_____________________________________
| JOB                                |
|(c) Dec 2002 RashiYomi Incorporated |
| Posting 8 of 25                    |
| Dec 30, 2002                       |
| In Memory of Abraham Hendel        |
| Translated by Dr Russell Hendel    |
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CHAPTER 12-14
=============
Today we translate chapters 12-14
which according to the outline contains
- ROUND 1
- DIALOG 3
- Jobs refutation of the 3rd attempted
solution to suffering by Sofar Hanamathi

We apply our 3 fold
approach(TOPIC,SUBTOPICS, WORDS)
to Chapter 12-14

We first present BOTH
- the previous one sentence solutions to suffering
- Jobs rebuttal of these attempts

--------------------------------------------------------
ELIPHAZ: Suffering comes to teach & improve
JOB: SUFFERING improves;but PAIN prevents improvement

BILDAD: Suffering comes from sin;Success from observance
JOB: But national tragedies affect righteous/wicked alike

TZORFAR: Suffering comes to encourage more Learning
JOB: But man-s life is short--how much more can he learn
--------------------------------------------------------

This chapter naturally has
6 subtopics as follows:

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MAIN SENTENCE: But mans life is short--how much more can he learn
------------------------------------------------------------------
Jb12-02:06 All you do(addressed to friends) is make fun of me
Jb12-07:02 But All people know Gods ways:God can suddenly change
Jb13-03:22 So lets be non-hypocritical & debate God
Jb13-23:06 Mans life is too short to learn more
Jb14-07:15 Man does not regrow like trees
Jb14-16:22 But man gradually erodes & dies
------------------------------------------------------------------


On a technical point, the reader can of
course recognize chapter subsections by content.
However the reader can also recognize chapter
subsections by KEYWORDS which introduce these
subsections. The sections of this chapter begin
with the Hebrew Keywords,OOLAM(However),
CAMAH(How many), KI(For)

Let us now review the 6 individual sections


---------------- 1st Section -----------------------------------
MAIN SENTENCE: But mans life is short--how much more can he learn
------------------------------------------------------------------
Jb12-02:06 All you do(addressed to friends) is make fun of me
------------------------------------------------------------------
- (Jb12-02) Oh, you guys really state theological policy
- --------- When you die--wisdom itself will disappear
- (Jb12-03) But I also have feelings -- Just like you
- --------- I am not inferior to you
- --------- There is no one like you (for insults)
- (Jb12-04) - I have become the source of laughter of my friends
- --------- - I prayed to God & got answered with
- --------- - - laughter on my righteousness
- (Jb12-05) - - the burning insult of the opulent & secure
- --------- - - ------------------ that is used for people who fall
- (Jb12-06) - You are like muggers with serene tents
- --------- - People who anger God who are secure
- --------- - People who God has blessed their handiwork
-----------------------------------------------------------------


-------------------- 2nd section -------------------------------
MAIN SENTENCE: But mans life is short--how much more can he learn
------------------------------------------------------------------
Jb12-07:02 But All people know Gods ways:God can suddenly change
------------------------------------------------------------------
- (Jb12-07) - However
- --------- - Ask ---- the politicians and they will advise you
- --------- - --- ---- the philosophers and they will tell you
- (Jb12-08) - Or Speak to the masses and they will advise you
- --------- - --------------- polynesian type people who will tell you
- (Jb12-09) - Who is it that doesnt know this
- --------- - -------------------------- that God has arranged all of
this
- (Jb12-10) - -------------------------- that God controls all souls
- --------- - -------------------------- ----------------- all
passions
- (Jb12-11) - Just as the ear is good for discerning words
- --------- - ----------- palate ------- for tasting food
- (Jb12-12) - ----------- sagacious ---- for wisdom
- --------- - ----------- elderly ------ for understanding
- --------- - (So too all people are good for knowing Gods ways)
- (Jb12-13) (And what is it that everyone knows?)
- --------- With Him(God) are wisdom and might
- --------- To Him belong advice and understanding
- (Jb12-14) He can destroy so that no one can rebuild
- --------- tie up a person so that he cant get out of it
- (Jb12-15) he stops tears and drys them up
- --------- or He lets them(tears) go and they overturn ones life
- (Jb12-16) With Him are brazenness and success
- --------- To Him belong error and slips
- (Jb12-17) He can make advisors captives
- --------- ----------- Judges foolish
- (Jb12-18) He frees the prison sentence of Kings
- --------- and He girds prisoners with fancy dress
- (Jb12-19) He makes Priests into captives
- --------- and double crosses the mighty
- (Jb12-20) He removes the lip service of trusted people
- --------- and takes the punchiness of elderly advice
- (Jb12-21) He pours insult on the rich
- --------- and removes the strength of the mighty
- (Jb12-22) He reveals the hidden secrets of a dark past
- --------- and brings death out of a bright life
- (Jb12-23) He can make the nations grow
- --------- or He can destroy them
- --------- or He can spread them out in comfort
- (Jb12-24) He can remove the insights of the heads of state
- --------- -- --- and make them follow a bad path
-
- (Jb13-01) I have seen all the above
- --------- I have heard it
- --------- I understand it
- (Jb13-02) Just as you know it so also do I know it
- --------- I am not inferior to you
----------------------------------------------------------------
COMMENT:
--------
Note our continued use of animal-people analogies. Such poetic
liscence enhances the translation (Thus we have translated
ANIMALS as POLITICIANS and BIRDS as PHILOSOPHERS and LAND as
the MASSES etc).

---------------------- 3rd Section -------------------------------
MAIN SENTENCE: But mans life is short--how much more can he learn
------------------------------------------------------------------
Jb13-03:22 So lets be non-hypocritical & debate God
------------------------------------------------------------------
- (Jb13-03) But I will speak to God
- --------- --- I will argue with God on what I want
- (Jb13-04) Unlike you who cling to lies
- --------- --- you heal with empty statements
- (Jb13-05) If only you would shut up
- --------- and then you would obtain wisdom by...
- (Jb13-06) - hearing my rebukes
- --------- - listening to my debates
-
- (Jb13-07) (Is the alternative better)
- --------- Can you really speak lies to God
- --------- ------------------- deceitfully to God
- (Jb13-08) Are you trying to butter Him up
- --------- Are you trying to defend Him
- (Jb13-09) What will you do when your statements are examined
- --------- Will you be evasive to Him the way you are to other people
- (Jb13-10) If He rebukes you for your false statements
- --------- will you settle matters off the books
- (Jb13-11) Aren't you afraid of Him
- --------- Isnt His fear on you
- (Jb13-12) You will only be remembered as dust
- --------- your achievements are like dust before Him
- (Jb13-13) Therefore shut up:
- --------- Let me speak
- --------- Despite what might happen to me
-
- (Jb13-14) Why do I byte my lips (Why am I suffering)
- --------- --- do I hope to die
- (Jb13-15) (For) Even if God killed me I would still hope for him
- --------- --------------------------- I would argue him face to face
- (Jb13-16) --------------------------- & God would take my side
- --------- --------------------------- for God hates flatters
- (Jb13-17) (Therefore) Hear my words
- --------- ----------- ear my thoughts
- (Jb13-18) Behold: I prepare my case
- --------- I know I will win
- (Jb13-19) For who can argue that I am about to die
- (Jb13-20) I only ask for 2 things so that I can debate You face to
face
- (Jb13-21) --- (a) dont Hit me full force
- --------- ---(b) dont frighten me with Your Awe
- (Jb13-22) & Then either you call & I answer OR
- --------- I will speak & you answer me
---------------------------------------------------------------


---------------------- 4th Section -----------------------------
MAIN SENTENCE: But mans life is short--how much more can he learn
------------------------------------------------------------------
Jb13-23:06 Mans life is too short to learn more
------------------------------------------------------------------
- (Jb13-23) How many sins (Of omission of learning) do I really have
- --------- Tell me my sins and iniquities
- (Jb13-24) Why do you hide Your face (God)(And not tell me)
- --------- Why do you think of me as your enemy
- (Jb13-25) Would You, (God), destroy a broken leaf (Old age)
- --------- Would you pursue dry stubble (Old age)
- (Jb13-26) That you decree on me bitterness
- --------- and make me inherit the sins of my youth
- (Jb13-27) And you (also) tie my feet up in the stock
- --------- and watch all my paths
- --------- and you stamp the roots of my feet?
- (Jb13-28) (For what?) for this body is like withering rot
- --------- Like a garment eaten by moths
- --------- (Job continues more explicitly with his old age theme)
- (Jb14-01) Man?
- --------- ---Is a product of (weak) woman
- --------- ---small in days
- --------- ---full of anger
- (Jb14-02) ---like a blossoming flower that whithers
- --------- ---like a fleeting shadow that will not stand still
-
- (Jb14-03) And on this you place Your efforts
- --------- And sue me (to learn more?)
- (Jb14-04) Can you bring forth purity from impurity?
- --------- No one can (So how can you expect me to learn more)
- ---------
- (Jb14-05) IF mans days are fixed
- --------- -- his months are in your record books
- --------- -- his personal amount is fixed without excpetion
- (Jb14-06) THEN (please) leave him alone
- --------- until the worker-day of his life is complete
----------------------------------------------------------------


---------------------- 5th Section -----------------------------
MAIN SENTENCE: But mans life is short--how much more can he learn
------------------------------------------------------------------
Jb14-07:15 Man does not regrow like trees
------------------------------------------------------------------
- (Job justifies mans transientness with a TREE analogy)
- (Jb14-07) For a TREE (vs man) would have hope
- --------- if you cut it, it will grow back
- --------- and its shoots will not stop
- (Jb14-08) IF its roots grow old in the earth
- --------- -- and its shoots die in dust
- (Jb14-09) THEN from the scent of water it will blossom
- --------- and it will make the shoots of a newly-planted
-
- (Job now cleverly contrasts the TREE with MAN)
- (Jb14-10) But man dies and weakens (No new shoots!)
- --------- Man dies--and where is he
- (Jb14-11) (JUST AS) water evaoprates from the sea
- --------- (-------) a river dries up and becomes rocky
- (Jb14-12) (SO TOO) Man dies and does not get up
- --------- (------) No one in heaven can wake him up
- --------- (------) They will never get up from death
-
- (And if MAN was like a TREE(To renew) then prefer death!)
- (Jb14-13) OH I WISH THAT I could be hidden in hell!
- --------- --------- hide me (in the grave) until Your anger is over
- --------- --------- fix me a prison-term and then free me
- (Jb14-14) --------- THAT, if man died he would resurrect(like a
tree)
- --------- --------- for then I would wait my whole life-sentence
- --------- --------- ---------------- till my next life
- (Jb14-15) --------- -------- You would call(to death) & I would
answer
- --------- --------- -------- You could show off with your changes
of me
-----------------------------------------------------------------


---------------------- 6th Section -----------------------------
MAIN SENTENCE: But mans life is short--how much more can he learn
------------------------------------------------------------------
Jb14-16:22 But man gradually erodes & dies
------------------------------------------------------------------
- (Job returns from his fantasies to reality)
- (Jb14-16) BUT NOW: you count all my steps
- --------- -------- you dont even give a waiting period for
punishment
- (Jb14-17) -------- My sins are bundled in a package
- --------- -------- you cement my sin-bundle
- (Jb14-18) The truth of the matter is that popular people wither
- --------- ------------------------------- established people uproot
- (Jb14-19) AS water erodes stone
- --------- -- ----- (uproots) shoots from the earth
- --------- SO TO does man & his hopes go to hell
- (Jb14-20) ----- man is eternally enclosed(in a grave)
- --------- ----- --- is gone
- --------- ----- mans face towards the world changes
- --------- ----- and he is allowed to go
- (Jb14-21) If this mans sons become respectable they forget him
- --------- If -------------------- shallow then they dont understand
- (Jb14-22) And (as man dies) his flesh is writhed with pain
- --------- and he begins to mourn himself
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