21:1

וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַר׃

Then Job answered and said:

21:2

שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ מִלָּתִי וּתְהִי־זֹאת תַּנְחוּמֹתֵיכֶם׃

Hear diligently my speech; And let this be your consolations.

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21:3

שָׂאוּנִי וְאָנֹכִי אֲדַבֵּר וְאַחַר דַּבְּרִי תַלְעִיג׃

Suffer me, that I may speak; And after that I have spoken, mock on.

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21:4

הֶאָנֹכִי לְאָדָם שִׂיחִי וְאִם־מַדּוּעַ לֹא־תִקְצַר רוּחִי׃

As for me, is my complaint to man? Or why should I not be impatient?

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21:5

פְּנוּ־אֵלַי וְהָשַׁמּוּ וְשִׂימוּ יָד עַל־פֶּה׃

Turn unto me, and be astonished, And lay your hand upon your mouth.

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21:6

וְאִם־זָכַרְתִּי וְנִבְהָלְתִּי וְאָחַז בְּשָׂרִי פַּלָּצוּת׃

Even when I remember I am affrighted, And horror hath taketh hold on my flesh.

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21:7

מַדּוּעַ רְשָׁעִים יִחְיוּ עָתְקוּ גַּם־גָּבְרוּ חָיִל׃

Wherefore do the wicked live, Become old, yea, wax mighty in power?

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21:8

זַרְעָם נָכוֹן לִפְנֵיהֶם עִמָּם וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶם לְעֵינֵיהֶם׃

Their seed is established in their sight with them, And their offspring before their eyes.

21:9

בָּתֵּיהֶם שָׁלוֹם מִפָּחַד וְלֹא שֵׁבֶט אֱלוֹהַּ עֲלֵיהֶם׃

Their houses are safe, without fear, Neither is the rod of God upon them.

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21:10

שׁוֹרוֹ עִבַּר וְלֹא יַגְעִל תְּפַלֵּט פָּרָתוֹ וְלֹא תְשַׁכֵּל׃

Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; Their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.

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21:11

יְשַׁלְּחוּ כַצֹּאן עֲוִילֵיהֶם וְיַלְדֵיהֶם יְרַקֵּדוּן׃

They send forth their little ones like a flock, And their children dance.

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21:12

יִשְׂאוּ כְּתֹף וְכִנּוֹר וְיִשְׂמְחוּ לְקוֹל עוּגָב׃

They sing to the timbrel and harp, And rejoice at the sound of the pipe.

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21:13

יבלו [יְכַלּוּ] בַטּוֹב יְמֵיהֶם וּבְרֶגַע שְׁאוֹל יֵחָתּוּ׃

They spend their days in prosperity, And peacefully they go down to the grave.

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21:14

וַיֹּאמְרוּ לָאֵל סוּר מִמֶּנּוּ וְדַעַת דְּרָכֶיךָ לֹא חָפָצְנוּ׃

Yet they said unto God: ‘Depart from us; For we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways.

21:15

מַה־שַׁדַּי כִּי־נַעַבְדֶנּוּ וּמַה־נּוֹעִיל כִּי נִפְגַּע־בּוֹ׃

What is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit should we have, if we pray unto Him?’—

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21:16

הֵן לֹא בְיָדָם טוּבָם עֲצַת רְשָׁעִים רָחֲקָה מֶנִּי׃

Lo, their prosperity is not in their hand; The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

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21:17

כַּמָּה נֵר־רְשָׁעִים יִדְעָךְ וְיָבֹא עָלֵימוֹ אֵידָם חֲבָלִים יְחַלֵּק בְּאַפּוֹ׃

How oft is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out? That their calamity cometh upon them? That He distributeth pains in His anger?

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21:18

יִהְיוּ כְּתֶבֶן לִפְנֵי־רוּחַ וּכְמֹץ גְּנָבַתּוּ סוּפָה׃

That they are as stubble before the wind, And as chaff that the storm stealeth away?

21:19

אֱלוֹהַּ יִצְפֹּן־לְבָנָיו אוֹנוֹ יְשַׁלֵּם אֵלָיו וְיֵדָע׃

’God layeth up his iniquity for his children! ’— Let Him recompense it unto himself, that he may know it.

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21:20

יִרְאוּ עינו [עֵינָיו] כִּידוֹ וּמֵחֲמַת שַׁדַּי יִשְׁתֶּה׃

Let his own eyes see his destruction, And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

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21:21

כִּי מַה־חֶפְצוֹ בְּבֵיתוֹ אַחֲרָיו וּמִסְפַּר חֳדָשָׁיו חֻצָּצוּ׃

For what pleasure hath he in his house after him? Seeing the number of his months is determined.

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21:22

הַלְאֵל יְלַמֶּד־דָּעַת וְהוּא רָמִים יִשְׁפּוֹט׃

Shall any teach God knowledge? Seeing it is He that judgeth those that are high.

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21:23

זֶה יָמוּת בְּעֶצֶם תֻּמּוֹ כֻּלּוֹ שַׁלְאֲנַן וְשָׁלֵיו׃

One dieth in his full strength, Being wholly at ease and quiet;

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21:24

עֲטִינָיו מָלְאוּ חָלָב וּמֹחַ עַצְמוֹתָיו יְשֻׁקֶּה׃

His pails are full of milk, And the marrow of his bones is moistened.

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21:25

וְזֶה יָמוּת בְּנֶפֶשׁ מָרָה וְלֹא־אָכַל בַּטּוֹבָה׃

And another dieth in bitterness of soul, And hath never tasted of good.

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21:26

יַחַד עַל־עָפָר יִשְׁכָּבוּ וְרִמָּה תְּכַסֶּה עֲלֵיהֶם׃

They lie down alike in the dust, And the worm covereth them.

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21:27

הֵן יָדַעְתִּי מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵיכֶם וּמְזִמּוֹת עָלַי תַּחְמֹסוּ׃

Behold, I know your thoughts, And the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.

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21:28

כִּי תֹאמְרוּ אַיֵּה בֵית־נָדִיב וְאַיֵּה אֹהֶל מִשְׁכְּנוֹת רְשָׁעִים׃

For ye say: ‘Where is the house of the prince? And where is the tent wherein the wicked dwelt?’

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21:29

הֲלֹא שְׁאֶלְתֶּם עוֹבְרֵי דָרֶךְ וְאֹתֹתָם לֹא תְנַכֵּרוּ׃

Have ye not asked them that go by the way; And will ye misdeem their tokens,

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21:30

כִּי לְיוֹם אֵיד יֵחָשֶׂךְ רָע לְיוֹם עֲבָרוֹת יוּבָלוּ׃

That the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity, That they are led forth to the day of wrath?

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21:31

מִי־יַגִּיד עַל־פָּנָיו דַּרְכּוֹ וְהוּא־עָשָׂה מִי יְשַׁלֶּם־לוֹ׃

But who shall declare his way to his face? And who shall repay him what he hath done?

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21:32

וְהוּא לִקְבָרוֹת יוּבָל וְעַל־גָּדִישׁ יִשְׁקוֹד׃

For he is borne to the grave, And watch is kept over his tomb.

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21:33

מָתְקוּ־לוֹ רִגְבֵי נָחַל וְאַחֲרָיו כָּל־אָדָם יִמְשׁוֹךְ וּלְפָנָיו אֵין מִסְפָּר׃

The clods of the valley are sweet unto him, And all men draw after him, As there were innumerable before him.

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21:34

וְאֵיךְ תְּנַחֲמוּנִי הָבֶל וּתְשׁוּבֹתֵיכֶם נִשְׁאַר־מָעַל׃

How then comfort ye me in vain? And as for your answers, there remaineth only faithlessness?

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