< Job 19 >

1 Then Job answered and said,
וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
2 How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?
עַד־אָנָה תּוֹגְיוּן נַפְשִׁי וּֽתְדַכְּאוּנַנִי בְמִלִּֽים׃
3 These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed [that] ye make yourselves strange to me.
זֶה עֶשֶׂר פְּעָמִים תַּכְלִימוּנִי לֹֽא־תֵבֹשׁוּ תַּהְכְּרוּ־לִֽי׃
4 And be it indeed [that] I have erred, my error remaineth with myself.
וְאַף־אָמְנָם שָׁגִיתִי אִתִּי תָּלִין מְשׁוּגָתִֽי׃
5 If indeed ye will magnify [yourselves] against me, and plead against me my reproach:
אִם־אָמְנָם עָלַי תַּגְדִּילוּ וְתוֹכִיחוּ עָלַי חֶרְפָּתִּֽי׃
6 Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath encompassed me with his net.
דְּֽעוּ־אֵפוֹ כִּי־אֱלוֹהַּ עִוְּתָנִי וּמְצוּדוֹ עָלַי הִקִּֽיף׃
7 Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but [there is] no judgment.
הֵן אֶצְעַק חָמָס וְלֹא אֵעָנֶה אֲשַׁוַּע וְאֵין מִשְׁפָּֽט׃
8 He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths.
אָרְחִי גָדַר וְלֹא אֶעֱבוֹר וְעַל נְתִיבוֹתַי חֹשֶׁךְ יָשִֽׂים׃
9 He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown [from] my head.
כְּבוֹדִי מֵעָלַי הִפְשִׁיט וַיָּסַר עֲטֶרֶת רֹאשִֽׁי׃
10 He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and my hope hath he removed like a tree.
יִתְּצֵנִי סָבִיב וָאֵלַךְ וַיַּסַּע כָּעֵץ תִּקְוָתִֽי׃
11 He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth me to him as [one of] his enemies.
וַיַּחַר עָלַי אַפּוֹ וַיַּחְשְׁבֵנִי לוֹ כְצָרָֽיו׃
12 His troops come together, and raise up their way against me, and encamp around my tabernacle.
יַחַד ׀ יָבֹאוּ גְדוּדָיו וַיָּסֹלּוּ עָלַי דַּרְכָּם וַיַּחֲנוּ סָבִיב לְאָהֳלִֽי׃
13 He hath put my brethren far from me, and my acquaintance are verily estranged from me.
אַחַי מֵעָלַי הִרְחִיק וְיֹדְעַי אַךְ־זָרוּ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃
14 My kinsmen have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.
חָדְלוּ קְרוֹבָי וּֽמְיֻדָּעַי שְׁכֵחֽוּנִי׃
15 They that dwell in my house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.
גָּרֵי בֵיתִי וְאַמְהֹתַי לְזָר תַּחְשְׁבֻנִי נָכְרִי הָיִיתִי בְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃
16 I called my servant, and he gave [me] no answer; I entreated him with my mouth.
לְעַבְדִּי קָרָאתִי וְלֹא יַעֲנֶה בְּמוֹ־פִי אֶתְחַנֶּן־לֽוֹ׃
17 My breath is strange to my wife, though I entreated for the children's [sake] of my own body.
רוּחִֽי זָרָה לְאִשְׁתִּי וְחַנֹּתִי לִבְנֵי בִטְנִֽי׃
18 Yes, young children despised me; I arose, and they spoke against me.
גַּם־עֲוִילִים מָאֲסוּ בִי אָקוּמָה וַיְדַבְּרוּ־בִֽי׃
19 All my intimate friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.
תִּֽעֲבוּנִי כָּל־מְתֵי סוֹדִי וְזֶֽה־אָהַבְתִּי נֶהְפְּכוּ־בִֽי׃
20 My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped with the skin of my teeth.
בְּעוֹרִי וּבִבְשָׂרִי דָּבְקָה עַצְמִי וָאֶתְמַלְּטָה בְּעוֹר שִׁנָּֽי׃
21 Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.
חָנֻּנִי חָנֻּנִי אַתֶּם רֵעָי כִּי יַד־אֱלוֹהַּ נָגְעָה בִּֽי׃
22 Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?
לָמָּה תִּרְדְּפֻנִי כְמוֹ־אֵל וּמִבְּשָׂרִי לֹא תִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃
23 Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!
מִֽי־יִתֵּן אֵפוֹ וְיִכָּתְבוּן מִלָּי מִֽי־יִתֵּן בַּסֵּפֶר וְיֻחָֽקוּ׃
24 That they were graven with an iron pen in lead, in the rock for ever!
בְּעֵט־בַּרְזֶל וְעֹפָרֶת לָעַד בַּצּוּר יֵחָצְבֽוּן׃
25 For I know [that] my redeemer liveth, and [that] he will stand at the latter [day] upon the earth:
וַאֲנִי יָדַעְתִּי גֹּאֲלִי חָי וְאַחֲרוֹן עַל־עָפָר יָקֽוּם׃
26 And [though] after my skin [worms] destroy this [body], yet in my flesh shall I see God:
וְאַחַר עוֹרִֽי נִקְּפוּ־זֹאת וּמִבְּשָׂרִי אֶֽחֱזֶה אֱלֽוֹהַּ׃
27 Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another; [though] my reins be consumed within me.
אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי ׀ אֶֽחֱזֶה־לִּי וְעֵינַי רָאוּ וְלֹא־זָר כָּלוּ כִלְיֹתַי בְּחֵקִֽי׃
28 But ye would say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?
כִּי תֹאמְרוּ מַה־נִּרְדָּף־לוֹ וְשֹׁרֶשׁ דָּבָר נִמְצָא־בִֽי׃
29 Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath [bringeth] the punishments of the sword, that ye may know [there] is a judgment.
גּוּרוּ לָכֶם ׀ מִפְּנֵי־חֶרֶב כִּֽי־חֵמָה עֲוֺנוֹת חָרֶב לְמַעַן תֵּדְעוּן שדין שַׁדּֽוּן׃

< Job 19 >