34:1

וַיַּעַן אֱלִיהוּא וַיֹּאמַר׃

Moreover Elihu answered and said:

34:2

שִׁמְעוּ חֲכָמִים מִלָּי וְיֹדְעִים הַאֲזִינוּ לִי׃

Hear my words, ye wise men; And give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

34:3

כִּי־אֹזֶן מִלִּין תִּבְחָן וְחֵךְ יִטְעַם לֶאֱכֹל׃

For the ear trieth words, As the palate tasteth food.

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34:4

מִשְׁפָּט נִבְחֲרָה־לָּנוּ נֵדְעָה בֵינֵינוּ מַה־טּוֹב׃

Let us choose for us that which is right; Let us know among ourselves what is good.

34:5

כִּי־אָמַר אִיּוֹב צָדַקְתִּי וְאֵל הֵסִיר מִשְׁפָּטִי׃

For Job hath said: ‘I am righteous, And God hath taken away my right;

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34:6

עַל־מִשְׁפָּטִי אֲכַזֵּב אָנוּשׁ חִצִּי בְלִי־פָשַׁע׃

Notwithstanding my right I am accounted a liar; My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’

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34:7

מִי־גֶבֶר כְּאִיּוֹב יִשְׁתֶּה־לַּעַג כַּמָּיִם׃

What man is like Job, Who drinketh up scorning like water?

34:8

וְאָרַח לְחֶבְרָה עִם־פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן וְלָלֶכֶת עִם־אַנְשֵׁי־רֶשַׁע׃

Who goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, And walketh with wicked men.

34:9

כִּי־אָמַר לֹא יִסְכָּן־גָּבֶר בִּרְצֹתוֹ עִם־אֱלֹהִים׃

For he hath said: ‘It profiteth a man nothing That he should be in accord with God.’

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34:10

לָכֵן אַנֲשֵׁי לֵבָב שִׁמְעוּ לִי חָלִלָה לָאֵל מֵרֶשַׁע וְשַׁדַּי מֵעָוֶל׃

Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: Far be it from God, that He should do wickedness; And from the Almighty, that He should commit iniquity.

34:11

כִּי פֹעַל אָדָם יְשַׁלֶּם־לוֹ וּכְאֹרַח אִישׁ יַמְצִאֶנּוּ׃

For the work of a man will He requite unto him, And cause every man to find according to his ways.

34:12

אַף־אָמְנָם אֵל לֹא־יַרְשִׁיעַ וְשַׁדַּי לֹא־יְעַוֵּת מִשְׁפָּט׃

Yea, of a surety, God will not do wickedly, Neither will the Almighty pervert justice.

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34:13

מִי־פָקַד עָלָיו אָרְצָה וּמִי שָׂם תֵּבֵל כֻּלָּהּ׃

Who gave Him a charge over the earth? Or who hath disposed the whole world?

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34:14

אִם־יָשִׂים אֵלָיו לִבּוֹ רוּחוֹ וְנִשְׁמָתוֹ אֵלָיו יֶאֱסֹף׃

If He set His heart upon man, If He gather unto Himself his spirit and his breath;

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34:15

יִגְוַע כָּל־בָּשָׂר יָחַד וְאָדָם עַל־עָפָר יָשׁוּב׃

All flesh shall perish together, And man shall return unto dust.

34:16

וְאִם־בִּינָה שִׁמְעָה־זֹּאת הַאֲזִינָה לְקוֹל מִלָּי׃

If now thou hast understanding, hear this; Hearken to the voice of my words.

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34:17

הַאַף שׂוֹנֵא מִשְׁפָּט יַחֲבוֹשׁ וְאִם־צַדִּיק כַּבִּיר תַּרְשִׁיעַ׃

Shall even one that hateth right govern? And wilt thou condemn Him that is just and mighty—

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34:18

הַאֲמֹר לְמֶלֶךְ בְּלִיָּעַל רָשָׁע אֶל־נְדִיבִים׃

Is it fit to say to a king: ‘Thou art base’? Or to nobles: ‘Ye are wicked’?—

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34:19

אֲשֶׁר לֹא־נָשָׂא פְּנֵי שָׂרִים וְלֹא נִכַּר־שׁוֹעַ לִפְנֵי־דָל כִּי־מַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו כֻּלָּם׃

That respecteth not the persons of princes, Nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? For they all are the work of His hands.

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34:20

רֶגַע יָמֻתוּ וַחֲצוֹת לָיְלָה יְגֹעֲשׁוּ עָם וְיַעֲבֹרוּ וְיָסִירוּ אַבִּיר לֹא בְיָד׃

In a moment they die, even at midnight; The people are shaken and pass away, And the mighty are taken away without hand. .

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34:21

כִּי־עֵינָיו עַל־דַּרְכֵי־אִישׁ וְכָל־צְעָדָיו יִרְאֶה׃

For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, And He seeth all his goings.

34:22

אֵין־חֹשֶׁךְ וְאֵין צַלְמָוֶת לְהִסָּתֶר שָׁם פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן׃

There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

34:23

כִּי לֹא עַל־אִישׁ יָשִׂים עוֹד לַהֲלֹךְ אֶל־אֵל בַּמִּשְׁפָּט׃

For He doth not appoint a time unto any man, When he should go before God in judgment.

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34:24

יָרֹעַ כַּבִּירִים לֹא־חֵקֶר וַיַּעֲמֵד אֲחֵרִים תַּחְתָּם׃

He breaketh in pieces mighty men without inquisition, And setteth others in their stead.

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34:25

לָכֵן יַכִּיר מַעְבָּדֵיהֶם וְהָפַךְ לַיְלָה וְיִדַּכָּאוּ׃

Therefore He taketh knowledge of their works; And He overturneth them in the night, so that they are crushed.

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34:26

תַּחַת־רְשָׁעִים סְפָקָם בִּמְקוֹם רֹאִים׃

He striketh them as wicked men In the open sight of others;

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34:27

אֲשֶׁר עַל־כֵּן סָרוּ מֵאַחֲרָיו וְכָל־דְּרָכָיו לֹא הִשְׂכִּילוּ׃

Because they turned aside from following Him, And would not have regard to any of His ways;

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34:28

לְהָבִיא עָלָיו צַעֲקַת־דָּל וְצַעֲקַת עֲנִיִּים יִשְׁמָע׃

So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto Him, And He heareth the cry of the afflicted.

34:29

וְהוּא יַשְׁקִט וּמִי יַרְשִׁעַ וְיַסְתֵּר פָּנִים וּמִי יְשׁוּרֶנּוּ וְעַל־גּוֹי וְעַל־אָדָם יָחַד׃

When He giveth quietness, who then can condemn? And when He hideth His face, who then can behold Him? Whether it be done unto a nation, or unto a man, alike;

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34:30

מִמְּלֹךְ אָדָם חָנֵף מִמֹּקְשֵׁי עָם׃

That the godless man reign not, That there be none to ensnare the people.

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34:31

כִּי־אֶל־אֵל הֶאָמַר נָשָׂאתִי לֹא אֶחְבֹּל׃

For hath any said unto God: ‘I have borne chastisement, though I offend not;

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34:32

בִּלְעֲדֵי אֶחֱזֶה אַתָּה הֹרֵנִי אִם־עָוֶל פָּעַלְתִּי לֹא אֹסִיף׃

That which I see not teach Thou me; If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?

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34:33

הַמֵעִמְּךָ יְשַׁלְמֶנָּה כִּי־מָאַסְתָּ כִּי־אַתָּה תִבְחַר וְלֹא־אָנִי וּמַה־יָדַעְתָּ דַבֵּר׃

Shall His recompense be as thou wilt? For thou loathest it, So that thou must choose, and not I; Therefore speak what thou knowest.

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34:34

אַנְשֵׁי לֵבָב יֹאמְרוּ לִי וְגֶבֶר חָכָם שֹׁמֵעַ לִי׃

Men of understanding will say unto me, Yea, every wise man that heareth me:

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34:35

אִיּוֹב לֹא־בְדַעַת יְדַבֵּר וּדְבָרָיו לֹא בְהַשְׂכֵּיל׃

’Job speaketh without knowledge, And his words are without discernment.’

34:36

אָבִי יִבָּחֵן אִיּוֹב עַד־נֶצַח עַל־תְּשֻׁבֹת בְּאַנְשֵׁי־אָוֶן׃

Would that Job were tried unto the end, Because of his answering like wicked men.

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34:37

כִּי יֹסִיף עַל־חַטָּאתוֹ פֶשַׁע בֵּינֵינוּ יִסְפּוֹק וְיֶרֶב אֲמָרָיו לָאֵל׃

For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, He clappeth his hands among us, And multiplieth his words against God.

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