Elihu Recalls God’s Justice
הֲ֭זֹאת חָשַׁ֣בְתָּ לְמִשְׁפָּ֑ט אָ֝מַ֗רְתָּ צִדְקִ֥י מֵאֵֽל׃
“Do you think this is just? You say, ‘I am more righteous than God.’
כִּֽי־תֹ֭אמַר מַה־יִּסְכָּן־לָ֑ךְ מָֽה־אֹ֝עִ֗יל מֵֽחַטָּאתִֽי׃
For you ask, ‘What does it profit me, and what benefit do I gain apart from sin?’
אֲ֭נִי אֲשִֽׁיבְךָ֣ מִלִּ֑ין וְֽאֶת־רֵעֶ֥יךָ עִמָּֽךְ׃
I will reply to you and to your friends as well.
הַבֵּ֣ט שָׁמַ֣יִם וּרְאֵ֑ה וְשׁ֥וּר שְׁ֝חָקִ֗ים גָּבְה֥וּ מִמֶּֽךָּ׃
Look to the heavens and see; gaze at the clouds high above you.
אִם־חָ֭טָאתָ מַה־תִּפְעָל־בּ֑וֹ וְרַבּ֥וּ פְ֝שָׁעֶ֗יךָ מַה־תַּעֲשֶׂה־לּֽוֹ׃
If you sin, what do you accomplish against Him? If you multiply your transgressions, what do you do to Him?
אִם־צָ֭דַקְתָּ מַה־תִּתֶּן־ל֑וֹ א֥וֹ מַה־מִיָּדְךָ֥ יִקָּֽח׃
If you are righteous, what do you give Him, or what does He receive from your hand?
לְאִישׁ־כָּמ֥וֹךָ רִשְׁעֶ֑ךָ וּלְבֶן־אָ֝דָ֗ם צִדְקָתֶֽךָ׃
Your wickedness affects only a man like yourself, and your righteousness only a son of man.
מֵ֭רֹב עֲשׁוּקִ֣ים יַזְעִ֑יקוּ יְשַׁוְּע֖וּ מִזְּר֣וֹעַ רַבִּֽים׃
Men cry out under great oppression; they plead for relief from the arm of the mighty.
וְֽלֹא־אָמַ֗ר אַ֭יֵּה אֱל֣וֹהַּ עֹשָׂ֑י נֹתֵ֖ן זְמִר֣וֹת בַּלָּֽיְלָה׃
But no one asks, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives us songs in the night,
מַ֭לְּפֵנוּ מִבַּהֲמ֣וֹת אָ֑רֶץ וּמֵע֖וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם יְחַכְּמֵֽנוּ׃
who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the air?’
שָׁ֣ם יִ֭צְעֲקוּ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲנֶ֑ה מִ֝פְּנֵ֗י גְּא֣וֹן רָעִֽים׃
There they cry out, but He does not answer, because of the pride of evil men.
אַךְ־שָׁ֭וְא לֹא־יִשְׁמַ֥ע׀ אֵ֑ל וְ֝שַׁדַּ֗י לֹ֣א יְשׁוּרֶֽנָּה׃
Surely God does not listen to empty pleas, and the Almighty does not take note of it.
אַ֣ף כִּֽי־תֹ֭אמַר לֹ֣א תְשׁוּרֶ֑נּוּ דִּ֥ין לְ֝פָנָ֗יו וּתְח֥וֹלֵֽל לֽוֹ׃
How much less, then, when you say that you do not see Him, that your case is before Him and you must wait for Him,
וְעַתָּ֗ה כִּי־אַ֭יִן פָּקַ֣ד אַפּ֑וֹ וְלֹֽא־יָדַ֖ע בַּפַּ֣שׁ מְאֹֽד׃
and further, that in His anger He has not punished or taken much notice of folly!
וְ֭אִיּוֹב הֶ֣בֶל יִפְצֶה־פִּ֑יהוּ בִּבְלִי־דַ֝֗עַת מִלִּ֥ין יַכְבִּֽר׃ פ
So Job opens his mouth in vain and multiplies words without knowledge.”