וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַר

Job answered sarcastically and said:

אָמְנָם כִּי אַתֶּם־עָם וְעִמָּכֶם תָּמוּת חָכְמָה

Indeed, you are a people. You are the majority, and this gives you confidence that you possess the truth and that together with you, wisdom will die.

גַּם־לִי לֵבָב כְּמוֹכֶם לֹא־נֹפֵל אָנֹכִי מִכֶּם וְאֶת־מִי־אֵין כְּמוֹ־אֵלֶּה

However, I too have a heart, like you. The heart is considered the seat of understanding. I am no less than you. Who does not have this? Who does not comprehend these matters? You are not saying anything new.

שְׂחֹק לְרֵעֵהוּ אֶהְיֶה קֹרֵא לֶאֱלוֹהַּ וַיַּעֲנֵהוּ שְׂחוֹק ‘צַדִּיק תָּמִים'

I have become one mocked by his neighbor. Alternatively, they considered me one who mocks others. I was once one who had called to God and He answered him, but my lot now is to be a laughingstock of the completely righteous, all of you.

לַפִּיד בּוּז לְעַשְׁתּוּת שַׁאֲנָן נָכוֹן לְמוֹעֲדֵי רָגֶל

I have become a calamity that brings contempt to complacent composure, ready for those whose foot slips. A disaster that undermines the confidence of one who is at ease and self-assured is prepared for those who have slipped.

יִשְׁלָיוּ אֹהָלִים לְשֹׁדְדִים וּבַטֻּחוֹת לְמַרְגִּיזֵי אֵל לַאֲשֶׁר הֵבִיא אֱלוֹהַּ בְּיָדוֹ

By contrast, the tents are tranquil for robbers. They dwell serenely in their homes, and there is security in life for the provokers of God. Yet I know that this too is only as the hand of God engenders. Such unexpected and incomprehensible outcomes are also controlled by God.

וְאוּלָם שְׁאַל־נָא בְהֵמוֹת וְתֹרֶךָּ וְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וְיַגֶּד־לָךְ

But ask now the animals, and even they will teach you, as they all know that everything is in God’s hands, and you may also ask the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you,

אוֹ שִׂיחַ לָאָרֶץ וְתֹרֶךָּ וִיסַפְּרוּ לְךָ דְּגֵי הַיָּם

or converse with the earth, and it will teach you, and the fish of the sea will also relate this truth to you.

מִי לֹא־יָדַע בְּכָל־אֵלֶּה כִּי יַד־ה' עָשְׂתָה זֹּאת

Who does not know, among all these, that the hand of the Lord has done all this?

אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדוֹ נֶפֶשׁ כָּל־חָי וְרוּחַ כָּל־בְּשַׂר־אִישׁ

He in whose hand is the life of every living thing and the spirit of all flesh of man.

הֲלֹא אֹזֶן מִלִּין תִּבְחָן וְחֵךְ אֹכֶל יִטְעַם־לוֹ

Doesn’t God control even the ear, which can discern words, and the palate, which can taste food?

בִּישִׁישִׁים חָכְמָה ואֹרֶךְ יָמִים תְּבוּנָה

Wisdom is with the aged, and with length of days, sagacity. These too are gifts bestowed upon them by God.

עִמּוֹ חָכְמָה וּגְבוּרָה לוֹ עֵצָה וּתְבוּנָה

Wisdom and might are with Him; counsel and sagacity are His.

הֵן יַהֲרוֹס וְלֹא יִבָּנֶה יִסְגֹּר עַל־אִישׁ וְלֹא יִפָּתֵחַ

Behold, He demolishes, and then it will not be rebuilt; He shuts a man in, and afterward, it will not be opened.

הֵן יַעְצֹר בַּמַּיִם וְיִבָשׁוּ וִישַׁלְּחֵם וְיַהַפְכוּ־אָרֶץ

Behold, He halts the water and it dries; He releases it to flood, and they, the waters, overturn the earth.

עִמּוֹ עֹז וְתוּשִׁיָּה לוֹ שֹׁגֵג וּמַשְׁגֶּה

With Him are strength and resourcefulness; the misled, the unintentional sinner, and the misleading, Satan, are also His.

מוֹלִיךְ יוֹעֲצִים שׁוֹלָל וְשֹׁפְטִים יְהוֹלֵל

He leads counselors, those who are supposedly wise and independent of thought, astray, and He renders judges fools, or mad.

מוּסַר מְלָכִים פִּתֵּחַ וַיֶּאְסֹר אֵזוֹר בְּמָתְנֵיהֶם

On the one hand, He removes the restraints, the ruling power, of kings, as God removes their authority, and on the other hand, it is He who binds a belt on their waists. He is also the one who gives them the power to reign.

מוֹלִיךְ כֹּהֲנִים שׁוֹלָל וְאֵיתָנִים יְסַלֵּף

He leads priests astray and the mighty He corrupts and misleads.

מֵסִיר שָׂפָה לְנֶאֱמָנִים וְטַעַם זְקֵנִים יִקָּח

He removes speech from the established, reliable men so that they forget how to speak or are struck dumb by events, and He takes away the sense, understanding, of elders.

שׁוֹפֵךְ בּוּז עַל־נְדִיבִים ומְזִיחַ אֲפִיקִים רִפָּה

He pours contempt on the noble, the wealthy and dignified, and weakens the dam of the watercourses. He releases the masses upon them like water currents breaking through dams.

מְגַלֶּה עֲמֻקוֹת מִנִּי חֹשֶׁךְ וַיֹּצֵא לָאוֹר צַלְמָוֶת

He reveals depths from the darkness and brings the shadow of death to light.

מַשְׂגִּיא לַגּוֹיִם וַיְאַבְּדֵם שֹׁטֵחַ לַגּוֹיִם וַיַּנְחֵם

He sometimes increases the power of nations, and at other times He eliminates them; He spreads traps for the nations, but He also guides them.

מֵסִיר לֵב רָאשֵׁי עַם־הָאָרֶץ וַיַּתְעֵם בְּתֹהוּ לֹא־דָרֶךְ

He removes the heart, understanding, of the leaders of the people of the land and misleads them through trackless emptiness.

יְמַשְׁשׁוּ־חֹשֶׁךְ וְלֹא־אוֹר וַיַּתְעֵם כַּשִּׁכּוֹר

They grope in the dark without light, and He causes them to veer like a drunk.