איוב 10

1 נָֽקְטָה נַפְשִׁי בְּחַיָּי אֶעֶזְבָה עָלַי שִׂיחִי אֲדַבְּרָה בְּמַר נַפְשִֽׁי׃

“I loathe my own life; I will express my complaint and speak in the bitterness of my soul.

2 אֹמַר אֶל־אֱלוֹהַּ אַל־תַּרְשִׁיעֵנִי הוֹדִיעֵנִי עַל מַה־תְּרִיבֵֽנִי׃

I will say to God: Do not condemn me! Let me know why You prosecute me.

3 הֲטוֹב לְךָ ׀ כִּֽי־תַעֲשֹׁק כִּֽי־תִמְאַס יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ וְעַל־עֲצַת רְשָׁעִים הוֹפָֽעְתָּ׃

Does it please You to oppress me, to reject the work of Your hands and favor the schemes of the wicked?

4 הַעֵינֵי בָשָׂר לָךְ אִם־כִּרְאוֹת אֱנוֹשׁ תִּרְאֶֽה׃

Do You have eyes of flesh? Do You see as man sees?

5 הֲכִימֵי אֱנוֹשׁ יָמֶיךָ אִם־שְׁנוֹתֶיךָ כִּימֵי גָֽבֶר׃

Are Your days like those of a mortal, or Your years like those of a man,

6 כִּֽי־תְבַקֵּשׁ לַעֲוֺנִי וּֽלְחַטָּאתִי תִדְרֽוֹשׁ׃

that You should seek my iniquity and search out my sin—

7 עַֽל־דַּעְתְּךָ כִּי־לֹא אֶרְשָׁע וְאֵין מִיָּדְךָ מַצִּֽיל׃

though You know that I am not guilty, and there is no deliverance from Your hand?

8 יָדֶיךָ עִצְּבוּנִי וַֽיַּעֲשׂוּנִי יַחַד סָבִיב וַֽתְּבַלְּעֵֽנִי׃

Your hands shaped me and altogether formed me. Would You now turn and destroy me?

9 זְכׇר־נָא כִּֽי־כַחֹמֶר עֲשִׂיתָנִי וְֽאֶל־עָפָר תְּשִׁיבֵֽנִי׃

Please remember that You molded me like clay. Would You now return me to dust?

10 הֲלֹא כֶחָלָב תַּתִּיכֵנִי וְכַגְּבִנָּה תַּקְפִּיאֵֽנִי׃

Did You not pour me out like milk, and curdle me like cheese?

11 עוֹר וּבָשָׂר תַּלְבִּישֵׁנִי וּֽבַעֲצָמוֹת וְגִידִים תְּשֹׂכְכֵֽנִי׃

You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews.

12 חַיִּים וָחֶסֶד עָשִׂיתָ עִמָּדִי וּפְקֻדָּתְךָ שָֽׁמְרָה רוּחִֽי׃

You have granted me life and loving devotion, and Your care has preserved my spirit.

13 וְאֵלֶּה צָפַנְתָּ בִלְבָבֶךָ יָדַעְתִּי כִּי־זֹאת עִמָּֽךְ׃

Yet You concealed these things in Your heart, and I know that this was in Your mind:

14 אִם־חָטָאתִי וּשְׁמַרְתָּנִי וּמֵעֲוֺנִי לֹא תְנַקֵּֽנִי׃

If I sinned, You would take note, and would not acquit me of my iniquity.

15 אִם־רָשַׁעְתִּי אַלְלַי לִי וְצָדַקְתִּי לֹא־אֶשָּׂא רֹאשִׁי שְׂבַע קָלוֹן וּרְאֵה עׇנְיִֽי׃

If I am guilty, woe to me! And even if I am righteous, I cannot lift my head. I am full of shame and aware of my affliction.

16 וְיִגְאֶה כַּשַּׁחַל תְּצוּדֵנִי וְתָשֹׁב תִּתְפַּלָּא־בִֽי׃

Should I hold my head high, You would hunt me like a lion, and again display Your power against me.

17 תְּחַדֵּשׁ עֵדֶיךָ ׀ נֶגְדִּי וְתֶרֶב כַּעַשְׂךָ עִמָּדִי חֲלִיפוֹת וְצָבָא עִמִּֽי׃

You produce new witnesses against me and multiply Your anger toward me. Hardships assault me in wave after wave.

18 וְלָמָּה מֵרֶחֶם הֹצֵאתָנִי אֶגְוַע וְעַיִן לֹֽא־תִרְאֵֽנִי׃

Why then did You bring me from the womb? Oh, that I had died, and no eye had seen me!

19 כַּאֲשֶׁר לֹא־הָיִיתִי אֶהְיֶה מִבֶּטֶן לַקֶּבֶר אוּבָֽל׃

If only I had never come to be, but had been carried from the womb to the grave.

20 הֲלֹֽא־מְעַט יָמַי (יחדל) [וַחֲדָל] (ישית) [וְשִׁית] מִמֶּנִּי וְאַבְלִיגָה מְּעָֽט׃

Are my days not few? Withdraw from me, that I may have a little comfort,

21 בְּטֶרֶם אֵלֵךְ וְלֹא אָשׁוּב אֶל־אֶרֶץ חֹשֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃

before I go—never to return— to a land of darkness and gloom,

22 אֶרֶץ עֵפָתָה ׀ כְּמוֹ אֹפֶל צַלְמָוֶת וְלֹא סְדָרִים וַתֹּפַע כְּמוֹ־אֹֽפֶל׃

to a land of utter darkness, of deep shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness.”