וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ Then Job said in reply:
אׇ֭מְנָם כִּ֣י אַתֶּם־עָ֑ם וְ֝עִמָּכֶ֗ם תָּמ֥וּת חׇכְמָֽה׃ Indeed, you are the [voice of] the people,
And wisdom will die with you.
גַּם־לִ֤י לֵבָ֨ב ׀ כְּֽמוֹכֶ֗ם לֹא־נֹפֵ֣ל אָנֹכִ֣י מִכֶּ֑ם וְאֶת־מִי־אֵ֥ין כְּמוֹ־אֵֽלֶּה׃ But I, like you, have a mind,
And am not less than you.
Who does not know such things?
שְׂחֹ֤ק לְרֵעֵ֨הוּ ׀ אֶהְיֶ֗ה קֹרֵ֣א לֶ֭אֱלוֹהַּ וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑הוּ שְׂ֝ח֗וֹק צַדִּ֥יק תָּמִֽים׃ I have become a laughingstock to my friend—
“One who calls to God and is answered,
Blamelessly innocent”—a laughingstock.
לַפִּ֣יד בּ֭וּז לְעַשְׁתּ֣וּת שַׁאֲנָ֑ן נָ֝כ֗וֹן לְמ֣וֹעֲדֵי רָֽגֶל׃ aMeaning of Heb. uncertain.In the thought of the complacent there is contempt for calamity;
It is ready for those whose foot slips.-aMeaning of Heb. uncertain.
יִשְׁלָ֤יוּ אֹהָלִ֨ים ׀ לְשֹׁ֥דְדִ֗ים וּֽ֭בַטֻּחוֹת לְמַרְגִּ֣יזֵי אֵ֑ל לַאֲשֶׁ֤ר הֵבִ֖יא אֱל֣וֹהַּ בְּיָדֽוֹ׃ Robbers live untroubled in their tents,
And those who provoke God are secure,
aMeaning of Heb. uncertain.Those whom God’s hands have produced.-a
וְֽאוּלָ֗ם שְׁאַל־נָ֣א בְהֵמ֣וֹת וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וְע֥וֹף הַ֝שָּׁמַ֗יִם וְיַגֶּד־לָֽךְ׃ But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
The birds of the sky, they will tell you,
א֤וֹ שִׂ֣יחַ לָאָ֣רֶץ וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וִיסַפְּר֥וּ לְ֝ךָ֗ דְּגֵ֣י הַיָּֽם׃ Or speak to the earth, it will teach you;
The fish of the sea, they will inform you.
מִ֭י לֹא־יָדַ֣ע בְּכׇל־אֵ֑לֶּה כִּ֥י יַד־יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה עָ֣שְׂתָה זֹּֽאת׃ Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the LORD has done this?
אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּ֭יָדוֹ נֶ֣פֶשׁ כׇּל־חָ֑י וְ֝ר֗וּחַ כׇּל־בְּשַׂר־אִֽישׁ׃ In His hand is every living soul
And the breath of all mankind.
הֲלֹא־אֹ֭זֶן מִלִּ֣ין תִּבְחָ֑ן וְ֝חֵ֗ךְ אֹ֣כֶל יִטְעַם־לֽוֹ׃ Truly, the ear tests arguments
As the palate tastes foods.
בִּישִׁישִׁ֥ים חׇכְמָ֑ה וְאֹ֖רֶךְ יָמִ֣ים תְּבוּנָֽה׃ Is wisdom in the aged
And understanding in the long-lived?
עִ֭מּוֹ חׇכְמָ֣ה וּגְבוּרָ֑ה ל֝֗וֹ עֵצָ֥ה וּתְבוּנָֽה׃ With Him are wisdom and courage;
His are counsel and understanding.
הֵ֣ן יַ֭הֲרוֹס וְלֹ֣א יִבָּנֶ֑ה יִסְגֹּ֥ר עַל־אִ֝֗ישׁ וְלֹ֣א יִפָּתֵֽחַ׃ Whatever He tears down cannot be rebuilt;
Whomever He imprisons cannot be set free.
הֵ֤ן יַעְצֹ֣ר בַּמַּ֣יִם וְיִבָ֑שׁוּ וִ֝ישַׁלְּחֵ֗ם וְיַ֖הַפְכוּ־אָֽרֶץ׃ When He holds back the waters, they dry up;
When He lets them loose, they tear up the land.
עִ֭מּוֹ עֹ֣ז וְתוּשִׁיָּ֑ה ל֝֗וֹ שֹׁגֵ֥ג וּמַשְׁגֶּֽה׃ With Him are strength and resourcefulness;
Erring and causing to err are from Him.
מוֹלִ֣יךְ יוֹעֲצִ֣ים שׁוֹלָ֑ל וְֽשֹׁפְטִ֥ים יְהוֹלֵֽל׃ He makes counselors go about nakedbA sign of madness.
And causes judges to go mad.
מוּסַ֣ר מְלָכִ֣ים פִּתֵּ֑חַ וַיֶּאְסֹ֥ר אֵ֝ז֗וֹר בְּמׇתְנֵיהֶֽם׃ He undoes the belts of kings,
And fastens loincloths on them.
מוֹלִ֣יךְ כֹּהֲנִ֣ים שׁוֹלָ֑ל וְאֵ֖תָנִ֣ים יְסַלֵּֽף׃ He makes priests go about naked,bA sign of madness.
And leads temple-servantscCf. Ugaritic ytnm, a class of temple servants; others “the mighty.” astray.
מֵסִ֣יר שָׂ֭פָה לְנֶאֱמָנִ֑ים וְטַ֖עַם זְקֵנִ֣ים יִקָּֽח׃ He deprives trusty men of speech,
And takes away the reason of elders.
שׁוֹפֵ֣ךְ בּ֭וּז עַל־נְדִיבִ֑ים וּמְזִ֖יחַ אֲפִיקִ֣ים רִפָּֽה׃ He pours disgrace upon great men,
And loosens the belt of the mighty.
מְגַלֶּ֣ה עֲ֭מֻקוֹת מִנִּי־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וַיֹּצֵ֖א לָא֣וֹר צַלְמָֽוֶת׃ He draws mysteries out of the darkness,
And brings obscurities to light.
מַשְׂגִּ֣יא לַ֭גּוֹיִם וַֽיְאַבְּדֵ֑ם שֹׁטֵ֥חַ לַ֝גּוֹיִ֗ם וַיַּנְחֵֽם׃ He exalts nations, then destroys them;
He expands nations, then leads them away.
מֵסִ֗יר לֵ֭ב רָאשֵׁ֣י עַם־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם בְּתֹ֣הוּ לֹא־דָֽרֶךְ׃ He deranges the leaders of the people,
And makes them wander in a trackless waste.
יְמַֽשְׁשׁוּ־חֹ֥שֶׁךְ וְלֹא־א֑וֹר וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם כַּשִּׁכּֽוֹר׃ They grope without light in the darkness;
He makes them wander as if drunk.