וַ֭יַּעַן בִּלְדַּ֥ד הַשֻּׁחִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ Then Bildad the Shuhite said in reply:
עַד־אָ֤נָה ׀ תְּשִׂימ֣וּן קִנְצֵ֣י לְמִלִּ֑ין תָּ֝בִ֗ינוּ וְאַחַ֥ר נְדַבֵּֽר׃ How long? Put an end to talk!
Consider, and then we shall speak.
מַ֭דּוּעַ נֶחְשַׁ֣בְנוּ כַבְּהֵמָ֑ה נִ֝טְמִ֗ינוּ בְּעֵינֵיכֶֽם׃ Why are we thought of as brutes,
Regarded by you as stupid?
טֹרֵ֥ף נַפְשׁ֗וֹ בְּאַ֫פּ֥וֹ הַֽ֭לְמַעַנְךָ תֵּעָ֣זַב אָ֑רֶץ וְיֶעְתַּק־צ֝֗וּר מִמְּקֹמֽוֹ׃ You who tear yourself to pieces in anger—
Will aLit. “the earth be abandoned.”earth’s order be disrupted-a for your sake?
Will rocks be dislodged from their place?
גַּ֤ם א֣וֹר רְשָׁעִ֣ים יִדְעָ֑ךְ וְלֹא־יִ֝גַּ֗הּ שְׁבִ֣יב אִשּֽׁוֹ׃ Indeed, the light of the wicked fails;
The flame of his fire does not shine.
א֭וֹר חָשַׁ֣ךְ בְּאׇהֳל֑וֹ וְ֝נֵר֗וֹ עָלָ֥יו יִדְעָֽךְ׃ The light in his tent darkens;
His lamp fails him.
יֵ֭צְרוּ צַעֲדֵ֣י אוֹנ֑וֹ וְֽתַשְׁלִיכֵ֥הוּ עֲצָתֽוֹ׃ His iniquitous strides are hobbled;
His schemes overthrow him.
כִּֽי־שֻׁלַּ֣ח בְּרֶ֣שֶׁת בְּרַגְלָ֑יו וְעַל־שְׂ֝בָכָ֗ה יִתְהַלָּֽךְ׃ He is led by his feet into the net;
He walks onto the toils.
יֹאחֵ֣ז בְּעָקֵ֣ב פָּ֑ח יַחֲזֵ֖ק עָלָ֣יו צַמִּֽים׃ The trap seizes his heel;
The noose tightens on him.
טָמ֣וּן בָּאָ֣רֶץ חַבְל֑וֹ וּ֝מַלְכֻּדְתּ֗וֹ עֲלֵ֣י נָתִֽיב׃ The rope for him lies hidden on the ground;
His snare, on the path.
סָ֭בִיב בִּעֲתֻ֣הוּ בַלָּה֑וֹת וֶהֱפִיצֻ֥הוּ לְרַגְלָֽיו׃ Terrors assault him on all sides
And send his feet flying.
יְהִי־רָעֵ֥ב אֹנ֑וֹ וְ֝אֵ֗יד נָכ֥וֹן לְצַלְעֽוֹ׃ His progeny hunger;
Disaster awaits his wife.bLit. “rib” (cf. Gen. 2.22); or “stumbling.”
יֹ֭אכַל בַּדֵּ֣י עוֹר֑וֹ יֹאכַ֥ל בַּ֝דָּ֗יו בְּכ֣וֹר מָֽוֶת׃ The tendons under his skin are consumed;
Death’s first-born consumes his tendons.
יִנָּתֵ֣ק מֵ֭אׇהֳלוֹ מִבְטַח֑וֹ וְ֝תַצְעִדֵ֗הוּ לְמֶ֣לֶךְ בַּלָּהֽוֹת׃ He is torn from the safety of his tent;
Terror marches him to the king.cViz., of the netherworld.
תִּשְׁכּ֣וֹן בְּ֭אׇהֳלוֹ מִבְּלִיל֑וֹ יְזֹרֶ֖ה עַל־נָוֵ֣הוּ גׇפְרִֽית׃ It lodges in his desolate tent;
Sulfur is strewn upon his home.
מִ֭תַּחַת שׇׁרָשָׁ֣יו יִבָ֑שׁוּ וּ֝מִמַּ֗עַל יִמַּ֥ל קְצִירֽוֹ׃ His roots below dry up,
And above, his branches wither.
זִֽכְרוֹ־אָ֭בַד מִנִּי־אָ֑רֶץ וְלֹא־שֵׁ֥ם ל֝֗וֹ עַל־פְּנֵי־חֽוּץ׃ All mention of him vanishes from the earth;
He has no name abroad.
יֶ֭הְדְּפֻהוּ מֵא֣וֹר אֶל־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וּֽמִתֵּבֵ֥ל יְנִדֻּֽהוּ׃ He is thrust from light to darkness,
Driven from the world.
לֹ֘א־נִ֤ין ל֣וֹ וְלֹא־נֶ֣כֶד בְּעַמּ֑וֹ וְאֵ֥ין שָׂ֝רִ֗יד בִּמְגוּרָֽיו׃ He has no seed or breed among his people,
No survivor where he once lived.
עַל־י֭וֹמוֹ נָשַׁ֣מּוּ אַחֲרֹנִ֑ים וְ֝קַדְמֹנִ֗ים אָ֣חֲזוּ שָֽׂעַר׃ Generations to come will be appalled at his fate,
As the previous ones are seized with horror.
אַךְ־אֵ֭לֶּה מִשְׁכְּנ֣וֹת עַוָּ֑ל וְ֝זֶ֗ה מְק֣וֹם לֹֽא־יָדַֽע־אֵֽל׃ {פ}
“These were the haunts of the wicked;
Here was the place of him who knew not God.”