Chapter 24
Job: Judgment for the Wicked
1
[“]Why does the Almighty not reserve times for judgment? Why may those who know Him never see His days?
𐤌𐤃𐤅𐤏 𐤌𐤔𐤃𐤉 𐤋𐤀 𐤍𐤑𐤐𐤍𐤅 𐤏𐤕𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤉𐤃𐤏𐤅 𐤋𐤀 𐤇𐤆𐤅 𐤉𐤌𐤉𐤅
מַדּ֗וּעַ מִ֭שַּׁדַּי לֹא־ נִצְפְּנ֣וּ עִתִּ֑ים וְיֹדְעוֹ לֹא־ חָ֥זוּ יָמָֽיו׃ mad·dū·a‘ miš·šad·day lō- niṣ·pə·nū ‘it·tîm wə·yō·ḏə·ʿō lō- ḥā·zū yā·māw — WLC · 1
2
Men move boundary stones; they pasture stolen flocks.
𐤉𐤔𐤉𐤂𐤅 𐤂𐤁𐤋𐤅𐤕 𐤅𐤉𐤓𐤏𐤅 𐤂𐤆𐤋𐤅 𐤏𐤃𐤓
יַשִּׂ֑יגוּ גְּבֻל֥וֹת וַיִּרְעֽוּ׃ גָּ֝זְל֗וּ עֵ֥דֶר yaś·śî·ḡū gə·ḇu·lō·wṯ way·yir·‘ū gā·zə·lū ‘ê·ḏer — WLC · 2
3
They drive away the donkey of the fatherless and take the widow’s ox in pledge.
𐤉𐤍𐤄𐤂𐤅 𐤇𐤌𐤅𐤓 𐤉𐤕𐤅𐤌𐤉𐤌 𐤀𐤋𐤌𐤍𐤄 𐤔𐤅𐤓 𐤉𐤇𐤁𐤋𐤅
יִנְהָ֑גוּ חֲמ֣וֹר יְתוֹמִ֣ים אַלְמָנָֽה׃ שׁ֣וֹר יַ֝חְבְּל֗וּ yin·hā·ḡū ḥă·mō·wr yə·ṯō·w·mîm ’al·mā·nāh šō·wr yaḥ·bə·lū — WLC · 3
4
They push the needy off the road and force all the poor of the land into hiding.
𐤉𐤈𐤅 𐤀𐤁𐤉𐤅𐤍𐤉𐤌 𐤌𐤃𐤓𐤊 𐤉𐤇𐤃 𐤏𐤍𐤉𐤉 𐤀𐤓𐤑 𐤇𐤁𐤀𐤅
יַטּ֣וּ אֶבְיוֹנִ֣ים מִדָּ֑רֶךְ יַ֥חַד עֲנִיֵּי־ אָֽרֶץ׃ חֻ֝בְּא֗וּ yaṭ·ṭū ’eḇ·yō·w·nîm mid·dā·reḵ ya·ḥaḏ ‘ă·nî·yê- ’ā·reṣ ḥub·bə·’ū — WLC · 4
5
Indeed, [like] wild donkeys in the desert, the poor go to work foraging for food; the wasteland is food for their children.
𐤄𐤍 𐤐𐤓𐤀𐤉𐤌 𐤁𐤌𐤃𐤁𐤓 𐤉𐤑𐤀𐤅 𐤁𐤐𐤏𐤋𐤌 𐤌𐤔𐤇𐤓𐤉 𐤋𐤈𐤓𐤐 𐤏𐤓𐤁𐤄 𐤋𐤅 𐤋𐤇𐤌 𐤋𐤍𐤏𐤓𐤉𐤌
הֵ֤ן פְּרָאִ֨ים׀ בַּֽמִּדְבָּ֗ר יָצְא֣וּ בְּ֭פָעֳלָם מְשַׁחֲרֵ֣י לַטָּ֑רֶף עֲרָבָ֥ה ל֥וֹ לֶ֝֗חֶם לַנְּעָרִֽים׃ hên pə·rā·’îm bam·miḏ·bār yā·ṣə·’ū bə·p̄ā·‘o·lām mə·ša·ḥă·rê laṭ·ṭā·rep̄ ‘ă·rā·ḇāh lōw le·ḥem lan·nə·‘ā·rîm — WLC · 5
6
They gather fodder in the fields and glean the vineyards of the wicked.
𐤉𐤒𐤑𐤉𐤓𐤅 𐤁𐤋𐤉𐤋𐤅 𐤁𐤔𐤃𐤄 𐤉𐤋𐤒𐤔𐤅 𐤅𐤊𐤓𐤌 𐤓𐤔𐤏
יַקְצִירוּ בְּלִיל֣וֹ בַּ֭שָּׂדֶה יְלַקֵּֽשׁוּ׃ וְכֶ֖רֶם רָשָׁ֣ע yaq·ṣī·rū bə·lî·lōw baś·śā·ḏeh yə·laq·qê·šū wə·ḵe·rem rā·šā‘ — WLC · 6
7
Without clothing, they spend the night naked; they have no covering against the cold.
𐤌𐤁𐤋𐤉 𐤋𐤁𐤅𐤔 𐤉𐤋𐤉𐤍𐤅 𐤏𐤓𐤅𐤌 𐤅𐤀𐤉𐤍 𐤊𐤎𐤅𐤕 𐤁𐤒𐤓𐤄
מִבְּלִ֣י לְב֑וּשׁ יָ֭לִינוּ עָר֣וֹם וְאֵ֥ין כְּ֝ס֗וּת בַּקָּרָֽה׃ mib·bə·lî lə·ḇūš yā·lî·nū ‘ā·rō·wm wə·’ên kə·sūṯ baq·qā·rāh — WLC · 7
8
Drenched by mountain rains, they huddle against the rocks for want of shelter.
𐤉𐤓𐤈𐤁𐤅 𐤄𐤓𐤉𐤌 𐤌𐤆𐤓𐤌 𐤇𐤁𐤒𐤅 𐤑𐤅𐤓 𐤅𐤌𐤁𐤋𐤉 𐤌𐤇𐤎𐤄
יִרְטָ֑בוּ הָרִ֣ים מִזֶּ֣רֶם חִבְּקוּ־ צֽוּר׃ וּֽמִבְּלִ֥י מַ֝חְסֶ֗ה yir·ṭā·ḇū hā·rîm miz·ze·rem ḥib·bə·qū- ṣūr ū·mib·bə·lî maḥ·seh — WLC · 8
9
The fatherless infant is snatched from the breast; the nursing child of the poor is seized for a debt.
𐤉𐤕𐤅𐤌 𐤉𐤂𐤆𐤋𐤅 𐤌𐤔𐤃 𐤅𐤏𐤋 𐤏𐤍𐤉 𐤉𐤇𐤁𐤋𐤅
יָת֑וֹם יִ֭גְזְלוּ מִשֹּׁ֣ד וְֽעַל־ עָנִ֥י יַחְבֹּֽלוּ׃ yā·ṯō·wm yiḡ·zə·lū miš·šōḏ wə·‘al- ‘ā·nî yaḥ·bō·lū — WLC · 9
10
Without clothing, they wander about naked. They carry the sheaves, but still go hungry.
𐤁𐤋𐤉 𐤋𐤁𐤅𐤔 𐤄𐤋𐤊𐤅 𐤏𐤓𐤅𐤌 𐤍𐤔𐤀𐤅 𐤏𐤌𐤓 𐤅𐤓𐤏𐤁𐤉𐤌
בְּלִ֣י לְב֑וּשׁ הִ֭לְּכוּ עָר֣וֹם נָ֣שְׂאוּ עֹֽמֶר׃ וּ֝רְעֵבִ֗ים bə·lî lə·ḇūš hil·lə·ḵū ‘ā·rō·wm nā·śə·’ū ‘ō·mer ū·rə·‘ê·ḇîm — WLC · 10
11
They crush olives within their walls; they tread the winepresses, but go thirsty.
𐤉𐤑𐤄𐤉𐤓𐤅 𐤁𐤉𐤍 𐤔𐤅𐤓𐤕𐤌 𐤃𐤓𐤊𐤅 𐤉𐤒𐤁𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤉𐤑𐤌𐤀𐤅
יַצְהִ֑ירוּ בֵּין־ שׁוּרֹתָ֥ם דָּ֝רְכ֗וּ יְקָבִ֥ים וַיִּצְמָֽאוּ׃ yaṣ·hî·rū bên- šū·rō·ṯām dā·rə·ḵū yə·qā·ḇîm way·yiṣ·mā·’ū — WLC · 11
12
From the city, men groan, and the souls of the wounded cry out, yet God charges no one with wrongdoing.
𐤌𐤏𐤉𐤓 𐤌𐤕𐤉𐤌 𐤉𐤍𐤀𐤒𐤅 𐤅𐤍𐤐𐤔 𐤇𐤋𐤋𐤉𐤌 𐤕𐤔𐤅𐤏 𐤅𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄 𐤉𐤔𐤉𐤌 𐤋𐤀 𐤕𐤐𐤋𐤄
מֵ֘עִ֤יר מְתִ֨ים׀ יִנְאָ֗קוּ וְנֶֽפֶשׁ־ חֲלָלִ֥ים תְּשַׁוֵּ֑עַ וֶ֝אֱל֗וֹהַּ יָשִׂ֥ים לֹא־ תִּפְלָֽה׃ mê·‘îr mə·ṯîm yin·’ā·qū wə·ne·p̄eš- ḥă·lā·lîm tə·šaw·wê·a‘ we·’ĕ·lō·w·ah yā·śîm lō- tip̄·lāh — WLC · 12
13
Then there are those who rebel against the light, not knowing its ways… or staying on its paths.
𐤄𐤌𐤄 𐤄𐤉𐤅 𐤁𐤌𐤓𐤃𐤉 𐤀𐤅𐤓 𐤋𐤀 𐤄𐤊𐤉𐤓𐤅 𐤃𐤓𐤊𐤉𐤅 𐤅𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤔𐤁𐤅 𐤁𐤍𐤕𐤉𐤁𐤕𐤉𐤅
הֵ֤מָּה׀ הָיוּ֮ בְּֽמֹרְדֵ֫י־ א֥וֹר לֹֽא־ הִכִּ֥ירוּ דְרָכָ֑יו וְלֹ֥א יָ֝שְׁב֗וּ בִּנְתִיבֹתָֽיו׃ hêm·māh hā·yū bə·mō·rə·ḏê- ’ō·wr lō- hik·kî·rū ḏə·rā·ḵāw wə·lō yā·šə·ḇū bin·ṯî·ḇō·ṯāw — WLC · 13
14
When daylight [is gone], the murderer rises to kill the poor and needy; in the night he is like a thief.
𐤋𐤀𐤅𐤓 𐤓𐤅𐤑𐤇 𐤉𐤒𐤅𐤌 𐤉𐤒𐤈𐤋 𐤏𐤍𐤉 𐤅𐤀𐤁𐤉𐤅𐤍 𐤅𐤁𐤋𐤉𐤋𐤄 𐤉𐤄𐤉 𐤊𐤂𐤍𐤁
לָא֡וֹר רוֹצֵ֗חַ יָ֘ק֤וּם יִֽקְטָל־ עָנִ֥י וְאֶבְי֑וֹן וּ֝בַלַּ֗יְלָה יְהִ֣י כַגַּנָּֽב׃ lā·’ō·wr rō·w·ṣê·aḥ yā·qūm yiq·ṭāl- ‘ā·nî wə·’eḇ·yō·wn ū·ḇal·lay·lāh yə·hî ḵag·gan·nāḇ — WLC · 14
15
The eye of the adulterer watches for twilight. Thinking, ‘No eye will see me,’ he covers… his face.
𐤅𐤏𐤉𐤍 𐤍𐤀𐤐 𐤔𐤌𐤓𐤄 𐤍𐤔𐤐 𐤋𐤀𐤌𐤓 𐤋𐤀 𐤏𐤉𐤍 𐤕𐤔𐤅𐤓𐤍𐤉 𐤅𐤎𐤕𐤓 𐤉𐤔𐤉𐤌 𐤐𐤍𐤉𐤌
וְעֵ֤ין נֹאֵ֨ף׀ שָׁ֤מְרָֽה נֶ֣שֶׁף לֵ֭אמֹר לֹא־ עָ֑יִן תְשׁוּרֵ֣נִי וְסֵ֖תֶר יָשִֽׂים׃ פָּנִ֣ים wə·‘ên nō·’êp̄ šā·mə·rāh ne·šep̄ lê·mōr lō- ‘ā·yin ṯə·šū·rê·nî wə·sê·ṯer yā·śîm pā·nîm — WLC · 15
16
In the dark they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves in never to experience the light.
𐤁𐤇𐤔𐤊 𐤇𐤕𐤓 𐤁𐤕𐤉𐤌 𐤉𐤅𐤌𐤌 𐤇𐤕𐤌𐤅 𐤋𐤌𐤅 𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤃𐤏𐤅 𐤀𐤅𐤓
בַּחֹ֗שֶׁךְ חָתַ֥ר בָּ֫תִּ֥ים יוֹמָ֥ם חִתְּמוּ־ לָ֗מוֹ לֹא־ יָ֥דְעוּ אֽוֹר׃ ba·ḥō·šeḵ ḥā·ṯar bāt·tîm yō·w·mām ḥit·tə·mū- lā·mōw lō- yā·ḏə·‘ū ’ō·wr — WLC · 16
17
For to them, deep darkness is their morning; surely they are friends with the terrors of darkness!
𐤊𐤉 𐤋𐤌𐤅 𐤑𐤋𐤌𐤅𐤕 𐤉𐤇𐤃𐤅 𐤁𐤒𐤓 𐤊𐤉 𐤉𐤊𐤉𐤓 𐤁𐤋𐤄𐤅𐤕 𐤑𐤋𐤌𐤅𐤕
כִּ֤י לָ֣מוֹ צַלְמָ֑וֶת יַחְדָּ֨ו׀ בֹּ֣קֶר כִּֽי־ יַ֝כִּ֗יר בַּלְה֥וֹת צַלְמָֽוֶת׃ kî lā·mōw ṣal·mā·weṯ yaḥ·dāw bō·qer kî- yak·kîr bal·hō·wṯ ṣal·mā·weṯ — WLC · 17
18
They are but foam on the surface of the water; their portion of the land is cursed, so that no one turns toward their vineyards.
𐤄𐤅𐤀 𐤒𐤋 𐤏𐤋 𐤐𐤍𐤉 𐤌𐤉𐤌 𐤇𐤋𐤒𐤕𐤌 𐤁𐤀𐤓𐤑 𐤕𐤒𐤋𐤋 𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤐𐤍𐤄 𐤃𐤓𐤊 𐤊𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤌
ה֤וּא׀ קַֽל־ עַל־ פְּנֵי־ מַ֗יִם חֶלְקָתָ֣ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ תְּקֻלַּ֣ל לֹֽא־ יִ֝פְנֶה דֶּ֣רֶךְ כְּרָמִֽים׃ hū qal- ‘al- pə·nê- ma·yim ḥel·qā·ṯām bā·’ā·reṣ tə·qul·lal lō- yip̄·neh de·reḵ kə·rā·mîm — WLC · 18
19
As drought and heat consume vvv the melting snow, so Sheol steals those who have sinned.
𐤑𐤉𐤄 𐤂𐤌 𐤇𐤌 𐤉𐤂𐤆𐤋𐤅 𐤌𐤉𐤌𐤉 𐤔𐤋𐤂 𐤔𐤀𐤅𐤋 𐤇𐤈𐤀𐤅
צִיָּ֤ה גַם־ חֹ֗ם יִגְזְל֥וּ מֵֽימֵי־ שֶׁ֗לֶג שְׁא֣וֹל חָטָֽאוּ׃ ṣî·yāh ḡam- ḥōm yiḡ·zə·lū mê·mê- še·leḡ šə·’ō·wl ḥā·ṭā·’ū — WLC · 19
20
The womb forgets them; the worm feeds on them; they are remembered no more. So injustice is broken like a tree.
𐤓𐤇𐤌 𐤉𐤔𐤊𐤇𐤄𐤅 𐤓𐤌𐤄 𐤌𐤕𐤒𐤅 𐤉𐤆𐤊𐤓 𐤋𐤀 𐤏𐤅𐤃 𐤏𐤅𐤋𐤄 𐤅𐤕𐤔𐤁𐤓 𐤊𐤏𐤑
רֶ֨חֶם׀ יִשְׁכָּ֘חֵ֤הוּ רִמָּ֗ה מְתָ֘ק֤וֹ יִזָּכֵ֑ר לֹֽא־ ע֥וֹד עַוְלָֽה׃ וַתִּשָּׁבֵ֖ר כָּעֵ֣ץ re·ḥem yiš·kā·ḥê·hū rim·māh mə·ṯā·qōw yiz·zā·ḵêr lō- ‘ō·wḏ ‘aw·lāh wat·tiš·šā·ḇêr kā·‘êṣ — WLC · 20
21
They prey on the barren and childless…, and show no kindness to the widow.
𐤓𐤏𐤄 𐤏𐤒𐤓𐤄 𐤋𐤀 𐤕𐤋𐤃 𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤉𐤈𐤉𐤁 𐤅𐤀𐤋𐤌𐤍𐤄
רֹעֶ֣ה עֲ֭קָרָה לֹ֣א תֵלֵ֑ד לֹ֣א יְיֵטִֽיב׃ וְ֝אַלְמָנָ֗ה rō·‘eh ‘ă·qā·rāh lō ṯê·lêḏ lō yə·yê·ṭîḇ wə·’al·mā·nāh — WLC · 21
22
Yet by His power, God drags away the mighty; though rising up, they have no assurance of life.
𐤁𐤊𐤇𐤅 𐤅𐤌𐤔𐤊 𐤀𐤁𐤉𐤓𐤉𐤌 𐤉𐤒𐤅𐤌 𐤅𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤀𐤌𐤉𐤍 𐤁𐤇𐤉𐤉𐤍
בְּכֹח֑וֹ וּמָשַׁ֣ךְ אַבִּירִ֣ים יָ֝ק֗וּם וְֽלֹא־ יַאֲמִ֥ין בַּֽחַיִּֽין׃ bə·ḵō·ḥōw ū·mā·šaḵ ’ab·bî·rîm yā·qūm wə·lō- ya·’ă·mîn ba·ḥay·yîn — WLC · 22
23
He gives them a sense of security…, but His eyes are on their ways.
𐤉𐤕𐤍 𐤋𐤅 𐤋𐤁𐤈𐤇 𐤅𐤉𐤔𐤏𐤍 𐤅𐤏𐤉𐤍𐤉𐤄𐤅 𐤏𐤋 𐤃𐤓𐤊𐤉𐤄𐤌
יִתֶּן־ ל֣וֹ לָ֭בֶטַח וְיִשָּׁעֵ֑ן וְ֝עֵינֵ֗יהוּ עַל־ דַּרְכֵיהֶֽם׃ yit·ten- lōw lā·ḇe·ṭaḥ wə·yiš·šā·‘ên wə·‘ê·nê·hū ‘al- dar·ḵê·hem — WLC · 23
24
They are exalted for a moment, then they are gone; they are brought low and gathered up like all others; they are cut off like heads of grain.
𐤓𐤅𐤌𐤅 𐤌𐤏𐤈 𐤅𐤀𐤉𐤍𐤍𐤅 𐤅𐤄𐤌𐤊𐤅 𐤉𐤒𐤐𐤑𐤅𐤍 𐤊𐤊𐤋 𐤉𐤌𐤋𐤅 𐤅𐤊𐤓𐤀𐤔 𐤔𐤁𐤋𐤕
ר֤וֹמּוּ מְּעַ֨ט׀ וְֽאֵינֶ֗נּוּ וְֽהֻמְּכ֗וּ יִקָּפְצ֑וּן כַּכֹּ֥ל יִמָּֽלוּ׃ וּכְרֹ֖אשׁ שִׁבֹּ֣לֶת rō·wm·mū mə·‘aṭ wə·’ê·nen·nū wə·hum·mə·ḵū yiq·qā·p̄ə·ṣūn kak·kōl yim·mā·lū ū·ḵə·rōš šib·bō·leṯ — WLC · 24
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If this is not so, then who can prove me a liar and reduce my words to nothing?”
𐤅𐤀𐤌 𐤋𐤀 𐤀𐤐𐤅 𐤌𐤉 𐤉𐤊𐤆𐤉𐤁𐤍𐤉 𐤅𐤉𐤔𐤌 𐤌𐤋𐤕𐤉𐤎 𐤋𐤀𐤋
וְאִם־ לֹ֣א אֵ֭פוֹ מִ֣י יַכְזִיבֵ֑נִי וְיָשֵׂ֥ם מִלָּתִֽי׃ס לְ֝אַ֗ל wə·’im- lō ’ê·p̄ōw mî yaḵ·zî·ḇê·nî wə·yā·śêm mil·lā·ṯî lə·’al — WLC · 25