< Job 6 >

1 And Job answers and says:
וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
2 “O that my provocation were thoroughly weighed, And my calamity in balances They would lift up together!
ל֗וּ שָׁק֣וֹל יִשָּׁקֵ֣ל כַּעְשִׂ֑י וְ֝הַוָּתִ֗י בְּֽמֹאזְנַ֥יִם יִשְׂאוּ־יָֽחַד׃
3 For now it is heavier than the sands of the sea, Therefore my words have been rash.
כִּֽי־עַתָּ֗ה מֵח֣וֹל יַמִּ֣ים יִכְבָּ֑ד עַל־כֵּ֝֗ן דְּבָרַ֥י לָֽעוּ׃
4 For arrows of the Mighty [are] with me, Whose poison is drinking up my spirit. Terrors of God array themselves [for] me!
כִּ֤י חִצֵּ֪י שַׁדַּ֡י עִמָּדִ֗י אֲשֶׁ֣ר חֲ֭מָתָם שֹׁתָ֣ה רוּחִ֑י בִּעוּתֵ֖י אֱל֣וֹהַּ יַֽעַרְכֽוּנִי׃
5 Does a wild donkey bray over tender grass? Does an ox low over his provender?
הֲיִֽנְהַק־פֶּ֥רֶא עֲלֵי־דֶ֑שֶׁא אִ֥ם יִגְעֶה־שּׁ֝֗וֹר עַל־בְּלִילֽוֹ׃
6 Is an insipid thing eaten without salt? Is there sense in the drivel of dreams?
הֲיֵאָכֵ֣ל תָּ֭פֵל מִבְּלִי־מֶ֑לַח אִם־יֶשׁ־טַ֝֗עַם בְּרִ֣יר חַלָּמֽוּת׃
7 My soul is refusing to touch! They [are] as my sickening food.
מֵאֲנָ֣ה לִנְגּ֣וֹעַ נַפְשִׁ֑י הֵ֝֗מָּה כִּדְוֵ֥י לַחְמִֽי׃
8 O that my request may come, That God may grant my hope!
מִֽי־יִ֭תֵּן תָּב֣וֹא שֶֽׁאֱלָתִ֑י וְ֝תִקְוָתִ֗י יִתֵּ֥ן אֱלֽוֹהַּ׃
9 That God would please—and bruise me, Loose His hand and cut me off!
וְיֹאֵ֣ל אֱ֭לוֹהַּ וִֽידַכְּאֵ֑נִי יַתֵּ֥ר יָ֝ד֗וֹ וִֽיבַצְּעֵֽנִי׃
10 And yet it is my comfort (And I exult in pain—He does not spare), That I have not hidden The sayings of the Holy One.
וּ֥תְהִי ע֨וֹד ׀ נֶ֘חָ֤מָתִ֗י וַאֲסַלְּדָ֣ה בְ֭חִילָה לֹ֣א יַחְמ֑וֹל כִּי־לֹ֥א כִ֝חַ֗דְתִּי אִמְרֵ֥י קָדֽוֹשׁ׃
11 What [is] my power that I should hope? And what [is] my end that I should prolong my life?
מַה־כֹּחִ֥י כִֽי־אֲיַחֵ֑ל וּמַה־קִּ֝צִּ֗י כִּֽי־אַאֲרִ֥יךְ נַפְשִֽׁי׃
12 Is my strength the strength of stones? Is my flesh bronze?
אִם־כֹּ֣חַ אֲבָנִ֣ים כֹּחִ֑י אִֽם־בְּשָׂרִ֥י נָחֽוּשׁ׃
13 Is my help not with me, And substance driven from me?
הַאִ֬ם אֵ֣ין עֶזְרָתִ֣י בִ֑י וְ֝תֻשִׁיָּ֗ה נִדְּחָ֥ה מִמֶּֽנִּי׃
14 To a despiser of his friends [is] shame, And the fear of the Mighty he forsakes.
לַמָּ֣ס מֵרֵעֵ֣הוּ חָ֑סֶד וְיִרְאַ֖ת שַׁדַּ֣י יַעֲזֽוֹב׃
15 My brothers have deceived as a brook, As a stream of brooks they pass away.
אַ֭חַי בָּגְד֣וּ כְמוֹ־נָ֑חַל כַּאֲפִ֖יק נְחָלִ֣ים יַעֲבֹֽרוּ׃
16 That are black because of ice, By them snow hides itself.
הַקֹּדְרִ֥ים מִנִּי־קָ֑רַח עָ֝לֵ֗ימוֹ יִתְעַלֶּם־שָֽׁלֶג׃
17 By the time they are warm they have been cut off, By its being hot they have been Extinguished from their place.
בְּ֭עֵת יְזֹרְב֣וּ נִצְמָ֑תוּ בְּ֝חֻמּ֗וֹ נִדְעֲכ֥וּ מִמְּקוֹמָֽם׃
18 The paths turn aside of their way, They ascend into emptiness, and are lost.
יִ֭לָּ֣פְתוּ אָרְח֣וֹת דַּרְכָּ֑ם יַעֲל֖וּ בַתֹּ֣הוּ וְיֹאבֵֽדוּ׃
19 Passengers of Tema looked expectingly, Travelers of Sheba hoped for them.
הִ֭בִּיטוּ אָרְח֣וֹת תֵּמָ֑א הֲלִיכֹ֥ת שְׁ֝בָ֗א קִוּוּ־לָֽמוֹ׃
20 They were ashamed that one has trusted, They have come to it and are confounded.
בֹּ֥שׁוּ כִּֽי־בָטָ֑ח בָּ֥אוּ עָ֝דֶ֗יהָ וַיֶּחְפָּֽרוּ׃
21 Surely now you have become the same! You see a downfall, and are afraid.
כִּֽי־עַ֭תָּה הֱיִ֣יתֶם ל֑וֹ תִּֽרְא֥וּ חֲ֝תַ֗ת וַתִּירָֽאוּ׃
22 Is it because I said, Give to me? And, By your power bribe for me?
הֲֽכִי־אָ֭מַרְתִּי הָ֣בוּ לִ֑י וּ֝מִכֹּחֲכֶ֗ם שִׁחֲד֥וּ בַעֲדִֽי׃
23 And, Deliver me from the hand of an adversary? And, Ransom me from the hand of terrible ones?
וּמַלְּט֥וּנִי מִיַּד־צָ֑ר וּמִיַּ֖ד עָרִיצִ֣ים תִּפְדּֽוּנִי׃
24 Show me, and I keep silent, And what I have erred, let me understand.
ה֭וֹרוּנִי וַאֲנִ֣י אַחֲרִ֑ישׁ וּמַה־שָּׁ֝גִ֗יתִי הָבִ֥ינוּ לִֽי׃
25 How powerful have been upright sayings, And what reproof from you reproves?
מַה־נִּמְרְצ֥וּ אִמְרֵי־יֹ֑שֶׁר וּמַה־יּוֹכִ֖יחַ הוֹכֵ֣חַ מִכֶּֽם׃
26 For reproof—do you reckon words? And for wind—sayings of the desperate?
הַלְהוֹכַ֣ח מִלִּ֣ים תַּחְשֹׁ֑בוּ וּ֝לְר֗וּחַ אִמְרֵ֥י נֹאָֽשׁ׃
27 You cause anger to fall on the fatherless, And are strange to your friend.
אַף־עַל־יָת֥וֹם תַּפִּ֑ילוּ וְ֝תִכְר֗וּ עַל־רֵֽיעֲכֶֽם׃
28 And now, please, look on me, Even to your face do I lie?
וְ֭עַתָּה הוֹאִ֣ילוּ פְנוּ־בִ֑י וְעַל־פְּ֝נֵיכֶ֗ם אִם־אֲכַזֵּֽב׃
29 Please turn back, let it not be perverseness, Indeed, turn back again—my righteousness [is] in it.
שֻֽׁבוּ־נָ֭א אַל־תְּהִ֣י עַוְלָ֑ה וְשׁ֥וּבוּ ע֝וֹד צִדְקִי־בָֽהּ׃
30 Is there perverseness in my tongue? Does my palate not discern calamity?”
הֲיֵשׁ־בִּלְשׁוֹנִ֥י עַוְלָ֑ה אִם־חִ֝כִּ֗י לֹא־יָבִ֥ין הַוּֽוֹת׃

< Job 6 >