< Job 33 >

1 “But now, O Job, hear my speech, and listen to all my words.
וְֽאוּלָ֗ם שְׁמַֽע־נָ֣א אִיּ֣וֹב מִלָּ֑י וְֽכָל־דְּבָרַ֥י הַאֲזִֽינָה׃
2 Behold, I will open my mouth; my address is on the tip of my tongue.
הִנֵּה־נָ֭א פָּתַ֣חְתִּי פִ֑י דִּבְּרָ֖ה לְשׁוֹנִ֣י בְחִכִּֽי׃
3 My words are from an upright heart, and my lips speak sincerely what I know.
יֹֽשֶׁר־לִבִּ֥י אֲמָרָ֑י וְדַ֥עַת שְׂ֝פָתַ֗י בָּר֥וּר מִלֵּֽלוּ׃
4 The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
רֽוּחַ־אֵ֥ל עָשָׂ֑תְנִי וְנִשְׁמַ֖ת שַׁדַּ֣י תְּחַיֵּֽנִי׃
5 Refute me if you can; prepare your case and confront me.
אִם־תּוּכַ֥ל הֲשִׁיבֵ֑נִי עֶרְכָ֥ה לְ֝פָנַ֗י הִתְיַצָּֽבָה׃
6 I am just like you before God; I was also formed from clay.
הֵן־אֲנִ֣י כְפִ֣יךָ לָאֵ֑ל מֵ֝חֹ֗מֶר קֹרַ֥צְתִּי גַם־אָֽנִי׃
7 Surely no fear of me should terrify you; nor will my hand be heavy upon you.
הִנֵּ֣ה אֵ֭מָתִי לֹ֣א תְבַעֲתֶ֑ךָּ וְ֝אַכְפִּ֗י עָלֶ֥יךָ לֹא־יִכְבָּֽד׃
8 Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard these very words:
אַ֭ךְ אָמַ֣רְתָּ בְאָזְנָ֑י וְק֖וֹל מִלִּ֣ין אֶשְׁמָֽע׃
9 ‘I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, with no iniquity in me.
זַ֥ךְ אֲנִ֗י בְּֽלִ֫י פָ֥שַׁע חַ֥ף אָנֹכִ֑י וְלֹ֖א עָוֹ֣ן לִֽי׃
10 Yet God finds occasions against me; He counts me as His enemy.
הֵ֣ן תְּ֭נוּאוֹת עָלַ֣י יִמְצָ֑א יַחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי לְאוֹיֵ֣ב לֽוֹ׃
11 He puts my feet in the stocks; He watches over all my paths.’
יָשֵׂ֣ם בַּסַּ֣ד רַגְלָ֑י יִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר כָּל־אָרְחֹתָֽי׃
12 Behold, you are not right in this matter. I will answer you, for God is greater than man.
הֶן־זֹ֣את לֹא־צָדַ֣קְתָּ אֶעֱנֶ֑ךָּ כִּֽי־יִרְבֶּ֥ה אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַ מֵאֱנֽוֹשׁ׃
13 Why do you complain to Him that He answers nothing a man asks?
מַ֭דּוּעַ אֵלָ֣יו רִיב֑וֹתָ כִּ֥י כָל־דְּ֝בָרָ֗יו לֹ֣א־יַעֲנֶֽה׃
14 For God speaks in one way and in another, yet no one notices.
כִּֽי־בְאַחַ֥ת יְדַבֶּר־אֵ֑ל וּ֝בִשְׁתַּ֗יִם לֹ֣א יְשׁוּרֶֽנָּה׃
15 In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds,
בַּחֲל֤וֹם ׀ חֶזְי֬וֹן לַ֗יְלָה בִּנְפֹ֣ל תַּ֭רְדֵּמָה עַל־אֲנָשִׁ֑ים בִּ֝תְנוּמ֗וֹת עֲלֵ֣י מִשְׁכָּֽב׃
16 He opens their ears and terrifies them with warnings
אָ֣ז יִ֭גְלֶה אֹ֣זֶן אֲנָשִׁ֑ים וּבְמֹ֖סָרָ֣ם יַחְתֹּֽם׃
17 to turn a man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride,
לְ֭הָסִיר אָדָ֣ם מַעֲשֶׂ֑ה וְגֵוָ֖ה מִגֶּ֣בֶר יְכַסֶּֽה׃
18 to preserve his soul from the Pit and his life from perishing by the sword.
יַחְשֹׂ֣ךְ נַ֭פְשׁוֹ מִנִּי־שָׁ֑חַת וְ֝חַיָּת֗וֹ מֵעֲבֹ֥ר בַּשָּֽׁלַח׃
19 A man is also chastened on his bed with pain and constant distress in his bones,
וְהוּכַ֣ח בְּ֭מַכְאוֹב עַל־מִשְׁכָּב֑וֹ וְר֖וֹב עֲצָמָ֣יו אֵתָֽן׃
20 so that he detests his bread, and his soul loathes his favorite food.
וְזִֽהֲמַ֣תּוּ חַיָּת֣וֹ לָ֑חֶם וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ מַאֲכַ֥ל תַּאֲוָֽה׃
21 His flesh wastes away from sight, and his hidden bones protrude.
יִ֣כֶל בְּשָׂר֣וֹ מֵרֹ֑אִי וְשֻׁפּ֥וּ עַ֝צְמוֹתָ֗יו לֹ֣א רֻאּֽוּ׃
22 He draws near to the Pit, and his life to the messengers of death.
וַתִּקְרַ֣ב לַשַּׁ֣חַת נַפְשׁ֑וֹ וְ֝חַיָּת֗וֹ לַֽמְמִתִֽים׃
23 Yet if there is a messenger on his side, one mediator in a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him,
אִם־יֵ֤שׁ עָלָ֨יו ׀ מַלְאָ֗ךְ מֵלִ֗יץ אֶחָ֥ד מִנִּי־אָ֑לֶף לְהַגִּ֖יד לְאָדָ֣ם יָשְׁרֽוֹ׃
24 to be gracious to him and say, ‘Spare him from going down to the Pit; I have found his ransom,’
וַיְחֻנֶּ֗נּוּ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר פְּ֭דָעֵהוּ מֵרֶ֥דֶת שָׁ֗חַת מָצָ֥אתִי כֹֽפֶר׃
25 then his flesh is refreshed like a child’s; he returns to the days of his youth.
רֻֽטֲפַ֣שׁ בְּשָׂר֣וֹ מִנֹּ֑עַר יָ֝שׁ֗וּב לִימֵ֥י עֲלוּמָֽיו׃
26 He prays to God and finds favor; he sees God’s face and shouts for joy, and God restores His righteousness to that man.
יֶעְתַּ֤ר אֶל־אֱל֨וֹהַּ ׀ וַיִּרְצֵ֗הוּ וַיַּ֣רְא פָּ֭נָיו בִּתְרוּעָ֑ה וַיָּ֥שֶׁב לֶ֝אֱנ֗וֹשׁ צִדְקָתֽוֹ׃
27 Then he sings before men with these words: ‘I have sinned and perverted what was right; yet I did not get what I deserved.
יָשֹׁ֤ר ׀ עַל־אֲנָשִׁ֗ים וַיֹּ֗אמֶר חָ֭טָאתִי וְיָשָׁ֥ר הֶעֱוֵ֗יתִי וְלֹא־שָׁ֥וָה לִֽי׃
28 He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and I will live to see the light.’
פָּדָ֣ה נַ֭פְשׁוֹ מֵעֲבֹ֣ר בַּשָּׁ֑חַת וְ֝חַיָּתוֹ בָּא֥וֹר תִּרְאֶֽה׃
29 Behold, all these things God does to a man, two or even three times,
הֶן־כָּל־אֵ֭לֶּה יִפְעַל־אֵ֑ל פַּעֲמַ֖יִם שָׁל֣וֹשׁ עִם־גָּֽבֶר׃
30 to bring back his soul from the Pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life.
לְהָשִׁ֣יב נַ֭פְשׁוֹ מִנִּי־שָׁ֑חַת לֵ֝א֗וֹר בְּא֣וֹר הַֽחַיִּים׃
31 Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.
הַקְשֵׁ֖ב אִיּ֥וֹב שְֽׁמַֽע־לִ֑י הַ֝חֲרֵ֗שׁ וְאָנֹכִ֥י אֲדַבֵּֽר׃
32 But if you have something to say, answer me; speak up, for I would like to vindicate you.
אִם־יֵשׁ־מִלִּ֥ין הֲשִׁיבֵ֑נִי דַּ֝בֵּ֗ר כִּֽי־חָפַ֥צְתִּי צַדְּקֶֽךָּ׃
33 But if not, then listen to me; be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.”
אִם־אַ֭יִן אַתָּ֥ה שְֽׁמַֽע־לִ֑י הַ֝חֲרֵ֗שׁ וַאֲאַלֶּפְךָ֥ חָכְמָֽה׃ ס

< Job 33 >