איוב 13

1 הֶן־כֹּל רָאֲתָה עֵינִי שָֽׁמְעָה אׇזְנִי וַתָּבֶן לָֽהּ׃

“Hey, I [SYN] have seen everything [that you have seen], and I have heard and understood all [that you have said].

2 כְּֽדַעְתְּכֶם יָדַעְתִּי גַם־אָנִי לֹֽא־נֹפֵל אָנֹכִי מִכֶּֽם׃

What you know, I also know; I do (not know less than/know as much as) you.

3 אוּלָם אֲנִי אֶל־שַׁדַּי אֲדַבֵּר וְהוֹכֵחַ אֶל־אֵל אֶחְפָּֽץ׃

But I would like to speak to Almighty God, [not to you]; I would like to argue with him [and prove that I (am innocent/have not done things that are wrong]).

4 וְֽאוּלָם אַתֶּם טֹפְלֵי־שָׁקֶר רֹפְאֵי אֱלִל כֻּלְּכֶֽם׃

As for you, you do not allow people to know the truth about me, like someone covers [up a bad surface of a wall] with whitewash [MET]. You are all like doctors [MET] [that give people] useless [medicines].

5 מִי־יִתֵּן הַחֲרֵשׁ תַּחֲרִישׁוּן וּתְהִי לָכֶם לְחׇכְמָֽה׃

I wish/desire that you would be silent; that would be the wisest thing that you [could do].

6 שִׁמְעוּ־נָא תוֹכַחְתִּי וְרִבוֹת שְׂפָתַי הַקְשִֽׁיבוּ׃

Listen to what I will say to you now; listen while I am saying [what is true about myself].

7 הַלְאֵל תְּדַבְּרוּ עַוְלָה וְלוֹ תְּֽדַבְּרוּ רְמִיָּֽה׃

Are you telling lies about me to prove God [is just in causing me to suffer]? Are you saying what is deceitful in order to benefit him?

8 הֲפָנָיו תִּשָּׂאוּן אִם־לָאֵל תְּרִיבֽוּן׃

Are you trying to defend him? Are you trying to prove [as you would] in a court that he is innocent?

9 הֲטוֹב כִּֽי־יַחְקֹר אֶתְכֶם אִם־כְּהָתֵל בֶּאֱנוֹשׁ תְּהָתֵלּוּ בֽוֹ׃

If he looks closely, will he find that everything that you have done is good? Or can you deceive him, like you deceive other people?

10 הוֹכֵחַ יוֹכִיחַ אֶתְכֶם אִם־בַּסֵּתֶר פָּנִים תִּשָּׂאֽוּן׃

If you secretly say/do things to cause God to act favorably toward you, he will surely rebuke you.

11 הֲלֹא שְׂאֵתוֹ תְּבַעֵת אֶתְכֶם וּפַחְדּוֹ יִפֹּל עֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

He will certainly [RHQ] cause you to be terrified by his power/greatness; you will become extremely afraid.

12 זִֽכְרֹנֵיכֶם מִשְׁלֵי־אֵפֶר לְגַבֵּי־חֹמֶר גַּבֵּיכֶֽם׃

The things that you say [that you think are] wise are [as useless as] [MET] as ashes; what you say to defend your opinions is no better than [MET] clay [that quickly crumbles].

13 הַחֲרִישׁוּ מִמֶּנִּי וַאֲדַבְּרָה־אָנִי וְיַעֲבֹר עָלַי מָֽה׃

“So, be quiet and allow me to speak, and then it will not matter what happens to me.

14 עַל־מָה ׀ אֶשָּׂא בְשָׂרִי בְשִׁנָּי וְנַפְשִׁי אָשִׂים בְּכַפִּֽי׃

I am ready to endure anything; I am [even] willing to risk being executed [IDM, DOU] [for what I will say].

15 הֵן יִקְטְלֵנִי (לא) [לוֹ] אֲיַחֵל אַךְ־דְּרָכַי אֶל־פָּנָיו אוֹכִֽיחַ׃

If God kills me, then I will not have anyone else whom I can confidently expect to help me, but I am going to defend my behavior in his presence [anyway].

16 גַּם־הוּא־לִי לִישׁוּעָה כִּי־לֹא לְפָנָיו חָנֵף יָבֽוֹא׃

No wicked/godless person would dare to stand in the presence of God, [but because I say that I have not done things that are wrong], perhaps, if I can prove that to God, he will save me.”

17 שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ מִלָּתִי וְאַחֲוָתִי בְּאׇזְנֵיכֶֽם׃

“God, listen very carefully to what I say [DOU].

18 הִנֵּה־נָא עָרַכְתִּי מִשְׁפָּט יָדַעְתִּי כִּי־אֲנִי אֶצְדָּֽק׃

I am ready to prove that I am innocent, and I know that you also will declare that I am not guilty.

19 מִי־הוּא יָרִיב עִמָּדִי כִּֽי־עַתָּה אַחֲרִישׁ וְאֶגְוָֽע׃

I certainly do not think [RHQ] that [you or anyone else] will say that what I say is not true; if anyone did that, I would (be silent/stop talking) and die.

20 אַךְ־שְׁתַּיִם אַל־תַּעַשׂ עִמָּדִי אָז מִפָּנֶיךָ לֹא אֶסָּתֵֽר׃

“I am requesting you to do two things for me; if you do them, I will (not hide from you/come and stand in front of you) [LIT].

21 כַּפְּךָ מֵעָלַי הַרְחַק וְאֵמָתְךָ אַֽל־תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃

[The first thing that I request is that you] stop punishing [IDM] me; and [the second thing that I request is that you] stop causing me to be very terrified.

22 וּקְרָא וְאָנֹכִי אֶעֱנֶה אֽוֹ־אֲדַבֵּר וַהֲשִׁיבֵֽנִי׃

You speak [first], and then I will reply; or allow me to speak first, and [then] you reply.

23 כַּמָּה לִי עֲוֺנוֹת וְחַטָּאוֹת פִּֽשְׁעִי וְחַטָּאתִי הֹדִיעֵֽנִי׃

What have I done that is wrong? What sins have I committed? Show me how I have disobeyed you.

24 לָֽמָּה־פָנֶיךָ תַסְתִּיר וְתַחְשְׁבֵנִי לְאוֹיֵב לָֽךְ׃

Why (do you refuse to be friendly with/have you abandoned) me [IDM]? Why do you (act toward me as though I am/consider me to be) your enemy?

25 הֶעָלֶה נִדָּף תַּעֲרוֹץ וְאֶת־קַשׁ יָבֵשׁ תִּרְדֹּֽף׃

I am [as insignificant as] [MET] a leaf that is blown by the wind; why are you trying to cause me to be afraid [RHQ]? Why are you pursuing me? Am I [useless, nothing more than a bit of] dry chaff [RHQ]?

26 כִּֽי־תִכְתֹּב עָלַי מְרֹרוֹת וְתוֹרִישֵׁנִי עֲוֺנוֹת נְעוּרָֽי׃

[It seems that] you are writing things to accuse me [of doing things that are wrong], even recalling bad things that I did when I was young.

27 וְתָשֵׂם בַּסַּד ׀ רַגְלַי וְתִשְׁמוֹר כׇּל־אׇרְחוֹתָי עַל־שׇׁרְשֵׁי רַגְלַי תִּתְחַקֶּֽה׃

[It is as though] you have fastened my feet with chains [to prevent me from walking], and you watch me wherever I walk; [It is as though] you even look closely at my footprints [to see where I have gone].

28 וְהוּא כְּרָקָב יִבְלֶה כְּבֶגֶד אֲכָלוֹ עָֽשׁ׃

[As a result], my body is decaying like [SIM] rotten wood, like a piece of cloth that is eaten by [larvae of] moths.”