1 Pray, call, is there any to answer thee? And unto which of the holy ones dost thou turn?

1 קְֽרָא־נָ֭א הֲיֵ֣שׁ עֹונֶ֑ךָּ וְאֶל־מִ֖י מִקְּדֹשִׁ֣ים³ תִּפְנֶֽה׃

2 For provocation slayeth the perverse, And envy putteth to death the simple,

2 כִּֽי־לֶֽ֭אֱוִיל יַהֲרָג־כָּ֑עַשׂ וּ֝פֹתֶ֗ה תָּמִ֥ית קִנְאָֽה׃

3 I -- I have seen the perverse taking root, And I mark his habitation straightway,

3 אֲ‍ֽנִי־רָ֭אִיתִי אֱוִ֣יל מַשְׁרִ֑ישׁ וָאֶקֹּ֖וב נָוֵ֣הוּ פִתְאֹֽם׃

4 Far are his sons from safety, And they are bruised in the gate, And there is no deliverer.

4 יִרְחֲק֣וּ בָנָ֣יו מִיֶּ֑שַׁע וְיִֽדַּכְּא֥וּ בַ֝שַּׁ֗עַר וְאֵ֣ין מַצִּֽיל׃

5 Whose harvest the hungry doth eat, And even from the thorns taketh it, And the designing swallowed their wealth.

5 אֲשֶׁ֤ר קְצִירֹ֨ו׀ רָ֘עֵ֤ב יֹאכֵ֗ל וְאֶֽל־מִצִּנִּ֥ים יִקָּחֵ֑הוּ וְשָׁאַ֖ף צַמִּ֣ים חֵילָֽם׃

6 For sorrow cometh not forth from the dust, Nor from the ground springeth up misery.

6 כִּ֤י׀ לֹא־יֵצֵ֣א מֵעָפָ֣ר אָ֑וֶן וּ֝מֵאֲדָמָ֗ה לֹא־יִצְמַ֥ח עָמָֽל׃

7 For man to misery is born, And the sparks go high to fly.

7 כִּֽי־אָ֭דָם לְעָמָ֣ל יוּלָּ֑ד וּבְנֵי־רֶ֝֗שֶׁף יַגְבִּ֥יהוּ עֽוּף׃

8 Yet I -- I inquire for God, And for God I give my word,

8 אוּלָ֗ם אֲ֭נִי אֶדְרֹ֣שׁ אֶל־אֵ֑ל וְאֶל־אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים אָשִׂ֥ים דִּבְרָתִֽי׃

9 Doing great things, and there is no searching. Wonderful, till there is no numbering.

9 עֹשֶׂ֣ה גְ֭דֹלֹות וְאֵ֣ין חֵ֑קֶר נִ֝פְלָאֹ֗ות עַד־אֵ֥ין מִסְפָּֽר׃

10 Who is giving rain on the face of the land, And is sending waters on the out-places.

10 הַנֹּתֵ֣ן מָ֭טָר עַל־פְּנֵי־אָ֑רֶץ וְשֹׁ֥לֵֽחַ מַ֝יִם עַל־פְּנֵ֥י חוּצֹֽות׃

11 To set the low on a high place, And the mourners have been high `in' safety.

11 לָשׂ֣וּם שְׁפָלִ֣ים לְמָרֹ֑ום וְ֝קֹדְרִ֗ים שָׂ֣גְבוּ יֶֽשַׁע׃

12 Making void thoughts of the subtile, And their hands do not execute wisdom.

12 מֵ֭פֵר מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ות עֲרוּמִ֑ים וְֽלֹא־תַעֲשֶׂ֥ינָה יְ֝דֵיהֶ֗ם תּוּשִׁיָּֽה׃

13 Capturing the wise in their subtilty, And the counsel of wrestling ones was hastened,

13 לֹכֵ֣ד חֲכָמִ֣ים בְּעָרְמָ֑ם וַעֲצַ֖ת נִפְתָּלִ֣ים נִמְהָֽרָה׃

14 By day they meet darkness, And as night -- they grope at noon.

14 יֹומָ֥ם יְפַגְּשׁוּ־חֹ֑שֶׁךְ וְ֝כַלַּ֗יְלָה יְֽמַשְׁשׁ֥וּ בַֽצָּהֳרָֽיִם׃

15 And He saveth the wasted from their mouth, And from a strong hand the needy,

15 וַיֹּ֣שַׁע מֵ֭חֶרֶב מִפִּיהֶ֑ם וּמִיַּ֖ד חָזָ֣ק אֶבְיֹֽון׃

16 And there is hope to the poor, And perverseness hath shut her mouth.

16 וַתְּהִ֣י לַדַּ֣ל תִּקְוָ֑ה וְ֝עֹלָ֗תָה קָ֣פְצָה פִּֽיהָ׃

17 Lo, the happiness of mortal man, God doth reprove him: And the chastisement of the Mighty despise not,

17 הִנֵּ֤ה אַשְׁרֵ֣י אֱ֭נֹושׁ יֹוכִחֶ֣נּֽוּ אֱלֹ֑והַּ וּמוּסַ֥ר דַּ֗י אַל־תִּמְאָֽס׃

18 For He doth pain, and He bindeth up, He smiteth, and His hands heal.

18 כִּ֤י ה֣וּא יַכְאִ֣יב וְיֶחְבָּ֑שׁ יִ֝מְחַ֗ץ וְיָדֹו וְיָדָ֥יו תִּרְפֶּֽינָה׃

19 In six distresses He delivereth thee, And in seven evil striketh not on thee.

19 בְּשֵׁ֣שׁ צָ֭רֹות יַצִּילֶ֑ךָּ וּבְשֶׁ֓בַע׀ לֹא־יִגַּ֖ע בְּךָ֣ רָֽע׃

20 In famine He hath redeemed thee from death, And in battle from the hands of the sword.

20 בְּ֭רָעָב פָּֽדְךָ֣ מִמָּ֑וֶת וּ֝בְמִלְחָמָ֗ה מִ֣ידֵי חָֽרֶב׃

21 When the tongue scourgeth thou art hid, And thou art not afraid of destruction, When it cometh.

21 בְּשֹׁ֣וט לָ֭שֹׁון תֵּחָבֵ֑א וְֽלֹא־תִירָ֥א מִ֝שֹּׁ֗ד כִּ֣י יָבֹֽוא׃

22 At destruction and at hunger thou mockest, And of the beast of the earth, Thou art not afraid.

22 לְשֹׁ֣ד וּלְכָפָ֣ן תִּשְׂחָ֑ק וּֽמֵחַיַּ֥ת הָ֝אָ֗רֶץ אַל־תִּירָֽא׃

23 (For with sons of the field `is' thy covenant, And the beast of the field Hath been at peace with thee.)

23 כִּ֤י עִם־אַבְנֵ֣י הַשָּׂדֶ֣ה בְרִיתֶ֑ךָ וְחַיַּ֥ת הַ֝שָּׂדֶ֗ה הָשְׁלְמָה־לָֽךְ׃

24 And thou hast known that thy tent `is' peace, And inspected thy habitation, and errest not,

24 וְֽ֭יָדַעְתָּ כִּי־שָׁלֹ֣ום אָהֳלֶ֑ךָ וּֽפָקַדְתָּ֥ נָ֝וְךָ וְלֹ֣א תֶחֱטָֽא׃

25 And hast known that numerous `is' Thy seed, And thine offspring as the herb of the earth;

25 וְֽ֭יָדַעְתָּ כִּי־רַ֣ב זַרְעֶ֑ךָ וְ֝צֶאֱצָאֶ֗יךָ כְּעֵ֣שֶׂב הָאָֽרֶץ׃

26 Thou comest in full age unto the grave, As the going up of a stalk in its season.

26 תָּבֹ֣וא בְכֶ֣לַח אֱלֵי־קָ֑בֶר כַּעֲלֹ֖ות גָּדִ֣ישׁ בְּעִתֹּֽו׃

27 Lo, this -- we searched it out -- it `is' right, hearken; And thou, know for thyself!

27 הִנֵּה־זֹ֭את חֲקַרְנ֥וּהָ כֶּֽן־הִ֑יא מָעֶ֗נָּה וְאַתָּ֥ה דַֽע־לָֽךְ׃