Job 32

I never would have believed, as I have said before, that Job would be a respite in this translation experience. When I come back to Job, I feel at home! I have fewer than 10 chapters left. What will I do when it is done?

Elihu is a character all his own. He has a long and somewhat repetitive introduction. But verse 5, for instance, has no rest, neither atnah nor ole-veyored. The music sings the restlessness of the lack of answer for Job from 'the three persons'. That phrase of mine is an accident, but it suggests that the three are an impersonal trinity. Three without conversation.

Verse 1 is without rest. Verse 2 divides in three as does verse 3. Verse 4 a dual division, and verse 5 like verse 1 without rest.  I resisted the image of raisin-cakes in verse 5.

Then we are back into poetic normalcy, beginning with a tricolon. I warm to the apparently bombastic Elihu. It is not difficult to guess why from my translation of this chapter. Let's see if the attribution holds.

Job 32		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
וַֽיִּשְׁבְּת֡וּ שְׁלֹ֤שֶׁת הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים הָ֭אֵלֶּה מֵעֲנ֣וֹת אֶת־אִיּ֑וֹב כִּ֤י ה֖וּא צַדִּ֣יק בְּעֵינָֽיו פ	1		So they ceased, these three persons, from answering Job, for he was a righteous one in his eyes. P	3e	4C	20 8
וַיִּ֤חַר אַ֨ף ׀ אֱלִיה֣וּא בֶן־בַּרַכְאֵ֣ל הַבּוּזִי֮ מִמִּשְׁפַּ֪חַ֫ת רָ֥ם בְּ֭אִיּוֹב חָרָ֣ה אַפּ֑וֹ עַֽל־צַדְּק֥וֹ נַ֝פְשׁ֗וֹ מֵאֱלֹהִֽים	2		And it burned, the anger of Elihu child of Barakel the Buzite from the family of Ram, against Job, his anger burned, over his justifying his very self from God.	3d	4C	19 7 9
וּבִשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת רֵעָיו֮ חָרָ֪ה אַ֫פּ֥וֹ עַ֤ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־מָצְא֣וּ מַעֲנֶ֑ה וַ֝יַּרְשִׁ֗יעוּ אֶת־אִיּֽוֹב	3		And against his three associates his anger burned, in that they had not found an answer, but they condemned Job.	3d	4C	10 9 7
וֶֽאֱלִיה֗וּ חִכָּ֣ה אֶת־אִ֭יּוֹב בִּדְבָרִ֑ים כִּ֤י זְֽקֵנִים־הֵ֖מָּה מִמֶּ֣נּוּ לְיָמִֽים	4		But Elihu tarried for Job in words, for elders they were compared to him, of days.	3e	4C	12 12
וַיַּ֤רְא אֱלִיה֗וּא כִּ֘י אֵ֤ין מַעֲנֶ֗ה בְּ֭פִי שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים וַיִּ֥חַר אַפּֽוֹ פ	5		And Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three persons and his anger burned.	3e	4C	25
וַיַּ֤עַן ׀ אֱלִיה֖וּא בֶן־בַּֽרַכְאֵ֥ל הַבּוּזִ֗י וַיֹּ֫אמַ֥ר צָ֘עִ֤יר אֲנִ֣י לְ֭יָמִים וְאַתֶּ֣ם יְשִׁישִׁ֑ים עַל־כֵּ֖ן זָחַ֥לְתִּי וָֽאִירָ֓א ׀‬ מֵחַוֺּ֖ת דֵּעִ֣י אֶתְכֶֽם	6		And Elihu answered, child of Barakel the Buzite, and said: Diminutive am I of days, but you are wizened, so I was perturbed and I feared to breathe my opinion to you.	3e	4C	16 13 15
אָ֭מַרְתִּי יָמִ֣ים יְדַבֵּ֑רוּ וְרֹ֥ב שָׁ֝נִ֗ים יֹדִ֥יעוּ חָכְמָֽה	7	g	I said, Days should speak, and many years make known wisdom.	3e	4B	9 9
אָ֭כֵן רֽוּחַ־הִ֣יא בֶאֱנ֑וֹשׁ וְנִשְׁמַ֖ת שַׁדַּ֣י תְּבִינֵֽם	8	g	Nevertheless a spirit it is in a mortal, and the breath of the Sufficient gives discernment.	3e	4B	7 8
לֹֽא־רַבִּ֥ים יֶחְכָּ֑מוּ וּ֝זְקֵנִ֗ים יָבִ֥ינוּ מִשְׁפָּֽט	9		Not many are shrewd, nor do the aged discern judgment.	3e	4A	5 8
לָכֵ֣ן אָ֭מַרְתִּי שִׁמְעָה־לִּ֑י אֲחַוֶּ֖ה דֵּעִ֣י אַף־אָֽנִי	10		So I said, Hear me. I am breathing my knowledge, indeed I am.	3e	4B	8 8
הֵ֤ן הוֹחַ֨לְתִּי לְֽדִבְרֵיכֶ֗ם אָ֭זִין עַד־תְּב֥וּנֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם עַֽד־תַּחְקְר֥וּן מִלִּֽין	11	C	Lo, I hoped for your words. I gave ear to your discernment, even as you examined speeches.	3e	4C	16 6
וְעָֽדֵיכֶ֗ם אֶתְבּ֫וֹנָ֥ן וְהִנֵּ֤ה אֵ֣ין לְאִיּ֣וֹב מוֹכִ֑יחַ עוֹנֶ֖ה אֲמָרָ֣יו מִכֶּֽם	12		And you I understood, and behold there is not for Job a referee, one to answer his sayings, from you,	3e	4C	7 10 7
פֶּן־תֹּ֣֭אמְרוּ מָצָ֣אנוּ חָכְמָ֑ה אֵ֖ל יִדְּפֶ֣נּוּ לֹא־אִֽישׁ	13		lest you should say, We have found wisdom. The One will blow him away, not a man.	3e	4B	8 6
וְלֹא־עָרַ֣ךְ אֵלַ֣י מִלִּ֑ין וּ֝בְאִמְרֵיכֶ֗ם לֹ֣א אֲשִׁיבֶֽנּוּ	14		And he has not arranged speeches against me, so with your sayings, I will not turn him.	3e	4B	7 9
חַ֭תּוּ לֹא־עָ֣נוּ ע֑וֹד הֶעְתִּ֖יקוּ מֵהֶ֣ם מִלִּֽים	15	g	They were dismayed. They did not answer further. Speeches from them were shifted.	3e	4B	5 7
וְ֭הוֹחַלְתִּי כִּי־לֹ֣א יְדַבֵּ֑רוּ כִּ֥י עָ֝מְד֗וּ לֹא־עָ֥נוּ עֽוֹד	16	g	And I hoped. (For they did not speak, for they stood. They did not answer any more.)	3e	4B	9 6
אַעֲנֶ֣ה אַף־אֲנִ֣י חֶלְקִ֑י אֲחַוֶּ֖ה דֵעִ֣י אַף־אָֽנִי	17		I would answer, indeed, myself, my share. I will breathe my opinion. Indeed myself.	3e	4B	8 8
כִּ֭י מָלֵ֣תִי מִלִּ֑ים הֱ֝צִיקַ֗תְנִי ר֣וּחַ בִּטְנִֽי	18	g	For I am full of speeches. I am distressed by the spirit of my belly.	3e	4B	6 8
הִנֵּֽה־בִטְנִ֗י כְּיַ֥יִן לֹא־יִפָּתֵ֑חַ כְּאֹב֥וֹת חֲ֝דָשִׁ֗ים יִבָּקֵֽעַ	19		Behold my belly is as wine without a vent, as new wineskins, it will split.	3e	4A	10 10
אֲדַבְּרָ֥ה וְיִֽרְוַֽח־לִ֑י אֶפְתַּ֖ח שְׂפָתַ֣י וְאֶֽעֱנֶֽה	20		I will speak so I may have my spirit. I will open my lips so I may answer.	3e	4B	7 9
אַל־נָ֭א אֶשָּׂ֣א פְנֵי־אִ֑ישׁ וְאֶל־אָ֝דָ֗ם לֹ֣א אֲכַנֶּֽה	21		Please let me not lift up preference for anyone, nor let me entitle a human.	3e	4B	7 8
כִּ֤י לֹ֣א יָדַ֣עְתִּי אֲכַנֶּ֑ה כִּ֝מְעַ֗ט יִשָּׂאֵ֥נִי עֹשֵֽׂנִי	22	C	For I do not know how to entitle. As a hint, he who made me will lift me up.	3e	4C	8 9