< Job 19 >

1 Then answered Job, and said,
וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
2 How long will ye grieve my soul, and crush me with words?
עַד־אָ֭נָה תּוֹגְי֣וּן נַפְשִׁ֑י וּֽתְדַכְּאוּנַ֥נִי בְמִלִּֽים׃
3 These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed when ye show yourselves as strangers to me.
זֶ֤ה עֶ֣שֶׂר פְּ֭עָמִים תַּכְלִימ֑וּנִי לֹֽא־תֵ֝בֹ֗שׁוּ תַּהְכְּרוּ־לִֽי׃
4 Yea, if it be indeed that I have erred, let my error remain with myself.
וְאַף־אָמְנָ֥ם שָׁגִ֑יתִי אִ֝תִּ֗י תָּלִ֥ין מְשׁוּגָתִֽי׃
5 But if indeed ye wish to magnify yourselves above me, and to prove against me my disgrace:
אִם־אָ֭מְנָם עָלַ֣י תַּגְדִּ֑ילוּ וְתוֹכִ֥יחוּ עָ֝לַ֗י חֶרְפָּתִּֽי׃
6 Then know for certain that God hath bent me down, and hath laid his net all around me.
דְּֽעוּ־אֵ֭פוֹ כִּי־אֱל֣וֹהַּ עִוְּתָ֑נִי וּ֝מְצוּד֗וֹ עָלַ֥י הִקִּֽיף׃
7 Behold, I cry out concerning the violence [done me], but I am not answered: I entreat aloud, but there is no justice.
הֵ֤ן אֶצְעַ֣ק חָ֭מָס וְלֹ֣א אֵעָנֶ֑ה אֲ֝שַׁוַּ֗ע וְאֵ֣ין מִשְׁפָּֽט׃
8 My road hath he fenced up, so that I cannot pass out; and on my paths he placeth darkness.
אָרְחִ֣י גָ֭דַר וְלֹ֣א אֶעֱב֑וֹר וְעַ֥ל נְ֝תִיבוֹתַ֗י חֹ֣שֶׁךְ יָשִֽׂים׃
9 My glory hath he stripped from me, and removed the crown of my head.
כְּ֭בוֹדִי מֵעָלַ֣י הִפְשִׁ֑יט וַ֝יָּ֗סַר עֲטֶ֣רֶת רֹאשִֽׁי׃
10 He hath pulled me down on every side, and I am going hence; and he hath rooted up like a tree my hope.
יִתְּצֵ֣נִי סָ֭בִיב וָאֵלַ֑ךְ וַיַּסַּ֥ע כָּ֝עֵ֗ץ תִּקְוָתִֽי׃
11 He hath also kindled against me his wrath, and he counteth me with himself as one of his adversaries.
וַיַּ֣חַר עָלַ֣י אַפּ֑וֹ וַיַּחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי ל֣וֹ כְצָרָֽיו׃
12 Altogether come on his troops, and make level against me their way, and encamp round about my tent.
יַ֤חַד ׀ יָ֘בֹ֤אוּ גְדוּדָ֗יו וַיָּסֹ֣לּוּ עָלַ֣י דַּרְכָּ֑ם וַיַּחֲנ֖וּ סָבִ֣יב לְאָהֳלִֽי׃
13 My brothers hath he removed far from me, and my acquaintance are entirely estranged from me.
אַ֭חַי מֵעָלַ֣י הִרְחִ֑יק וְ֝יֹדְעַ֗י אַךְ־זָ֥רוּ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃
14 My near of kin have withdrawn, and those befriended by me have forgotten me.
חָדְל֥וּ קְרוֹבָ֑י וּֽמְיֻדָּעַ֥י שְׁכֵחֽוּנִי׃
15 Ye that sojourn in my house, and my maid-servants, regard me as a stranger: an alien am I become in their eyes.
גָּ֘רֵ֤י בֵיתִ֣י וְ֭אַמְהֹתַי לְזָ֣ר תַּחְשְׁבֻ֑נִי נָ֝כְרִ֗י הָיִ֥יתִי בְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃
16 I call for my servant, but he will not answer, though I were to entreat him with my mouth.
לְעַבְדִּ֣י קָ֭רָאתִי וְלֹ֣א יַעֲנֶ֑ה בְּמוֹ־פִ֝֗י אֶתְחַנֶּן־לֽוֹ׃
17 My breath is become nauseous to my wife, and my caressing, to the children of my own body.
ר֭וּחִֽי זָ֣רָה לְאִשְׁתִּ֑י וְ֝חַנֹּתִ֗י לִבְנֵ֥י בִטְנִֽי׃
18 Yea, children even despise me: I rise up, but they speak against me.
גַּם־עֲ֭וִילִים מָ֣אֲסוּ בִ֑י אָ֝ק֗וּמָה וַיְדַבְּרוּ־בִֽי׃
19 All that have had my confidence abominate me; and those whom I have loved are turned against me.
תִּֽ֭עֲבוּנִי כָּל־מְתֵ֣י סוֹדִ֑י וְזֶֽה־אָ֝הַ֗בְתִּי נֶהְפְּכוּ־בִֽי׃
20 To my skin and to my flesh my bones do cleave, and I must sustain myself with the gums of my teeth.
בְּעוֹרִ֣י וּ֭בִבְשָׂרִי דָּבְקָ֣ה עַצְמִ֑י וָ֝אֶתְמַלְּטָ֗ה בְּע֣וֹר שִׁנָּֽי׃
21 Spare me, spare me, O ye, my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.
חָנֻּ֬נִי חָנֻּ֣נִי אַתֶּ֣ם רֵעָ֑י כִּ֥י יַד־אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַּ נָ֣גְעָה בִּֽי׃
22 Why will ye persecute me as God [hath done], and will never be satisfied with my flesh?
לָ֭מָּה תִּרְדְּפֻ֣נִי כְמוֹ־אֵ֑ל וּ֝מִבְּשָׂרִ֗י לֹ֣א תִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃
23 Oh who would but grant, that my words might be written down! oh who would grant that they were entered in a book!
מִֽי־יִתֵּ֣ן אֵ֭פוֹ וְיִכָּתְב֣וּן מִלָּ֑י מִֽי־יִתֵּ֖ן בַּסֵּ֣פֶר וְיֻחָֽקוּ׃
24 That they were hewn with an iron pen and [blackened with] lead for eternity in the hard rock!
בְּעֵט־בַּרְזֶ֥ל וְעֹפָ֑רֶת לָ֝עַ֗ד בַּצּ֥וּר יֵחָצְבֽוּן׃
25 And well I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he will remain as the last after the creatures of the dust [are passed away];
וַאֲנִ֣י יָ֭דַעְתִּי גֹּ֣אֲלִי חָ֑י וְ֝אַחֲר֗וֹן עַל־עָפָ֥ר יָקֽוּם׃
26 And after my skin is cut to pieces will this be: and then freed from my body shall I behold God;
וְאַחַ֣ר ע֭וֹרִֽי נִקְּפוּ־זֹ֑את וּ֝מִבְּשָׂרִ֗י אֶֽחֱזֶ֥ה אֱלֽוֹהַּ׃
27 Whom I shall myself behold to my happiness, and whom my eyes will see, and not as a stranger, [when even] my reins are consumed within my bosom.
אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲנִ֨י ׀ אֶֽחֱזֶה־לִּ֗י וְעֵינַ֣י רָא֣וּ וְלֹא־זָ֑ר כָּל֖וּ כִלְיֹתַ֣י בְּחֵקִֽי׃
28 But if ye should say, How will we pursue him? seeing the root of the matter is found in me:
כִּ֣י תֹ֭אמְרוּ מַה־נִּרְדָּף־ל֑וֹ וְשֹׁ֥רֶשׁ דָּ֝בָ֗ר נִמְצָא־בִֽי׃
29 Then have dread for yourselves of the sword; for the wrath [which ye excite] is an iniquity that bringeth the sword; in order that ye may know there is one that judgeth [in the world].
גּ֤וּרוּ לָכֶ֨ם ׀ מִפְּנֵי־חֶ֗רֶב כִּֽי־חֵ֭מָה עֲוֹנ֣וֹת חָ֑רֶב לְמַ֖עַן תֵּדְע֣וּן שַׁדּֽוּן׃ ס

< Job 19 >