New Living Translation

Hebrew Study Bible

1Then Job spoke again:

1וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

2“Listen closely to what I am saying. That’s one consolation you can give me.

2שִׁמְע֣וּ שָׁ֭מוֹעַ מִלָּתִ֑י וּתְהִי־ זֹ֝֗את תַּנְח֥וּמֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃

3Bear with me, and let me speak. After I have spoken, you may resume mocking me.

3שָׂ֭אוּנִי וְאָנֹכִ֣י אֲדַבֵּ֑ר וְאַחַ֖ר דַּבְּרִ֣י תַלְעִֽיג׃

4“My complaint is with God, not with people. I have good reason to be so impatient.

4הֶ֭אָנֹכִי לְאָדָ֣ם שִׂיחִ֑י וְאִם־ מַ֝דּ֗וּעַ לֹא־ תִקְצַ֥ר רוּחִֽי׃

5Look at me and be stunned. Put your hand over your mouth in shock.

5פְּנוּ־ אֵלַ֥י וְהָשַׁ֑מּוּ וְשִׂ֖ימוּ יָ֣ד עַל־ פֶּֽה׃

6When I think about what I am saying, I shudder. My body trembles.

6וְאִם־ זָכַ֥רְתִּי וְנִבְהָ֑לְתִּי וְאָחַ֥ז בְּ֝שָׂרִ֗י פַּלָּצֽוּת׃

7“Why do the wicked prosper, growing old and powerful?

7מַדּ֣וּעַ רְשָׁעִ֣ים יִחְי֑וּ עָ֝תְק֗וּ גַּם־ גָּ֥בְרוּ חָֽיִל׃

8They live to see their children grow up and settle down, and they enjoy their grandchildren.

8זַרְעָ֤ם נָכ֣וֹן לִפְנֵיהֶ֣ם עִמָּ֑ם וְ֝צֶאֱצָאֵיהֶ֗ם לְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃

9Their homes are safe from every fear, and God does not punish them.

9בָּתֵּיהֶ֣ם שָׁל֣וֹם מִפָּ֑חַד וְלֹ֤א שֵׁ֖בֶט אֱל֣וֹהַּ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

10Their bulls never fail to breed. Their cows bear calves and never miscarry.

10שׁוֹר֣וֹ עִ֭בַּר וְלֹ֣א יַגְעִ֑ל תְּפַלֵּ֥ט פָּ֝רָת֗וֹ וְלֹ֣א תְשַׁכֵּֽל׃

11They let their children frisk about like lambs. Their little ones skip and dance.

11יְשַׁלְּח֣וּ כַ֭צֹּאן עֲוִילֵיהֶ֑ם וְ֝יַלְדֵיהֶ֗ם יְרַקֵּדֽוּן׃

12They sing with tambourine and harp. They celebrate to the sound of the flute.

12יִ֭שְׂאוּ כְּתֹ֣ף וְכִנּ֑וֹר וְ֝יִשְׂמְח֗וּ לְק֣וֹל עוּגָֽב׃

13They spend their days in prosperity, then go down to the grave in peace.

13[יבלו] (יְכַלּ֣וּ) בַטּ֣וֹב יְמֵיהֶ֑ם וּ֝בְרֶ֗גַע שְׁא֣וֹל יֵחָֽתּוּ׃

14And yet they say to God, ‘Go away. We want no part of you and your ways.

14וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לָ֭אֵל ס֣וּר מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וְדַ֥עַת דְּ֝רָכֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א חָפָֽצְנוּ׃

15Who is the Almighty, and why should we obey him? What good will it do us to pray?’

15מַה־ שַׁדַּ֥י כִּֽי־ נַֽעַבְדֶ֑נּוּ וּמַה־ נּ֝וֹעִ֗יל כִּ֣י נִפְגַּע־ בּֽוֹ׃

16(They think their prosperity is of their own doing, but I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking.)

16הֵ֤ן לֹ֣א בְיָדָ֣ם טוּבָ֑ם עֲצַ֥ת רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים רָ֣חֲקָה מֶֽנִּי׃

17“Yet the light of the wicked never seems to be extinguished. Do they ever have trouble? Does God distribute sorrows to them in anger?

17כַּמָּ֤ה ׀ נֵר־ רְשָׁ֘עִ֤ים יִדְעָ֗ךְ וְיָבֹ֣א עָלֵ֣ימוֹ אֵידָ֑ם חֲ֝בָלִ֗ים יְחַלֵּ֥ק בְּאַפּֽוֹ׃

18Are they driven before the wind like straw? Are they carried away by the storm like chaff? Not at all!

18יִהְי֗וּ כְּתֶ֥בֶן לִפְנֵי־ ר֑וּחַ וּ֝כְמֹ֗ץ גְּנָבַ֥תּוּ סוּפָֽה׃

19“‘Well,’ you say, ‘at least God will punish their children!’ But I say he should punish the ones who sin, so that they understand his judgment.

19אֱל֗וֹהַּ יִצְפֹּן־ לְבָנָ֥יו אוֹנ֑וֹ יְשַׁלֵּ֖ם אֵלָ֣יו וְיֵדָֽע׃

20Let them see their destruction with their own eyes. Let them drink deeply of the anger of the Almighty.

20יִרְא֣וּ [עינו] (עֵינָ֣יו) כִּיד֑וֹ וּמֵחֲמַ֖ת שַׁדַּ֣י יִשְׁתֶּֽה׃

21For they will not care what happens to their family after they are dead.

21כִּ֤י מַה־ חֶפְצ֣וֹ בְּבֵית֣וֹ אַחֲרָ֑יו וּמִסְפַּ֖ר חֳדָשָׁ֣יו חֻצָּֽצוּ׃

22“But who can teach a lesson to God, since he judges even the most powerful?

22הַלְאֵ֥ל יְלַמֶּד־ דָּ֑עַת וְ֝ה֗וּא רָמִ֥ים יִשְׁפּֽוֹט׃

23One person dies in prosperity, completely comfortable and secure,

23זֶ֗ה יָ֭מוּת בְּעֶ֣צֶם תֻּמּ֑וֹ כֻּ֝לּ֗וֹ שַׁלְאֲנַ֥ן וְשָׁלֵֽיו׃

24the picture of good health, vigorous and fit.

24עֲ֭טִינָיו מָלְא֣וּ חָלָ֑ב וּמֹ֖חַ עַצְמוֹתָ֣יו יְשֻׁקֶּֽה׃

25Another person dies in bitter poverty, never having tasted the good life.

25וְזֶ֗ה יָ֭מוּת בְּנֶ֣פֶשׁ מָרָ֑ה וְלֹֽא־ אָ֝כַ֗ל בַּטּוֹבָֽה׃

26But both are buried in the same dust, both eaten by the same maggots.

26יַ֭חַד עַל־ עָפָ֣ר יִשְׁכָּ֑בוּ וְ֝רִמָּ֗ה תְּכַסֶּ֥ה עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

27“Look, I know what you’re thinking. I know the schemes you plot against me.

27הֵ֣ן יָ֭דַעְתִּי מַחְשְׁבֽוֹתֵיכֶ֑ם וּ֝מְזִמּ֗וֹת עָלַ֥י תַּחְמֹֽסוּ׃

28You will tell me of rich and wicked people whose houses have vanished because of their sins.

28כִּ֤י תֹֽאמְר֗וּ אַיֵּ֥ה בֵית־ נָדִ֑יב וְ֝אַיֵּ֗ה אֹ֤הֶל ׀ מִשְׁכְּנ֬וֹת רְשָׁעִֽים׃

29But ask those who have been around, and they will tell you the truth.

29הֲלֹ֣א שְׁ֭אֶלְתֶּם ע֣וֹבְרֵי דָ֑רֶךְ וְ֝אֹתֹתָ֗ם לֹ֣א תְנַכֵּֽרוּ׃

30Evil people are spared in times of calamity and are allowed to escape disaster.

30כִּ֤י לְי֣וֹם אֵ֭יד יֵחָ֣שֶׂךְ רָ֑ע לְי֖וֹם עֲבָר֣וֹת יוּבָֽלוּ׃

31No one criticizes them openly or pays them back for what they have done.

31מִֽי־ יַגִּ֣יד עַל־ פָּנָ֣יו דַּרְכּ֑וֹ וְהֽוּא־ עָ֝שָׂ֗ה מִ֣י יְשַׁלֶּם־ לֽוֹ׃

32When they are carried to the grave, an honor guard keeps watch at their tomb.

32וְ֭הוּא לִקְבָר֣וֹת יוּבָ֑ל וְֽעַל־ גָּדִ֥ישׁ יִשְׁקֽוֹד׃

33A great funeral procession goes to the cemetery. Many pay their respects as the body is laid to rest, and the earth gives sweet repose.

33מָֽתְקוּ־ ל֗וֹ רִגְבֵ֫י נָ֥חַל וְ֭אַחֲרָיו כָּל־ אָדָ֣ם יִמְשׁ֑וֹךְ וּ֝לְפָנָ֗יו אֵ֣ין מִסְפָּֽר׃

34“How can your empty clich�s comfort me? All your explanations are lies!”

34וְ֭אֵיךְ תְּנַחֲמ֣וּנִי הָ֑בֶל וּ֝תְשֽׁוּבֹתֵיכֶ֗ם נִשְׁאַר־ מָֽעַל׃ ס

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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