1 Then Job answered and said,

1 וַיַּ֥עַן אִיֹּ֗וב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

2 No doubt but ye are the people, And wisdom shall die with you.

2 אָ֭מְנָם כִּ֣י אַתֶּם־עָ֑ם וְ֝עִמָּכֶ֗ם תָּמ֥וּת חָכְמָֽה׃

3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: Yea, who knoweth not such things as these?

3 גַּם־לִ֤י לֵבָ֨ב׀ כְּֽמֹוכֶ֗ם³ לֹא־נֹפֵ֣ל אָנֹכִ֣י מִכֶּ֑ם וְאֶת־מִי־אֵ֥ין כְּמֹו־אֵֽלֶּה׃

4 I am as one that is a laughing-stock to his neighbor, I who called upon God, and he answered: The just, the perfect man is a laughing-stock.

4 שְׂחֹ֤ק לְרֵעֵ֨הוּ׀ אֶֽהְיֶ֗ה קֹרֵ֣א לֶ֭אֱלֹוהַּ וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑הוּ חֹ֗וק צַדִּ֥יק תָּמִֽים׃

5 In the thought of him that is at ease there is contempt for misfortune; It is ready for them whose foot slippeth.

5 לַפִּ֣יד בּ֭וּז לְעַשְׁתּ֣וּת שַׁאֲנָ֑ן נָ֝כֹ֗ון לְמֹ֣ועֲדֵי רָֽגֶל׃

6 The tents of robbers prosper, And they that provoke God are secure; Into whose hand God bringeth `abundantly'.

6 יִשְׁלָ֤יוּ אֹֽהָלִ֨ים׀ לְשֹׁ֥דְדִ֗ים³ וּֽ֭בַטֻּחֹות לְמַרְגִּ֣יזֵי אֵ֑ל לַאֲשֶׁ֤ר הֵבִ֖יא אֱלֹ֣והַּ בְּיָדֹֽו׃

7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; And the birds of the heavens, and they shall tell thee:

7 וְֽאוּלָ֗ם שְׁאַל־נָ֣א בְהֵמֹ֣ות וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וְעֹ֥וף הַ֝שָּׁמַ֗יִם וְיַגֶּד־לָֽךְ׃

8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; And the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

8 אֹ֤ו שִׂ֣יחַ לָאָ֣רֶץ וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וִֽיסַפְּר֥וּ לְ֝ךָ֗ דְּגֵ֣י הַיָּֽם׃

9 Who knoweth not in all these, That the hand of Jehovah hath wrought this,

9 מִ֭י לֹא־יָדַ֣ע בְּכָל־אֵ֑לֶּה כִּ֥י יַד־יְ֝הוָה עָ֣שְׂתָה זֹּֽאת׃

10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?

10 אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּ֭יָדֹו נֶ֣פֶשׁ כָּל־חָ֑י וְ֝ר֗וּחַ כָּל־בְּשַׂר־אִֽישׁ׃

11 Doth not the ear try words, Even as the palate tasteth its food?

11 הֲלֹא־אֹ֭זֶן מִלִּ֣ין תִּבְחָ֑ן וְ֝חֵ֗ךְ אֹ֣כֶל יִטְעַם־לֹֽו׃

12 With aged men is wisdom, And in length of days understanding.

12 בִּֽישִׁישִׁ֥ים חָכְמָ֑ה וְאֹ֖רֶךְ יָמִ֣ים תְּבוּנָֽה׃

13 With `God' is wisdom and might; He hath counsel and understanding.

13 עִ֭מֹּו חָכְמָ֣ה וּגְבוּרָ֑ה לֹ֝֗ו עֵצָ֥ה וּתְבוּנָֽה׃

14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again; He shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.

14 הֵ֣ן יַ֭הֲרֹוס וְלֹ֣א יִבָּנֶ֑ה יִסְגֹּ֥ר עַל־אִ֝֗ישׁ וְלֹ֣א יִפָּתֵֽחַ׃

15 Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; Again, he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.

15 הֵ֤ן יַעְצֹ֣ר בַּמַּ֣יִם וְיִבָ֑שׁוּ וִֽ֝ישַׁלְּחֵ֗ם וְיַ֖הַפְכוּ אָֽרֶץ׃

16 With him is strength and wisdom; The deceived and the deceiver are his.

16 עִ֭מֹּו עֹ֣ז וְתֽוּשִׁיָּ֑ה¹ לֹ֝֗ו שֹׁגֵ֥ג וּמַשְׁגֶּֽה׃

17 He leadeth counsellors away stripped, And judges maketh he fools.

17 מֹולִ֣יךְ יֹועֲצִ֣ים שֹׁולָ֑ל וְֽשֹׁפְטִ֥ים יְהֹולֵֽל׃

18 He looseth the bond of kings, And he bindeth their loins with a girdle.

18 מוּסַ֣ר מְלָכִ֣ים פִּתֵּ֑חַ וַיֶּאְסֹ֥ר אֵ֝זֹ֗ור בְּמָתְנֵיהֶֽם׃

19 He leadeth priests away stripped, And overthroweth the mighty.

19 מֹולִ֣יךְ כֹּהֲנִ֣ים שֹׁולָ֑ל וְאֵֽתָנִ֣ים יְסַלֵּֽף׃

20 He removeth the speech of the trusty, And taketh away the understanding of the elders.

20 מֵסִ֣יר פָה לְנֶאֱמָנִ֑ים וְטַ֖עַם זְקֵנִ֣ים יִקָּֽח׃

21 He poureth contempt upon princes, And looseth the belt of the strong.

21 שֹׁופֵ֣ךְ בּ֭וּז עַל־נְדִיבִ֑ים וּמְזִ֖יחַ אֲפִיקִ֣ים רִפָּֽה׃

22 He uncovereth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

22 מְגַלֶּ֣ה עֲ֭מֻקֹות מִנִּי־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וַיֹּצֵ֖א לָאֹ֣ור צַלְמָֽוֶת׃

23 He increaseth the nations, and he destroyeth them: He enlargeth the nations, and he leadeth them captive.

23 מַשְׂגִּ֣יא לַ֭גֹּויִם וַֽיְאַבְּדֵ֑ם שֹׁטֵ֥חַ לַ֝גֹּויִ֗ם וַיַּנְחֵֽם׃

24 He taketh away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth, And causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.

24 מֵסִ֗יר לֵ֭ב רָאשֵׁ֣י עַם־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם בְּתֹ֣הוּ לֹא־דָֽרֶךְ׃

25 They grope in the dark without light; And he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.

25 יְמַֽשְׁשׁוּ־חֹ֥שֶׁךְ וְלֹא־אֹ֑ור וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם כַּשִּׁכֹּֽור׃