Chapter 36

1Then Elihu spoke once more.

אוַיֹּסֶף אֱלִיהוּא וַיֹּאמַר׃

2Wait a little and let me hold forth; There is still more to say for Hashem.

בכַּתַּר־לִי זְעֵיר וַאֲחַוֶּךָּ כִּי עוֹד לֶאֱלוֹהַּ מִלִּים׃

3I will make my opinions widely known; I will justify my Maker.

גאֶשָּׂא דֵעִי לְמֵרָחוֹק וּלְפֹעֲלִי אֶתֵּן־צֶדֶק׃

4In truth, my words are not false; A man of sound opinions is before you.

דכִּי־אָמְנָם לֹא־שֶׁקֶר מִלָּי תְּמִים דֵּעוֹת עִמָּךְ׃

5See, Hashem is mighty; He is not contemptuous; He is mighty in strength and mind.

ההֶן־אֵל כַּבִּיר וְלֹא יִמְאָס כַּבִּיר כֹּחַ לֵב׃

6He does not let the wicked live; He grants justice to the lowly.

ולֹא־יְחַיֶּה רָשָׁע וּמִשְׁפַּט עֲנִיִּים יִתֵּן׃

7He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous; With kings on thrones He seats them forever, and they are exalted.

זלֹא־יִגְרַע מִצַּדִּיק עֵינָיו וְאֶת־מְלָכִים לַכִּסֵּא וַיֹּשִׁיבֵם לָנֶצַח וַיִּגְבָּהוּ׃

8If they are bound in shackles And caught in trammels of affliction,

חוְאִם־אֲסוּרִים בַּזִּקִּים יִלָּכְדוּן בְּחַבְלֵי־עֹנִי׃

9He declares to them what they have done, And that their transgressions are excessive;

טוַיַּגֵּד לָהֶם פָּעֳלָם וּפִשְׁעֵיהֶם כִּי יִתְגַּבָּרוּ׃

10He opens their understanding by discipline, And orders them back from mischief.

יוַיִּגֶל אָזְנָם לַמּוּסָר וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי־יְשֻׁבוּן מֵאָוֶן׃

11If they will serve obediently, They shall spend their days in happiness, Their years in delight.

יאאִם־יִשְׁמְעוּ וְיַעֲבֹדוּ יְכַלּוּ יְמֵיהֶם בַּטּוֹב וּשְׁנֵיהֶם בַּנְּעִימִים׃

12But if they are not obedient, They shall perish by the sword, Die for lack of understanding.

יבוְאִם־לֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ בְּשֶׁלַח יַעֲבֹרוּ וְיִגְוְעוּ כִּבְלִי־דָעַת׃

13But the impious in heart become enraged; They do not cry for help when He afflicts them.

יגוְחַנְפֵי־לֵב יָשִׂימוּ אָף לֹא יְשַׁוְּעוּ כִּי אֲסָרָם׃

14They die in their youth; [Expire] among the depraved.

ידתָּמֹת בַּנֹּעַר נַפְשָׁם וְחַיָּתָם בַּקְּדֵשִׁים׃

15He rescues the lowly from their affliction, And opens their understanding through distress.

טויְחַלֵּץ עָנִי בְעָנְיוֹ וְיִגֶל בַּלַּחַץ אָזְנָם׃

16Indeed, He draws you away from the brink of distress To a broad place where there is no constraint; Your table is laid out with rich food.

טזוְאַף הֲסִיתְךָ מִפִּי־צָר רַחַב לֹא־מוּצָק תַּחְתֶּיהָ וְנַחַת שֻׁלְחָנְךָ מָלֵא דָשֶׁן׃

17You are obsessed with the case of the wicked man, But the justice of the case will be upheld.

יזוְדִין־רָשָׁע מָלֵאתָ דִּין וּמִשְׁפָּט יִתְמֹכוּ׃

18Let anger at his affluence not mislead you; Let much bribery not turn you aside.

יחכִּי־חֵמָה פֶּן־יְסִיתְךָ בְסָפֶק וְרָב־כֹּפֶר אַל־יַטֶּךָּ׃

19Will your limitless wealth avail you, All your powerful efforts?

יטהֲיַעֲרֹךְ שׁוּעֲךָ לֹא בְצָר וְכֹל מַאֲמַצֵּי־כֹחַ׃

20Do not long for the night When peoples vanish where they are.

כאַל־תִּשְׁאַף הַלָּיְלָה לַעֲלוֹת עַמִּים תַּחְתָּם׃

21Beware! Do not turn to mischief; Because of that you have been tried by affliction.

כאהִשָּׁמֶר אַל־תֵּפֶן אֶל־אָוֶן כִּי־עַל־זֶה בָּחַרְתָּ מֵעֹנִי׃

22See, Hashem is beyond reach in His power; Who governs like Him?

כבהֶן־אֵל יַשְׂגִּיב בְּכֹחוֹ מִי כָמֹהוּ מוֹרֶה׃

23Who ever reproached Him for His conduct? Who ever said, “You have done wrong”?

כגמִי־פָקַד עָלָיו דַּרְכּוֹ וּמִי־אָמַר פָּעַלְתָּ עַוְלָה׃

24Remember, then, to magnify His work, Of which men have sung,

כדזְכֹר כִּי־תַשְׂגִּיא פָעֳלוֹ אֲשֶׁר שֹׁרְרוּ אֲנָשִׁים׃

25Which all men have beheld, Men have seen, from a distance.

כהכָּל־אָדָם חָזוּ־בוֹ אֱנוֹשׁ יַבִּיט מֵרָחוֹק׃

26See, Hashem is greater than we can know; The number of His years cannot be counted.

כוהֶן־אֵל שַׂגִּיא וְלֹא נֵדָע מִסְפַּר שָׁנָיו וְלֹא־חֵקֶר׃

27He forms the droplets of water, Which cluster into rain, from His mist.

כזכִּי יְגָרַע נִטְפֵי־מָיִם יָזֹקּוּ מָטָר לְאֵדוֹ׃

28The skies rain; They pour down on all mankind.

כחאֲשֶׁר־יִזְּלוּ שְׁחָקִים יִרְעֲפוּ עֲלֵי אָדָם רָב׃

29Can one, indeed, contemplate the expanse of clouds, The thunderings from His pavilion?

כטאַף אִם־יָבִין מִפְרְשֵׂי־עָב תְּשֻׁאוֹת סֻכָּתוֹ׃

30See, He spreads His lightning over it; It fills the bed of the sea.

להֵן־פָּרַשׂ עָלָיו אוֹרוֹ וְשָׁרְשֵׁי הַיָּם כִּסָּה׃

31By these things He controls peoples; He gives food in abundance.

kee VAM ya-DEEN a-MEEM yi-TEN O-khel l'-makh-BEER

לאכִּי־בָם יָדִין עַמִּים יִתֶּן־אֹכֶל לְמַכְבִּיר׃

32Lightning fills His hands; He orders it to hit the mark.

לבעַל־כַּפַּיִם כִּסָּה־אוֹר וַיְצַו עָלֶיהָ בְמַפְגִּיעַ׃

33Its noise tells of Him. The kindling of anger against iniquity.

לגיַגִּיד עָלָיו רֵעוֹ מִקְנֶה אַף עַל־עוֹלֶה׃