Elihu Confirms God’s Justice

1  וַיַּ֥עַן (And answered) אֱלִיה֗וּא (Elihu) וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ (and said),

2  שִׁמְע֣וּ (Hear) חֲכָמִ֣ים (O wise men), מִלָּ֑י (my words),

וְ֝יֹדְעִ֗ים (and knowing ones), הַאֲזִ֥ינוּ (give ear) לִֽי׃ (to me).

3  כִּי־ (For) אֹ֭זֶן (the ear) מִלִּ֣ין (words) תִּבְחָ֑ן (shall test),

וְ֝חֵ֗ךְ (and the palate) יִטְעַ֥ם (tastes) לֶאֱכֹֽל׃ (to eat).

4  מִשְׁפָּ֥ט (What is just) נִבְחֲרָה־ (let us choose) לָּ֑נוּ (for ourselves);

נֵדְעָ֖ה (let us know) בֵינֵ֣ינוּ (among ourselves) מַה־ (what is) טּֽוֹב׃ (good).

5  כִּֽי־ (For) אָ֭מַר (has said) אִיּ֣וֹב (Job), צָדַ֑קְתִּי (I am righteous),

וְ֝אֵ֗ל (and God) הֵסִ֥יר (has turned aside) מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃ (my justice).

6  עַל־ (And over) מִשְׁפָּטִ֥י (my justice) אֲכַזֵּ֑ב (should I lie)?

אָנ֖וּשׁ (Mortal) חִצִּ֣י (is my arrow),

בְלִי־ (without) פָֽשַׁע׃ (transgression).

7  מִי־ (Who is) גֶ֥בֶר (a man) כְּאִיּ֑וֹב (like Job),

יִֽשְׁתֶּה־ (drinking up) לַּ֥עַג (derision) כַּמָּֽיִם׃ (like the water)?

8  וְאָרַ֣ח (And he travels) לְ֭חֶבְרָה (in company) עִם־ (with) פֹּ֣עֲלֵי (workers) אָ֑וֶן (of iniquity),

וְ֝לָלֶ֗כֶת (and in walking) עִם־ (with) אַנְשֵׁי־ (men) רֶֽשַׁע׃ (of wickedness).

9  כִּֽי־ (For) אָ֭מַר (he has said), לֹ֣א (Nothing) יִסְכָּן־ (does it profit) גָּ֑בֶר (a man),

בִּ֝רְצֹת֗וֹ (that he should delight) עִם־ (in) אֱלֹהִֽים׃ (God).

10  לָכֵ֤ן׀ (Therefore) אַ֥נֲשֵׁ֥י (O men) לֵבָ֗ב (of heart),

שִׁמְע֫וּ (listen) לִ֥י (to me).

חָלִ֖לָה (Far be it) לָאֵ֥ל (to God) מֵרֶ֗שַׁע (from wickedness),

וְשַׁדַּ֥י (and Shaddai) מֵעָֽוֶל׃ (from injustice).

11  כִּ֤י (For) פֹ֣עַל (the work) אָ֭דָם (of man) יְשַׁלֶּם־ (he repays) ל֑וֹ (to him),

וּֽכְאֹ֥רַח (and according to the way) אִ֝֗ישׁ (of man) יַמְצִאֶֽנּוּ׃ (He causes him to find it).

12  אַף־ (Yes), אָמְנָ֗ם (surely) אֵ֥ל (God) לֹֽא־ (not) יַרְשִׁ֑יעַ (does act wickedly),

וְ֝שַׁדַּ֗י (and Shaddai) לֹֽא־ (not) יְעַוֵּ֥ת (does pervert) מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ (justice).

13  מִֽי־ (Who) פָקַ֣ד (gave charge) עָלָ֣יו (to Him) אָ֑רְצָה (over the earth)?

וּמִ֥י (And who) שָׂ֝֗ם (has set Him) תֵּבֵ֥ל (over the world) כֻּלָּֽהּ׃ (all of it)?

14  אִם־ (If) יָשִׂ֣ים (He should set) אֵלָ֣יו (to it) לִבּ֑וֹ (His heart),

רוּח֥וֹ (His Spirit) וְ֝נִשְׁמָת֗וֹ (and His breath) אֵלָ֥יו (to Himself) יֶאֱסֹֽף׃ (gathering),

15  יִגְוַ֣ע (would perish) כָּל־ (all) בָּשָׂ֣ר (flesh) יָ֑חַד (together),

וְ֝אָדָ֗ם (and man) עַל־ (to) עָפָ֥ר (the dust) יָשֽׁוּב׃ (would return).

16  וְאִם־ (And if) בִּ֥ינָה (there is understanding), שִׁמְעָה־ (hear) זֹּ֑את (this);

הַ֝אֲזִ֗ינָה (give ear) לְק֣וֹל (to the sound) מִלָּֽי׃ (of my words).

17  הַאַ֬ף (Shall even) שׂוֹנֵ֣א (one hating) מִשְׁפָּ֣ט (justice) יַחֲב֑וֹשׁ (govern)?

וְאִם־ (Or) צַדִּ֖יק (the just) כַּבִּ֣יר (and mighty One) תַּרְשִֽׁיעַ׃ (will you declare wicked).

18  הַאֲמֹ֣ר (Who says) לְמֶ֣לֶךְ (to a king), בְּלִיָּ֑עַל (Worthless)!

רָ֝שָׁ֗ע (Wicked)! אֶל־ (To) נְדִיבִֽים׃ (Nobles),

19  אֲשֶׁ֤ר (who) לֹֽא־ (not) נָשָׂ֨א׀ (does lift) פְּנֵ֥י (the faces) שָׂרִ֗ים (of princes),

וְלֹ֣א (and not) נִכַּר־ (does acknowledge) שׁ֭וֹעַ (the rich) לִפְנֵי־ (before the face) דָ֑ל (of the poor)?

כִּֽי־ (For) מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה (the work) יָדָ֣יו (of His hands) כֻּלָּֽם׃ (they are all).

20  רֶ֤גַע׀ (In a moment) יָמֻתוּ֮ (they die),

וַחֲצ֪וֹת (and in the middle) לָ֥יְלָה (of the night)

יְגֹעֲשׁ֣וּ (are shaken) עָ֣ם (the people) וְיַעֲבֹ֑רוּ (and pass away),

וְיָסִ֥ירוּ (and are taken away) אַ֝בִּ֗יר (the mighty) לֹ֣א (not) בְיָֽד׃ (by a hand).

21  כִּי־ (For) עֵ֭ינָיו (His eyes are) עַל־ (upon) דַּרְכֵי־ (the ways) אִ֑ישׁ (of man),

וְֽכָל־ (and all) צְעָדָ֥יו (of his steps) יִרְאֶֽה׃ (He sees).

22  אֵֽין־ (There is no) חֹ֭שֶׁךְ (darkness) וְאֵ֣ין (and no) צַלְמָ֑וֶת (shadow of death)

לְהִסָּ֥תֶר (so as to be hidden) שָׁ֝֗ם (there) פֹּ֣עֲלֵי (the workers) אָֽוֶן׃ (of iniquity).

23  כִּ֤י (For) לֹ֣א (not) עַל־ (upon) אִ֭ישׁ (a man) יָשִׂ֣ים (does He set) ע֑וֹד (further),

לַהֲלֹ֥ךְ (for his going) אֶל־ (before) אֵ֝֗ל (God) בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃ (in the judgment).

24  יָרֹ֣עַ (He breaks) כַּבִּירִ֣ים (the mighty) לֹא־ (without) חֵ֑קֶר (investigation),

וַיַּעֲמֵ֖ד (and makes stand) אֲחֵרִ֣ים (others) תַּחְתָּֽם׃ (in their place).

25  לָכֵ֗ן (Therefore) יַ֭כִּיר (because He recognizes) מַעְבָּֽדֵיהֶ֑ם (their works),

וְהָ֥פַךְ (and He overturns them) לַ֝֗יְלָה (in the night) וְיִדַּכָּֽאוּ׃ (and they are crushed).

26  תַּֽחַת־ (In exchange for) רְשָׁעִ֥ים (their wickednesses)

סְפָקָ֗ם (He strikes them) בִּמְק֥וֹם (in a place) רֹאִֽים׃ (of seeing),

27  אֲשֶׁ֣ר (which was) עַל־ (upon) כֵּ֭ן (thus) סָ֣רוּ (they turned aside) מֵֽאַחֲרָ֑יו (from Him),

וְכָל־ (for any) דְּ֝רָכָ֗יו (His ways) לֹ֣א (not) הִשְׂכִּֽילוּ׃ (they had regard).

28  לְהָבִ֣יא (To cause to come) עָ֭לָיו (before Him) צַֽעֲקַת־ (the cry) דָּ֑ל (of the poor),

וְצַעֲקַ֖ת (and the cry) עֲנִיִּ֣ים (of the afflicted) יִשְׁמָֽע׃ (He heard).

29  וְה֤וּא (And he) יַשְׁקִ֨ט׀ (is silent), וּמִ֥י (and who) יַרְשִׁ֗עַ (can call Him wicked)?

וְיַסְתֵּ֣ר (And He hides) פָּ֭נִים (His face), וּמִ֣י (and who) יְשׁוּרֶ֑נּוּ (can see Him)?

וְעַל־ (And so it is for) גּ֖וֹי (a nation) וְעַל־ (and over) אָדָ֣ם (man) יָֽחַד׃ (alike),

30  מִ֭מְּלֹךְ (from the reigning) אָדָ֥ם (a man) חָנֵ֗ף (of godless),

מִמֹּ֥קְשֵׁי (from the snares) עָֽם׃ (of the people).

31  כִּֽי־ (If) אֶל־ (to) אֵ֭ל (God) הֶאָמַ֥ר (one says),

נָשָׂ֗אתִי (I have lifted it); לֹ֣א (no more) אֶחְבֹּֽל׃ (will I offend).

32  בִּלְעֲדֵ֣י (Besides what) אֶ֭חֱזֶה (I see), אַתָּ֣ה (You) הֹרֵ֑נִי (teach me);

אִֽם־ (if) עָ֥וֶל (iniquity) פָּ֝עַ֗לְתִּי (I have done), לֹ֣א (not) אֹסִֽיף׃ (I will continue it).

33  הַֽמֵעִמְּךָ֬ (From with you) יְשַׁלְמֶ֨נָּה (will he repay it)

כִּֽי־ (because) מָאַ֗סְתָּ (you have rejected it),

כִּי־ (then) אַתָּ֣ה (you) תִבְחַ֣ר (must choose) וְלֹא־ (and not) אָ֑נִי (I);

וּֽמַה־ (and what) יָדַ֥עְתָּ (you know), דַבֵּֽר׃ (may you speak).

34  אַנְשֵׁ֣י (Men) לֵ֭בָב (of understanding) יֹ֣אמְרוּ (will say) לִ֑י (to me)

וְגֶ֥בֶר (and a man) חָ֝כָ֗ם (wise) שֹׁמֵ֥עַֽ (who is listening) לִֽי׃ (to me)):

35  אִ֭יּוֹב (Job) לֹא־ (does not) בְדַ֣עַת (with knowledge) יְדַבֵּ֑ר (speak),

וּ֝דְבָרָ֗יו (and His words) לֹ֣א (are not) בְהַשְׂכֵּֽיל׃ (with wisdom).

36  אָבִ֗י (If only) יִבָּחֵ֣ן (were tested) אִיּ֣וֹב (Job) עַד־ (to) נֶ֑צַח (the end),

עַל־ (upon) תְּ֝שֻׁבֹ֗ת (his answers) בְּאַנְשֵׁי־ (among men) אָֽוֶן׃ (of iniquity).

37  כִּ֥י (For) יֹ֘סִ֤יף (he adds) עַֽל־ (upon) חַטָּאת֣וֹ (his sin) פֶ֭שַׁע (rebellion);

בֵּינֵ֣ינוּ (among us) יִסְפּ֑וֹק (he claps),

וְיֶ֖רֶב (and he multiplies) אֲמָרָ֣יו (his words) לָאֵֽל׃ס (against God).