"As soon as we perceive that a verbal sequence has a sustained rhythm, that it is formally structured according to a continuously operating principle of organization, we know that we are in the presence of poetry and we respond to it accordingly."
- Barbara Hernnstein Smith, Poetic Closure: A Study of How Poems End
Then the human said, “This one at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. This one shall be called Woman, for from Man was she taken.”
(יח) וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֔ים לֹא־ט֛וֹב הֱי֥וֹת הָֽאָדָ֖ם לְבַדּ֑וֹ אֶֽעֱשֶׂהּ־לּ֥וֹ עֵ֖זֶר כְּנֶגְדּֽוֹ׃ (יט) וַיִּצֶר֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֜ים מִן־הָֽאֲדָמָ֗ה כָּל־חַיַּ֤ת הַשָּׂדֶה֙ וְאֵת֙ כָּל־ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיָּבֵא֙ אֶל־הָ֣אָדָ֔ם לִרְא֖וֹת מַה־יִּקְרָא־ל֑וֹ וְכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִקְרָא־ל֧וֹ הָֽאָדָ֛ם נֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּ֖ה ה֥וּא שְׁמֽוֹ׃ (כ) וַיִּקְרָ֨א הָֽאָדָ֜ם שֵׁמ֗וֹת לְכָל־הַבְּהֵמָה֙ וּלְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וּלְכֹ֖ל חַיַּ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה וּלְאָדָ֕ם לֹֽא־מָצָ֥א עֵ֖זֶר כְּנֶגְדּֽוֹ׃ (כא) וַיַּפֵּל֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֧ים ׀ תַּרְדֵּמָ֛ה עַל־הָאָדָ֖ם וַיִּישָׁ֑ן וַיִּקַּ֗ח אַחַת֙ מִצַּלְעֹתָ֔יו וַיִּסְגֹּ֥ר בָּשָׂ֖ר תַּחְתֶּֽנָּה׃ (כב) וַיִּבֶן֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֧ים ׀ אֶֽת־הַצֵּלָ֛ע אֲשֶׁר־לָקַ֥ח מִן־הָֽאָדָ֖ם לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וַיְבִאֶ֖הָ אֶל־הָֽאָדָֽם׃ (כג) וַיֹּאמֶר֮ הָֽאָדָם֒ זֹ֣את הַפַּ֗עַם עֶ֚צֶם מֵֽעֲצָמַ֔י וּבָשָׂ֖ר מִבְּשָׂרִ֑י לְזֹאת֙ יִקָּרֵ֣א אִשָּׁ֔ה כִּ֥י מֵאִ֖ישׁ לֻֽקֳחָה־זֹּֽאת׃ (כד) עַל־כֵּן֙ יַֽעֲזָב־אִ֔ישׁ אֶת־אָבִ֖יו וְאֶת־אִמּ֑וֹ וְדָבַ֣ק בְּאִשְׁתּ֔וֹ וְהָי֖וּ לְבָשָׂ֥ר אֶחָֽד׃
(18) The Eternal God said, “It is not good for the human to be alone; I will make a fitting helper for him.” (19) And the Eternal God formed out of the earth all the wild beasts and all the birds of the sky, and brought them to the human to see what he would call them; and whatever the person called each living creature, that would be its name. (20) And the human gave names to all the cattle and to the birds of the sky and to all the wild beasts; but for Adam no fitting helper was found. (21) So the Eternal God cast a deep sleep upon the human; and, while he slept, God took from one of his sides and closed up the flesh at that spot. (22) And the Eternal God fashioned the side that God had taken from the person into a woman; and God brought her to the human. (23) Then the human said, “This one at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. This one shall be called Woman, for from Man was she taken.” (24) Hence a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, so that they become one flesh.
(כג) וַיֹּאמֶר֮ הָֽאָדָם֒
זֹ֣את הַפַּ֗עַם
עֶ֚צֶם מֵֽעֲצָמַ֔י
וּבָשָׂ֖ר מִבְּשָׂרִ֑י
לְזֹאת֙ יִקָּרֵ֣א אִשָּׁ֔ה
כִּ֥י מֵאִ֖ישׁ לֻֽקֳחָה־זֹּֽאת׃
(23) Then the human said:
This one, this time
Is bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh.
This one shall be called Woman,
For from Man was this one taken.”
(13) Cain said to the Eternal, “My punishment is too great to bear! (14) Since You have banished me this day from the soil, and I must avoid Your presence and become a restless wanderer on earth—anyone who meets me may kill me!” (15) The Eternal said to him, “I promise, if anyone kills Cain, sevenfold vengeance shall be taken on him.” And the Eternal One put a mark on Cain, lest anyone who met him should kill him.
(כג) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לֶ֜מֶךְ לְנָשָׁ֗יו
עָדָ֤ה וְצִלָּה֙ שְׁמַ֣עַן קוֹלִ֔י
נְשֵׁ֣י לֶ֔מֶךְ הַאְזֵ֖נָּה אִמְרָתִ֑י
כִּ֣י אִ֤ישׁ הָרַ֙גְתִּי֙ לְפִצְעִ֔י
וְיֶ֖לֶד לְחַבֻּרָתִֽי׃
(כד) כִּ֥י שִׁבְעָתַ֖יִם יֻקַּם־קָ֑יִן
וְלֶ֖מֶךְ שִׁבְעִ֥ים וְשִׁבְעָֽה׃
(23) And Lamech said to his wives,
“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
O wives of Lamech, give ear to my speech.
I have slain a man for wounding me,
And a lad for bruising me.
(24) If Cain will be avenged sevenfold,
Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”
(א) הַאֲזִ֥ינוּ הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וַאֲדַבֵּ֑רָה
וְתִשְׁמַ֥ע הָאָ֖רֶץ אִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃
(ב) יַעֲרֹ֤ף כַּמָּטָר֙ לִקְחִ֔י
תִּזַּ֥ל כַּטַּ֖ל אִמְרָתִ֑י
כִּשְׂעִירִ֣ם עֲלֵי־דֶ֔שֶׁא
וְכִרְבִיבִ֖ים עֲלֵי־עֵֽשֶׂב׃
(1) Give ear, O heavens, let me speak;
Let the earth hear the words I utter!
(2) May my discourse come down as the rain,
My speech distill as the dew,
Like showers on young growth,
Like droplets on the grass.
(יח) וַיִּשָּׂ֥א מְשָׁל֖וֹ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר ק֤וּם בָּלָק֙ וּֽשֲׁמָ֔ע
הַאֲזִ֥ינָה עָדַ֖י בְּנ֥וֹ צִפֹּֽר׃
(יט) לֹ֣א אִ֥ישׁ אֵל֙ וִֽיכַזֵּ֔ב
וּבֶן־אָדָ֖ם וְיִתְנֶחָ֑ם
הַה֤וּא אָמַר֙ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲשֶׂ֔ה
וְדִבֶּ֖ר וְלֹ֥א יְקִימֶֽנָּה׃
(18) And he took up his theme, and said: Rise up, Balak, and hear,
Give ear unto me, son of Zippor!
(19) God is not man to be capricious,
Or a mortal to reconsider.
Would God speak and not act,
Promise and not fulfill?
(א) וַתָּ֣שַׁר דְּבוֹרָ֔ה וּבָרָ֖ק בֶּן־אֲבִינֹ֑עַם בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ב) בִּפְרֹ֤עַ פְּרָעוֹת֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּהִתְנַדֵּ֖ב עָ֑ם בָּרֲכ֖וּ יְהוָֽה׃ (ג) שִׁמְע֣וּ מְלָכִ֔ים הַאֲזִ֖ינוּ רֹֽזְנִ֑ים אָֽנֹכִ֗י לַֽיהוָה֙ אָנֹכִ֣י אָשִׁ֔ירָה אֲזַמֵּ֕ר לַֽיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
(1) On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang:
(2) When locks go untrimmed in Israel, When people dedicate themselves—
Bless the Eternal!
(3) Hear, O kings!
Give ear, O potentates!
I will sing, will sing to the Eternal,
Will hymn the Eternal, the God of Israel.
(ב) שִׁמְע֤וּ שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְהַאֲזִ֣ינִי אֶ֔רֶץ
כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה דִּבֵּ֑ר
בָּנִים֙ גִּדַּ֣לְתִּי וְרוֹמַ֔מְתִּי
וְהֵ֖ם פָּ֥שְׁעוּ בִֽי׃
(2) Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, For the LORD has spoken:
“I reared children and brought them up—
And they have rebelled against Me!
(א) וְֽאוּלָ֗ם שְׁמַֽע־נָ֣א אִיּ֣וֹב מִלָּ֑י וְֽכָל־דְּבָרַ֥י הַאֲזִֽינָה׃
(1) But now, Job, listen to my words,
Give ear to all that I say.