איוב 9
| ויען איוב ויאמר | 1 |
And Job, responding, said:
| אמנם ידעתי כי-כן ומה-יצדק אנוש עם-אל | 2 |
Truly, I know that it is so, and that man cannot be justified compared with God.
| אם-יחפץ לריב עמו-- לא-יעננו אחת מני-אלף | 3 |
If he chooses to contend with him, he is not able to respond to him once out of a thousand times.
| חכם לבב ואמיץ כח-- מי-הקשה אליו וישלם | 4 |
He is understanding in heart and mighty in strength; who has resisted him and yet had peace?
| המעתיק הרים ולא ידעו-- אשר הפכם באפו | 5 |
He has moved mountains, and those whom he overthrew in his fury did not know it.
| המרגיז ארץ ממקומה ועמודיה יתפלצון | 6 |
He shakes the earth out of its place and its pillars tremble.
| האמר לחרס ולא יזרח ובעד כוכבים יחתם | 7 |
He commands the sun and it does not rise, and he closes the stars as if under a seal.
| נטה שמים לבדו ודורך על-במתי ים | 8 |
He alone extends the heavens, and he walks upon the waves of the sea.
| עשה-עש כסיל וכימה וחדרי תמן | 9 |
He fashions Arcturus, and Orion, and Hyades, and the interior of the south.
| עשה גדלות עד-אין חקר ונפלאות עד-אין מספר | 10 |
He accomplishes great and incomprehensible and miraculous things, which cannot be numbered.
| הן יעבר עלי ולא אראה ויחלף ולא-אבין לו | 11 |
If he approaches me, I will not see him; if he departs, I will not understand.
| הן יחתף מי ישיבנו מי-יאמר אליו מה-תעשה | 12 |
If he suddenly should question, who will answer him? Or who can say, “Why did you do so?”
| אלוה לא-ישיב אפו תחתו שחחו עזרי רהב | 13 |
God, whose wrath no one is able to resist, and under whom they bend who carry the world,
| אף כי-אנכי אעננו אבחרה דברי עמו | 14 |
what am I then, that I should answer him and exchange words with him?
| אשר אם-צדקתי לא אענה למשפטי אתחנן | 15 |
And if I now have any justice, I will not respond, but will beseech my judge.
| אם-קראתי ויענני-- לא-אאמין כי-יאזין קולי | 16 |
And if he should listen to me when I call, I would not believe that he had heard my voice.
| אשר-בשערה ישופני והרבה פצעי חנם | 17 |
For he will crush me in a whirlwind and multiply my wounds, even without cause.
| לא-יתנני השב רוחי כי ישבעני ממררים | 18 |
He does not permit my spirit to rest, and he fills me with bitterness.
| אם-לכח אמיץ הנה ואם-למשפט מי יועידני | 19 |
If strength is sought, he is most strong; if equity in judgment, no one would dare to give testimony for me.
| אם-אצדק פי ירשיעני תם-אני ויעקשני | 20 |
If I wanted to justify myself, my own mouth will condemn me; if I would reveal my innocence, he would prove me depraved.
| תם-אני לא-אדע נפשי אמאס חיי | 21 |
And if I now became simple, my soul would be ignorant even of this, and my life would weary me.
| אחת היא על-כן אמרתי--תם ורשע הוא מכלה | 22 |
There is one thing that I have said: both the innocent and the impious he consumes.
| אם-שוט ימית פתאם-- למסת נקים ילעג | 23 |
If he scourges, let him kill all at once, and not laugh at the punishment of the innocent.
| ארץ נתנה ביד-רשע-- פני-שפטיה יכסה אם-לא אפוא מי-הוא | 24 |
Since the earth has been given into the hand of the impious, he covers the face of its judges; for if it is not him, then who is it?
| וימי קלו מני-רץ ברחו לא-ראו טובה | 25 |
My days have been swifter than a messenger; they have fled and have not seen goodness.
| חלפו עם-אניות אבה כנשר יטוש עלי-אכל | 26 |
They have passed by like ships carrying fruits, just like an eagle flying to food.
| אם-אמרי אשכחה שיחי אעזבה פני ואבליגה | 27 |
If I say: “By no means will I speak this way.” I change my face and I am tortured with sorrow.
| יגרתי כל-עצבתי ידעתי כי-לא תנקני | 28 |
I have dreaded all my works, knowing that you did not spare the offender.
| אנכי ארשע למה-זה הבל איגע | 29 |
Yet, if I am also just as impious, why have I labored in vain?
| אם-התרחצתי במו- (במי-) שלג והזכותי בבר כפי | 30 |
If I had been washed with snow-like waters, and my hands were shining like the cleanest thing,
| אז בשחת תטבלני ותעבוני שלמותי | 31 |
yet you would plunge me in filth, and my own garments would abhor me.
| כי-לא-איש כמוני אעננו נבוא יחדו במשפט | 32 |
For even I would not answer a man who were like myself, nor one who could be heard with me equally in judgment.
| לא יש-בינינו מוכיח-- ישת ידו על-שנינו | 33 |
There is no one who could both prevail in argument and in placing his hand between the two.
| יסר מעלי שבטו ואמתו אל-תבעתני | 34 |
Let him take his staff away from me, and let not the fear of him terrify me.
| אדברה ולא איראנו כי לא-כן אנכי עמדי | 35 |
I will speak and I will not fear him, for in fearfulness I am not able to respond.
