Bildad: God Punishes the Wicked

1  וַ֭יַּעַן (And answered) בִּלְדַּ֥ד (Bildad) הַשֻּׁחִ֗י (the Shuhite) וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ (and said):

2  עַד־ (Until) אָ֤נָה׀ (when) תְּשִׂימ֣וּן (will you⁺ set) קִנְצֵ֣י (snares) לְמִלִּ֑ין (for words)?

תָּ֝בִ֗ינוּ (Consider), וְאַחַ֥ר (and afterward) נְדַבֵּֽר׃ (we will speak).

3  מַ֭דּוּעַ (Why) נֶחְשַׁ֣בְנוּ (are we regarded) כַבְּהֵמָ֑ה (as cattle)

נִ֝טְמִ֗ינוּ (as stopped up) בְּעֵינֵיכֶֽם׃ (in your⁺ eyes)?

4  טֹֽרֵ֥ף (The one tearing) נַפְשׁ֗וֹ (himself) בְּאַ֫פּ֥וֹ (in his anger)—

הַ֭לְמַעַנְךָ (for your sake) תֵּעָ֣זַב (will be forsaken) אָ֑רֶץ (the earth)

וְיֶעְתַּק־ (and moved) צ֝֗וּר (the rock) מִמְּקֹמֽוֹ׃ (from its place)?

5  גַּ֤ם (Indeed), א֣וֹר (the light) רְשָׁעִ֣ים (of the wicked) יִדְעָ֑ךְ (goes out),

וְלֹֽא־ (and not) יִ֝גַּ֗הּ (does shine) שְׁבִ֣יב (the flame) אִשּֽׁוֹ׃ (of his fire).

6  א֭וֹר (The light) חָשַׁ֣ךְ (is dark) בְּאָהֳל֑וֹ (in his tent),

וְ֝נֵר֗וֹ (and his lamp) עָלָ֥יו (above him) יִדְעָֽךְ׃ (goes out).

7  יֵֽ֭צְרוּ (Are narrowed) צַעֲדֵ֣י (the strides) אוֹנ֑וֹ (of his strength),

וְֽתַשְׁלִיכֵ֥הוּ (and casts him down) עֲצָתֽוֹ׃ (his counsel).

8  כִּֽי־ (For) שֻׁלַּ֣ח (he is cast) בְּרֶ֣שֶׁת (into a net) בְּרַגְלָ֑יו (by his feet),

וְעַל־ (and into) שְׂ֝בָכָ֗ה (a mesh) יִתְהַלָּֽךְ׃ (he walks).

9  יֹאחֵ֣ז (Seizes him) בְּעָקֵ֣ב (by the heel) פָּ֑ח (a trap),

יַחֲזֵ֖ק (shall prevail) עָלָ֣יו (over him) צַמִּֽים׃ (a snare).

10  טָמ֣וּן (Is hidden) בָּאָ֣רֶץ (in the ground) חַבְל֑וֹ (a cord for him),

וּ֝מַלְכֻּדְתּ֗וֹ (and a trap for him) עֲלֵ֣י (upon) נָתִֽיב׃ (the path).

11  סָ֭בִיב (Round about) בִּֽעֲתֻ֣הוּ (make him tremble) בַלָּה֑וֹת (terrors)

וֶהֱפִיצֻ֥הוּ (and scatter him) לְרַגְלָֽיו׃ (at his feet).

12  יְהִי־ (It may be that) רָעֵ֥ב (the hungry one) אֹנ֑וֹ (is meeting him),

וְ֝אֵ֗יד (and destruction) נָכ֥וֹן (is ready) לְצַלְעֽוֹ׃ (at his side).

13  יֹ֭אכַל (It devours) בַּדֵּ֣י (parts) עוֹר֑וֹ (his skin);

יֹאכַ֥ל (devours) בַּ֝דָּ֗יו (his parts) בְּכ֣וֹר (the firstborn) מָֽוֶת׃ (of death).

14  יִנָּתֵ֣ק (He is torn) מֵ֭אָהֳלוֹ (from his tent) מִבְטַח֑וֹ (of his safety)

וְ֝תַצְעִדֵ֗הוּ (and is marched off) לְמֶ֣לֶךְ (to the king) בַּלָּהֽוֹת׃ (of terrors).

15  תִּשְׁכּ֣וֹן (Dwells) בְּ֭אָהֳלוֹ (in his tent) מִבְּלִי־ (that not) ל֑וֹ (unto him);

יְזֹרֶ֖ה (is scattered) עַל־ (on) נָוֵ֣הוּ (his abode) גָפְרִֽית׃ (brimstone).

16  מִ֭תַּחַת (Below), שָֽׁרָשָׁ֣יו (his roots) יִבָ֑שׁוּ (are dried out),

וּ֝מִמַּ֗עַל (and above) יִמַּ֥ל (withers) קְצִירֽוֹ׃ (his branch).

17  זִֽכְרוֹ־ (His memory) אָ֭בַד (perishes) מִנִּי־ (from) אָ֑רֶץ (the earth),

וְלֹא־ (and no) שֵׁ֥ם (name) ל֝֗וֹ (for him) עַל־ (is upon) פְּנֵי־ (the face) חֽוּץ׃ (of the street).

18  יֶ֭הְדְּפֻהוּ (They drive him) מֵא֣וֹר (from light) אֶל־ (into) חֹ֑שֶׁךְ (darkness),

וּֽמִתֵּבֵ֥ל (from the world) יְנִדֻּֽהוּ׃ (they chase him).

19  לֹ֘א (No) נִ֤ין (offspring) ל֣וֹ (is unto him), וְלֹא־ (and no) נֶ֣כֶד (successor) בְּעַמּ֑וֹ (among his people),

וְאֵ֥ין (and no) שָׂ֝רִ֗יד (survivor) בִּמְגוּרָֽיו׃ (in his dwellings).

20  עַל־ (At) י֭וֹמוֹ (his day) נָשַׁ֣מּוּ (are devastated) אַחֲרֹנִ֑ים (those in the west),

וְ֝קַדְמֹנִ֗ים (and those in the east) אָ֣חֲזוּ (are seized) שָֽׂעַר׃ (with horror).

21  אַךְ־ (Surely) אֵ֭לֶּה (these are) מִשְׁכְּנ֣וֹת (the dwellings) עַוָּ֑ל (of a perverse one),

וְ֝זֶ֗ה (and this is) מְק֣וֹם (is the place) לֹא־ (not) יָדַֽע־ (of one who does know) אֵֽל׃ס (God).