּ֝בְאִמְרֵיכֶ֗ם לֹ֣א אֲשִׁיבֶֽנּוּ׃ (טו) חַ֭תּוּ לֹא־עָ֣נוּ ע֑וֹד הֶעְתִּ֖יקוּ מֵהֶ֣ם מִלִּֽים׃ (טז) וְ֭הוֹחַלְתִּי כִּי־לֹ֣א יְדַבֵּ֑רוּ כִּ֥י עָ֝מְד֗וּ לֹא־עָ֥נוּ עֽוֹד׃ (יז) אַעֲנֶ֣ה אַף־אֲנִ֣י חֶלְקִ֑י אֲחַוֶּ֖ה דֵעִ֣י אַף־אָֽנִי׃ (יח) כִּ֭י מָלֵ֣תִי מִלִּ֑ים הֱ֝צִיקַ֗תְנִי ר֣וּחַ בִּטְנִֽי׃
(1) These three men ceased replying to Job, for he considered himself right. (2) Then Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was angry—angry at Job because he thought himself right against God. (3) He was angry as well at his three friends, because they found no reply, but merely condemned Job. (4) Elihu waited out Job’s speech, for they were all older than he. (5) But when Elihu saw that the three men had nothing to reply, he was angry.
(6) Then Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite said in reply:
I have but few years, while you are old;
Therefore I was too awestruck and fearful
To hold forth among you. (7) I thought, “Let age speak;
Let advanced years declare wise things.”....
(12) But as I attended to you,
I saw that none of you could argue with Job,
Or offer replies to his statements. (13) I fear you will say, “We have found the wise course;
God will defeat him, not man.” (14) He did not set out his case against me,
Nor shall I use your reasons to reply to him. (15) They have been broken and can no longer reply;
Words fail them. (16) I have waited till they stopped speaking,
Till they ended and no longer replied. (17) Now I also would have my say;
I too would like to hold forth, (18) For I am full of words;
The wind in my belly presses me.
Compare Job's arguments in this poetic middle section with his and his wife's statements in
2:9-10.