When God Seems to Look Away.

מַדּ֗וּעַ מִ֭שַּׁדַּי לֹא־נִצְפְּנ֣וּ עִתִּ֑ים ׳וְיֹדְעוֹ׳ ״וְ֝יֹדְעָ֗יו״ לֹא־חָ֥זוּ יָמָֽיו׃

“Why are not times of judgment kept by the Almighty, and why do those who know him never see his days?

גְּבֻל֥וֹת יַשִּׂ֑יגוּ עֵ֥דֶר גָּ֝זְל֗וּ וַיִּרְעֽוּ׃

[2] Some move landmarks; they seize flocks and pasture them.

חֲמ֣וֹר יְתוֹמִ֣ים יִנְהָ֑גוּ יַ֝חְבְּל֗וּ שׁ֣וֹר אַלְמָנָֽה׃

[3] They drive away the donkey of the fatherless; they take the widow's ox for a pledge.

יַטּ֣וּ אֶבְיוֹנִ֣ים מִדָּ֑רֶךְ יַ֥חַד חֻ֝בְּא֗וּ עֲנִיֵּי־אָֽרֶץ׃

[4] They thrust the poor off the road; the poor of the earth all hide themselves.

הֵ֤ן פְּרָאִ֨ים׀ בַּֽמִּדְבָּ֗ר יָצְא֣וּ בְּ֭פָעֳלָם מְשַׁחֲרֵ֣י לַטָּ֑רֶף עֲרָבָ֥ה ל֥וֹ לֶ֝֗חֶם לַנְּעָרִֽים׃

[5] Behold, like wild donkeys in the desert the poor go out to their toil, seeking game; the wasteland yields food for their children.

בַּ֭שָּׂדֶה בְּלִיל֣וֹ ׳יַקְצִירוּ׳ ״יִקְצ֑וֹרוּ״ וְכֶ֖רֶם רָשָׁ֣ע יְלַקֵּֽשׁוּ׃

[6] They gather their fodder in the field, and they glean the vineyard of the wicked man.

עָר֣וֹם יָ֭לִינוּ מִבְּלִ֣י לְב֑וּשׁ וְאֵ֥ין כְּ֝ס֗וּת בַּקָּרָֽה׃

[7] They lie all night naked, without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.

מִזֶּ֣רֶם הָרִ֣ים יִרְטָ֑בוּ וּֽמִבְּלִ֥י מַ֝חְסֶ֗ה חִבְּקוּ־צֽוּר׃

[8] They are wet with the rain of the mountains and cling to the rock for lack of shelter.

יִ֭גְזְלוּ מִשֹּׁ֣ד יָת֑וֹם וְֽעַל־עָנִ֥י יַחְבֹּֽלוּ׃

[9] (There are those who snatch the fatherless child from the breast, and they take a pledge against the poor.)

עָר֣וֹם הִ֭לְּכוּ בְּלִ֣י לְב֑וּשׁ וּ֝רְעֵבִ֗ים נָ֣שְׂאוּ עֹֽמֶר׃

[10] They go about naked, without clothing; hungry, they carry the sheaves;

בֵּין־שׁוּרֹתָ֥ם יַצְהִ֑ירוּ יְקָבִ֥ים דָּ֝רְכ֗וּ וַיִּצְמָֽאוּ׃

[11] among the olive rows of the wicked they make oil; they tread the winepresses, but suffer thirst.

מֵ֘עִ֤יר מְתִ֨ים׀ יִנְאָ֗קוּ וְנֶֽפֶשׁ־חֲלָלִ֥ים תְּשַׁוֵּ֑עַ וֶ֝אֱל֗וֹהַּ לֹא־יָשִׂ֥ים תִּפְלָֽה׃

[12] From out of the city the dying groan, and the soul of the wounded cries for help; yet God charges no one with wrong.

הֵ֤מָּה׀ הָיוּ֮ בְּֽמֹרְדֵ֫י־א֥וֹר לֹֽא־הִכִּ֥ירוּ דְרָכָ֑יו וְלֹ֥א יָ֝שְׁב֗וּ בִּנְתִיבֹתָֽיו׃

[13] “There are those who rebel against the light, who are not acquainted with its ways, and do not stay in its paths.

לָא֡וֹר יָ֘ק֤וּם רוֹצֵ֗חַ יִֽקְטָל־עָנִ֥י וְאֶבְי֑וֹן וּ֝בַלַּ֗יְלָה יְהִ֣י כַגַּנָּֽב׃

[14] The murderer rises before it is light, that he may kill the poor and needy, and in the night he is like a thief.

וְעֵ֤ין נֹאֵ֨ף׀ שָׁ֤מְרָֽה נֶ֣שֶׁף לֵ֭אמֹר לֹא־תְשׁוּרֵ֣נִי עָ֑יִן וְסֵ֖תֶר פָּנִ֣ים יָשִֽׂים׃

[15] The eye of the adulterer also waits for the twilight, saying, ‘No eye will see me’; and he veils his face.

חָתַ֥ר בַּחֹ֗שֶׁךְ בָּ֫תִּ֥ים יוֹמָ֥ם חִתְּמוּ־לָ֗מוֹ לֹא־יָ֥דְעוּ אֽוֹר׃

[16] In the dark they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves up; they do not know the light.

כִּ֤י יַחְדָּ֨ו׀ בֹּ֣קֶר לָ֣מוֹ צַלְמָ֑וֶת כִּֽי־יַ֝כִּ֗יר בַּלְה֥וֹת צַלְמָֽוֶת׃

[17] For deep darkness is morning to all of them; for they are friends with the terrors of deep darkness.

קַֽל־ה֤וּא׀ עַל־פְּנֵי־מַ֗יִם תְּקֻלַּ֣ל חֶלְקָתָ֣ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ לֹֽא־יִ֝פְנֶה דֶּ֣רֶךְ כְּרָמִֽים׃

[18] “You say, ‘Swift are they on the face of the waters; their portion is cursed in the land; no treader turns toward their vineyards.

צִיָּ֤ה גַם־חֹ֗ם יִגְזְל֥וּ מֵֽימֵי־שֶׁ֗לֶג שְׁא֣וֹל חָטָֽאוּ׃

[19] Drought and heat snatch away the snow waters; so does Sheol those who have sinned.

יִשְׁכָּ֘חֵ֤הוּ רֶ֨חֶם׀ מְתָ֘ק֤וֹ רִמָּ֗ה ע֥וֹד לֹֽא־יִזָּכֵ֑ר וַתִּשָּׁבֵ֖ר כָּעֵ֣ץ עַוְלָֽה׃

[20] The womb forgets them; the worm finds them sweet; they are no longer remembered, so wickedness is broken like a tree.’

רֹעֶ֣ה עֲ֭קָרָה לֹ֣א תֵלֵ֑ד וְ֝אַלְמָנָ֗ה לֹ֣א יְיֵטִֽיב׃

[21] “They wrong the barren, childless woman, and do no good to the widow.

וּמָשַׁ֣ךְ אַבִּירִ֣ים בְּכֹח֑וֹ יָ֝ק֗וּם וְֽלֹא־יַאֲמִ֥ין בַּֽחַיִּֽין׃

[22] Yet God prolongs the life of the mighty by his power; they rise up when they despair of life.

יִתֶּן־ל֣וֹ לָ֭בֶטַח וְיִשָּׁעֵ֑ן וְ֝עֵינֵ֗יהוּ עַל־דַּרְכֵיהֶֽם׃

[23] He gives them security, and they are supported, and his eyes are upon their ways.

ר֤וֹמּוּ מְּעַ֨ט׀ וְֽאֵינֶ֗נּוּ וְֽהֻמְּכ֗וּ כַּכֹּ֥ל יִקָּפְצ֑וּן וּכְרֹ֖אשׁ שִׁבֹּ֣לֶת יִמָּֽלוּ׃

[24] They are exalted a little while, and then are gone; they are brought low and gathered up like all others; they are cut off like the heads of grain.

וְאִם־לֹ֣א אֵ֭פוֹ מִ֣י יַכְזִיבֵ֑נִי וְיָשֵׂ֥ם לְ֝אַ֗ל מִלָּתִֽי׃ ס

[25] If it is not so, who will prove me a liar and show that there is nothing in what I say?”