מַדּ֗וּעַ מִ֭שַּׁדַּי לֹא־נִצְפְּנ֣וּ עִתִּ֑ים וְ֝יֹדְעָ֗ו לֹא־חָ֥זוּ יָמָֽיו׃ Why are times for judgment not reserved by Shaddai?
Even those close to Him cannot foresee His actions.aLit. “days.”
גְּבֻל֥וֹת יַשִּׂ֑יגוּ עֵ֥דֶר גָּ֝זְל֗וּ וַיִּרְעֽוּ׃ People remove boundary-stones;
They carry off flocks and pasture them;
חֲמ֣וֹר יְתוֹמִ֣ים יִנְהָ֑גוּ יַ֝חְבְּל֗וּ שׁ֣וֹר אַלְמָנָֽה׃ They lead away the donkeys of the fatherless,
And seize the widow’s bull as a pledge;
יַטּ֣וּ אֶבְיֹנִ֣ים מִדָּ֑רֶךְ יַ֥חַד חֻ֝בְּא֗וּ עֲנִיֵּי־אָֽרֶץ׃ They chase the needy off the roads;
All the poor of the land are forced into hiding.
הֵ֤ן פְּרָאִ֨ים ׀ בַּ֥מִּדְבָּ֗ר יָצְא֣וּ בְּ֭פׇעֳלָם מְשַׁחֲרֵ֣י לַטָּ֑רֶף עֲרָבָ֥ה ל֥וֹ לֶ֝֗חֶם לַנְּעָרִֽים׃ Like the wild asses of the wilderness,
They go about their tasks, seeking food;
The wilderness provides each with food for his lads;
בַּ֭שָּׂדֶה בְּלִיל֣וֹ (יקצירו) [יִקְצ֑וֹרוּ] וְכֶ֖רֶם רָשָׁ֣ע יְלַקֵּֽשׁוּ׃ They harvest fodder in the field,
And glean the late grapes in the vineyards of the wicked.
עָר֣וֹם יָ֭לִינוּ מִבְּלִ֣י לְב֑וּשׁ וְאֵ֥ין כְּ֝ס֗וּת בַּקָּרָֽה׃ They pass the night naked for lack of clothing,
They have no covering against the cold;
מִזֶּ֣רֶם הָרִ֣ים יִרְטָ֑בוּ וּֽמִבְּלִ֥י מַ֝חְסֶ֗ה חִבְּקוּ־צֽוּר׃ They are drenched by the mountain rains,
And huddle against the rock for lack of shelter.
יִ֭גְזְלוּ מִשֹּׁ֣ד יָת֑וֹם וְֽעַל־עָנִ֥י יַחְבֹּֽלוּ׃ bThis verse belongs to the description of the wicked in vv. 2–4a.They snatch the fatherless infant from the breast,
And seize the child of the poor as a pledge.
עָר֣וֹם הִ֭לְּכוּ בְּלִ֣י לְב֑וּשׁ וּ֝רְעֵבִ֗ים נָ֣שְׂאוּ עֹֽמֶר׃ They go about naked for lack of clothing,
And, hungry, carry sheaves;
בֵּין־שׁוּרֹתָ֥ם יַצְהִ֑ירוּ יְקָבִ֥ים דָּ֝רְכ֗וּ וַיִּצְמָֽאוּ׃ Between rows [of olive trees] they make oil,
And, thirsty, they tread the winepresses.
מֵ֘עִ֤יר מְתִ֨ים ׀ יִנְאָ֗קוּ וְנֶֽפֶשׁ־חֲלָלִ֥ים תְּשַׁוֵּ֑עַ וֶ֝אֱל֗וֹהַּ לֹֽא־יָשִׂ֥ים תִּפְלָֽה׃ Men groan in the city;
The souls of the dying cry out;
Yet God does not regard it as a reproach.
הֵ֤מָּה ׀ הָיוּ֮ בְּֽמֹרְדֵ֫י־א֥וֹר לֹא־הִכִּ֥ירוּ דְרָכָ֑יו וְלֹ֥א יָ֝שְׁב֗וּ בִּנְתִיבֹתָֽיו׃ They are rebels against the light;
They are strangers to its ways,
And do not stay in its path.
לָא֡וֹר יָ֘ק֤וּם רוֹצֵ֗חַ יִֽקְטׇל־עָנִ֥י וְאֶבְי֑וֹן וּ֝בַלַּ֗יְלָה יְהִ֣י כַגַּנָּֽב׃ The murderer arises cCf. Mishnaic Heb. ‘or, Aramaic ‘orta, “evening”; others “with the light.”in the evening-c
To kill the poor and needy,
And at night he acts the thief.
וְעֵ֤ין נֹאֵ֨ף ׀ שָׁ֤מְרָֽה־נֶ֣שֶׁף לֵ֭אמֹר לֹא־תְשׁוּרֵ֣נִי עָ֑יִן וְסֵ֖תֶר פָּנִ֣ים יָשִֽׂים׃ The eyes of the adulterer watch for twilight,
Thinking, “No one will glimpse me then.”
He masks his face.
חָתַ֥ר בַּחֹ֗שֶׁךְ בָּ֫תִּ֥ים יוֹמָ֥ם חִתְּמוּ־לָ֗מוֹ לֹא־יָ֥דְעוּ אֽוֹר׃ In the dark they break into houses;
By day they shut themselves in;
They do not know the light.
כִּ֤י יַחְדָּ֨ו ׀ בֹּ֣קֶר לָ֣מוֹ צַלְמָ֑וֶת כִּֽי־יַ֝כִּ֗יר בַּלְה֥וֹת צַלְמָֽוֶת׃ For all of them morning is darkness;
It is then that they discern the terror of darkness.
קַל־ה֤וּא ׀ עַל־פְּנֵי־מַ֗יִם תְּקֻלַּ֣ל חֶלְקָתָ֣ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ לֹא־יִ֝פְנֶ֗ה דֶּ֣רֶךְ כְּרָמִֽים׃ dFrom here to the end of the chapter the translation is largely conjectural.May they be flotsam on the face of the water;
May their portion in the land be cursed;
May none turn aside by way of their vineyards.
צִיָּ֤ה גַם־חֹ֗ם יִגְזְל֥וּ מֵֽימֵי־שֶׁ֗לֶג שְׁא֣וֹל חָטָֽאוּ׃ May drought and heat snatch away their snow waters,
And Sheol, those who have sinned.
יִשְׁכָּ֘חֵ֤הוּ רֶ֨חֶם ׀ מְתָ֘ק֤וֹ רִמָּ֗ה ע֥וֹד לֹֽא־יִזָּכֵ֑ר וַתִּשָּׁבֵ֖ר כָּעֵ֣ץ עַוְלָֽה׃ May the womb forget him;
May he be sweet to the worms;
May he be no longer remembered;
May wrongdoers be broken like a tree.
רֹעֶ֣ה עֲ֭קָרָה לֹ֣א תֵלֵ֑ד וְ֝אַלְמָנָ֗ה לֹ֣א יְיֵטִֽיב׃ May he consort with a barren woman who bears no child,
Leave his widow deprived of good.
וּמָשַׁ֣ךְ אַבִּירִ֣ים בְּכֹח֑וֹ יָ֝ק֗וּם וְֽלֹא־יַאֲמִ֥ין בַּחַיִּֽין׃ Though he has the strength to seize bulls,
May he live with no assurance of survival.
יִתֶּן־ל֣וֹ לָ֭בֶטַח וְיִשָּׁעֵ֑ן וְ֝עֵינֵ֗יהוּ עַל־דַּרְכֵיהֶֽם׃ Yet [God] gives him the security on which he relies,
And keeps watch over his affairs.
ר֤וֹמּוּ מְּעַ֨ט ׀ וְֽאֵינֶ֗נּוּ וְֽהֻמְּכ֗וּ כַּכֹּ֥ל יִקָּפְצ֑וּן וּכְרֹ֖אשׁ שִׁבֹּ֣לֶת יִמָּֽלוּ׃ Exalted for a while, let them be gone;
Be brought low, and shrivel like mallows,
And wither like the heads of grain.
וְאִם־לֹ֣א אֵ֭פוֹ מִ֣י יַכְזִיבֵ֑נִי וְיָשֵׂ֥ם לְ֝אַ֗ל מִלָּתִֽי׃ {פ}
Surely no one can confute me,
Or prove that I am wrong.