International Standard Version

Hebrew Study Bible

1Elihu continued speaking, and said:

1וַיַּ֥עַן אֱלִיה֗וּא וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

2"Listen to what I have to say, you wise men! Pay attention to me, you educated people!

2שִׁמְע֣וּ חֲכָמִ֣ים מִלָּ֑י וְ֝יֹדְעִ֗ים הַאֲזִ֥ינוּ לִֽי׃

3Since the ear tests words like a palate tastes food,

3כִּי־ אֹ֭זֶן מִלִּ֣ין תִּבְחָ֑ן וְ֝חֵ֗ךְ יִטְעַ֥ם לֶאֱכֹֽל׃

4let's choose what's right for us. Let's consider among ourselves what is good."

4מִשְׁפָּ֥ט נִבְחֲרָה־ לָּ֑נוּ נֵדְעָ֖ה בֵינֵ֣ינוּ מַה־ טּֽוֹב׃

5Now this is Job's claim: 'Even though I'm innocent, God has stopped treating me righteously.

5כִּֽי־ אָ֭מַר אִיּ֣וֹב צָדַ֑קְתִּי וְ֝אֵ֗ל הֵסִ֥יר מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃

6Have I lied concerning the justice that I deserve? My wound is incurable, though transgression cannot be attributed to me.'

6עַל־ מִשְׁפָּטִ֥י אֲכַזֵּ֑ב אָנ֖וּשׁ חִצִּ֣י בְלִי־ פָֽשַׁע׃

7"What man is like Job, who drinks mockery like water,

7מִי־ גֶ֥בֶר כְּאִיּ֑וֹב יִֽשְׁתֶּה־ לַּ֥עַג כַּמָּֽיִם׃

8traffics in those who practice evil, and walks with wicked people?

8וְאָרַ֣ח לְ֭חֶבְרָה עִם־ פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָ֑וֶן וְ֝לָלֶ֗כֶת עִם־ אַנְשֵׁי־ רֶֽשַׁע׃

9Because he says, 'There's no profit for a man to find joy with God.'"

9כִּֽי־ אָ֭מַר לֹ֣א יִסְכָּן־ גָּ֑בֶר בִּ֝רְצֹת֗וֹ עִם־ אֱלֹהִֽים׃

10"Therefore you men of understanding, listen to me! Far be it for God to practice wickedness, or the Almighty to do what is wrong,

10לָכֵ֤ן ׀ אַ֥נֲשֵׁ֥י לֵבָ֗ב שִׁמְע֫וּ לִ֥י חָלִ֖לָה לָאֵ֥ל מֵרֶ֗שַׁע וְשַׁדַּ֥י מֵעָֽוֶל׃

11because he repays a person for his behavior; and according to a person's conduct, he lets it happen to him.

11כִּ֤י פֹ֣עַל אָ֭דָם יְשַׁלֶּם־ ל֑וֹ וּֽכְאֹ֥רַח אִ֝֗ישׁ יַמְצִאֶֽנּוּ׃

12Truly, God doesn't practice wickedness, and the Almighty doesn't pervert justice.

12אַף־ אָמְנָ֗ם אֵ֥ל לֹֽא־ יַרְשִׁ֑יעַ וְ֝שַׁדַּ֗י לֹֽא־ יְעַוֵּ֥ת מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

13Who entrusted the earth to him? Who made him responsible for the entire inhabited world?

13מִֽי־ פָקַ֣ד עָלָ֣יו אָ֑רְצָה וּמִ֥י שָׂ֝֗ם תֵּבֵ֥ל כֻּלָּֽהּ׃

14If he were to decide to do so, that is, to take back to himself his spirit and breath of life,

14אִם־ יָשִׂ֣ים אֵלָ֣יו לִבּ֑וֹ רוּח֥וֹ וְ֝נִשְׁמָת֗וֹ אֵלָ֥יו יֶאֱסֹֽף׃

15every living thing would die all at once, and mankind would return to dust."

15יִגְוַ֣ע כָּל־ בָּשָׂ֣ר יָ֑חַד וְ֝אָדָ֗ם עַל־ עָפָ֥ר יָשֽׁוּב׃

16If you have understanding, listen to this! Pay attention to what I have to say:

16וְאִם־ בִּ֥ינָה שִׁמְעָה־ זֹּ֑את הַ֝אֲזִ֗ינָה לְק֣וֹל מִלָּֽי׃

17Can one who hates justice really govern? And if God is righteous and mighty, can you condemn him?

17הַאַ֬ף שׂוֹנֵ֣א מִשְׁפָּ֣ט יַחֲב֑וֹשׁ וְאִם־ צַדִּ֖יק כַּבִּ֣יר תַּרְשִֽׁיעַ׃

18Can one say to a king, 'You're vile!' or to nobles, 'You're wicked!'?

18הַאֲמֹ֣ר לְמֶ֣לֶךְ בְּלִיָּ֑עַל רָ֝שָׁ֗ע אֶל־ נְדִיבִֽים׃

19Who isn't partial to princes? Who doesn't give preference to the nobles over the poor? Nevertheless, all of them are his handiwork.

19אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־ נָשָׂ֨א ׀ פְּנֵ֥י שָׂרִ֗ים וְלֹ֣א נִכַּר־ שׁ֭וֹעַ לִפְנֵי־ דָ֑ל כִּֽי־ מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה יָדָ֣יו כֻּלָּֽם׃

20"They die suddenly, in the middle of the night; people suffer seizures and pass away; even valiant men can be taken away— and not by human hands.

20רֶ֤גַע ׀ יָמֻתוּ֮ וַחֲצ֪וֹת לָ֥יְלָה יְגֹעֲשׁ֣וּ עָ֣ם וְיַעֲבֹ֑רוּ וְיָסִ֥ירוּ אַ֝בִּ֗יר לֹ֣א בְיָֽד׃

21Yes, Job, his eyes constantly watch the behavior of human beings; he carefully observes their every step.

21כִּי־ עֵ֭ינָיו עַל־ דַּרְכֵי־ אִ֑ישׁ וְֽכָל־ צְעָדָ֥יו יִרְאֶֽה׃

22There's no such thing as darkness to him— not even deep darkness— that can conceal those who practice evil.

22אֵֽין־ חֹ֭שֶׁךְ וְאֵ֣ין צַלְמָ֑וֶת לְהִסָּ֥תֶר שָׁ֝֗ם פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃

23He won't examine mankind further, that they would go before God to judgment.

23כִּ֤י לֹ֣א עַל־ אִ֭ישׁ יָשִׂ֣ים ע֑וֹד לַהֲלֹ֥ךְ אֶל־ אֵ֝֗ל בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

24He shatters valiant men without a need to investigate, and he raises others in their place.

24יָרֹ֣עַ כַּבִּירִ֣ים לֹא־ חֵ֑קֶר וַיַּעֲמֵ֖ד אֲחֵרִ֣ים תַּחְתָּֽם׃

25Thus he acknowledges their behavior, and overcomes them; when night time comes, they are crushed.

25לָכֵ֗ן יַ֭כִּיר מַעְבָּֽדֵיהֶ֑ם וְהָ֥פַךְ לַ֝֗יְלָה וְיִדַּכָּֽאוּ׃

26"He strikes the wicked among them in a place where they can be seen

26תַּֽחַת־ רְשָׁעִ֥ים סְפָקָ֗ם בִּמְק֥וֹם רֹאִֽים׃

27because they've abandoned their pursuit of him and had no respect for any of his ways.

27אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־ כֵּ֭ן סָ֣רוּ מֵֽאַחֲרָ֑יו וְכָל־ דְּ֝רָכָ֗יו לֹ֣א הִשְׂכִּֽילוּ׃

28As a result, the cries of the poor have reached him and he has heard the cry of the afflicted.

28לְהָבִ֣יא עָ֭לָיו צַֽעֲקַת־ דָּ֑ל וְצַעֲקַ֖ת עֲנִיִּ֣ים יִשְׁמָֽע׃

29"If he remains silent, who will condemn him? If he conceals his face, who can see him? He watches over both nation and individual alike,

29וְה֤וּא יַשְׁקִ֨ט ׀ וּמִ֥י יַרְשִׁ֗עַ וְיַסְתֵּ֣ר פָּ֭נִים וּמִ֣י יְשׁוּרֶ֑נּוּ וְעַל־ גּ֖וֹי וְעַל־ אָדָ֣ם יָֽחַד׃

30to keep the godless man from reigning or laying a snare for the people."

30מִ֭מְּלֹךְ אָדָ֥ם חָנֵ֗ף מִמֹּ֥קְשֵׁי עָֽם׃

31"Has anyone ever really told God, 'I've endured, and I won't act corruptly anymore.

31כִּֽי־ אֶל־ אֵ֭ל הֶאָמַ֥ר נָשָׂ֗אתִי לֹ֣א אֶחְבֹּֽל׃

32What I don't see, instruct me! If I've done anything evil, I won't repeat it!'

32בִּלְעֲדֵ֣י אֶ֭חֱזֶה אַתָּ֣ה הֹרֵ֑נִי אִֽם־ עָ֥וֶל פָּ֝עַ֗לְתִּי לֹ֣א אֹסִֽיף׃

33"Should you not be paid back, since you have rejected him? You do the choosing! I won't! Tell us what you know!

33הַֽמֵעִמְּךָ֬ יְשַׁלְמֶ֨נָּה כִּֽי־ מָאַ֗סְתָּ כִּי־ אַתָּ֣ה תִבְחַ֣ר וְלֹא־ אָ֑נִי וּֽמַה־ יָדַ֥עְתָּ דַבֵּֽר׃

34"Men of understanding, speak to me! Are any of you men wise? Then listen to me!

34אַנְשֵׁ֣י לֵ֭בָב יֹ֣אמְרוּ לִ֑י וְגֶ֥בֶר חָ֝כָ֗ם שֹׁמֵ֥עַֽ לִֽי׃

35Job has been speaking from his own ignorance, and what he has to say lacks insight!

35אִ֭יּוֹב לֹא־ בְדַ֣עַת יְדַבֵּ֑ר וּ֝דְבָרָ֗יו לֹ֣א בְהַשְׂכֵּֽיל׃

36Oh, how Job needs to be given a full court trial, as a rebuke to those who practice evil,

36אָבִ֗י יִבָּחֵ֣ן אִיּ֣וֹב עַד־ נֶ֑צַח עַל־ תְּ֝שֻׁבֹ֗ת בְּאַנְשֵׁי־ אָֽוֶן׃

37because he has been adding rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us, and keeps on ranting against God."

37כִּ֥י יֹ֘סִ֤יף עַֽל־ חַטָּאת֣וֹ פֶ֭שַׁע בֵּינֵ֣ינוּ יִסְפּ֑וֹק וְיֶ֖רֶב אֲמָרָ֣יו לָאֵֽל׃ ס

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

Greek and Hebrew Study Bible courtesy Bible Hub and the Discovery Bible team.