איוב 16

1 ויען איוב ויאמר

And Job made answer and said,

2 שמעתי כאלה רבות מנחמי עמל כלכם

Such things have frequently come to my ears: you are comforters who only give trouble.

3 הקץ לדברי-רוח או מה-ימריצך כי תענה

May words which are like the wind be stopped? or what is troubling you to make answer to them?

4 גם אנכי-- ככם אדברה לו יש נפשכם תחת נפשי-- אחבירה עליכם במלים ואניעה עליכם במו ראשי

It would not be hard for me to say such things if your souls were in my soul's place; joining words together against you, and shaking my head at you:

5 אאמצכם במו-פי וניד שפתי יחשך

I might give you strength with my mouth, and not keep back the comfort of my lips.

6 אם-אדברה לא-יחשך כאבי ואחדלה מה-מני יהלך

If I say what is in my mind, my pain becomes no less: and if I keep quiet, how much of it goes from me?

7 אך-עתה הלאני השמות כל-עדתי

But now he has overcome me with weariness and fear, and I am in the grip of all my trouble.

8 ותקמטני לעד היה ויקם בי כחשי בפני יענה

It has come up as a witness against me, and the wasting of my flesh makes answer to my face.

9 אפו טרף וישטמני--חרק עלי בשניו צרי ילטש עיניו לי

I am broken by his wrath, and his hate has gone after me; he has made his teeth sharp against me: my haters are looking on me with cruel eyes;

10 פערו עלי בפיהם--בחרפה הכו לחיי יחד עלי יתמלאון

Their mouths are open wide against me; the blows of his bitter words are falling on my face; all of them come together in a mass against me.

11 יסגירני אל אל עויל ועל-ידי רשעים ירטני

God gives me over to the power of sinners, sending me violently into the hands of evil-doers.

12 שלו הייתי ויפרפרני-- ואחז בערפי ויפצפצני ויקימני לו למטרה

I was in comfort, but I have been broken up by his hands; he has taken me by the neck, shaking me to bits; he has put me up as a mark for his arrows.

13 יסבו עלי רביו-- יפלח כליותי ולא יחמל ישפך לארץ מררתי

His bowmen come round about me; their arrows go through my body without mercy; my life is drained out on the earth.

14 יפרצני פרץ על-פני-פרץ ירץ עלי כגבור

I am broken with wound after wound; he comes rushing on me like a man of war.

15 שק תפרתי עלי גלדי ועללתי בעפר קרני

I have made haircloth the clothing of my skin, and my horn is rolled in the dust.

16 פני חמרמרה (חמרמרו) מני-בכי ועל עפעפי צלמות

My face is red with weeping, and my eyes are becoming dark;

17 על לא-חמס בכפי ותפלתי זכה

Though my hands have done no violent acts, and my prayer is clean.

18 ארץ אל-תכסי דמי ואל-יהי מקום לזעקתי

O earth, let not my blood be covered, and let my cry have no resting-place!

19 גם-עתה הנה-בשמים עדי ושהדי במרמים

Even now my witness is in heaven, and the supporter of my cause is on high.

20 מליצי רעי אל-אלוה דלפה עיני

My friends make sport of me; to God my eyes are weeping,

21 ויוכח לגבר עם-אלוה ובן-אדם לרעהו

So that he may give decision for a man in his cause with God, and between a son of man and his neighbour.

22 כי-שנות מספר יאתיו וארח לא-אשוב אהלך

For in a short time I will take the journey from which I will not come back.