איוב 31
| בְּרִית כָּרַתִּי לְעֵינָי וּמָה אֶתְבּוֹנֵן עַל־בְּתוּלָֽה׃ | 1 |
I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then should I look with desire on a virgin?
| וּמֶה ׀ חֵלֶק אֱלוֹהַּ מִמָּעַל וְֽנַחֲלַת שַׁדַּי מִמְּרֹמִֽים׃ | 2 |
For what is the portion from God above, the inheritance from the Almighty on high?
| הֲלֹא־אֵיד לְעַוָּל וְנֵכֶר לְפֹעֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃ | 3 |
I used to think that calamity is for unrighteous people, and that disaster is for doers of wickedness.
| הֲלֹא־הוּא יִרְאֶה דְרָכָי וְֽכׇל־צְעָדַי יִסְפּֽוֹר׃ | 4 |
Does not God see my ways and count all my steps?
| אִם־הָלַכְתִּי עִם־שָׁוְא וַתַּחַשׁ עַל־מִרְמָה רַגְלִֽי׃ | 5 |
If I have walked with falsehood, if my foot has hurried to deceit,
| יִשְׁקְלֵנִי בְמֹֽאזְנֵי־צֶדֶק וְיֵדַע אֱלוֹהַּ תֻּמָּתִֽי׃ | 6 |
let me be weighed in an even balance so that God will know my integrity.
| אִם תִּטֶּה אַשֻּׁרִי מִנִּי הַדָּרֶךְ וְאַחַר עֵינַי הָלַךְ לִבִּי וּבְכַפַּי דָּבַק מֽאוּם׃ | 7 |
If my step has turned aside from the way, if my heart has gone after my eyes, if any spot has stuck to my hands,
| אֶזְרְעָה וְאַחֵר יֹאכֵל וְֽצֶאֱצָאַי יְשֹׁרָֽשׁוּ׃ | 8 |
then let me sow, and let another eat, and let my crops be uprooted.
| אִם־נִפְתָּה לִבִּי עַל־אִשָּׁה וְעַל־פֶּתַח רֵעִי אָרָֽבְתִּי׃ | 9 |
If my heart has been deceived by a woman, if I have lain in wait at my neighbor's door,
| תִּטְחַן לְאַחֵר אִשְׁתִּי וְעָלֶיהָ יִכְרְעוּן אֲחֵרִֽין׃ | 10 |
then let my wife grind grain for another, and let others bow down on her.
| כִּי־[הִיא] (הוא) זִמָּה (והיא) [וְהוּא] עָוֺן פְּלִילִֽים׃ | 11 |
For that would be a terrible crime; indeed, it would be a crime to be punished by judges.
| כִּי אֵשׁ הִיא עַד־אֲבַדּוֹן תֹּאכֵל וּֽבְכׇל־תְּבוּאָתִי תְשָׁרֵֽשׁ׃ | 12 |
For that is a fire that consumes as far as Abaddon, and it would burn all my harvest to the root.
| אִם־אֶמְאַס מִשְׁפַּט עַבְדִּי וַאֲמָתִי בְּרִבָם עִמָּדִֽי׃ | 13 |
If I ignored the plea for justice from my male or female servant when they argued with me,
| וּמָה אֶעֱשֶׂה כִּֽי־יָקוּם אֵל וְכִי־יִפְקֹד מָה אֲשִׁיבֶֽנּוּ׃ | 14 |
what then would I do when God rises up to accuse me? When he comes to judge me, how would I answer him?
| הֲֽלֹא־בַבֶּטֶן עֹשֵׂנִי עָשָׂהוּ וַיְכֻנֶנּוּ בָּרֶחֶם אֶחָֽד׃ | 15 |
Did the one who made me in the womb not make them also? Did not the same one mold us all in the womb?
| אִם־אֶמְנַע מֵחֵפֶץ דַּלִּים וְעֵינֵי אַלְמָנָה אֲכַלֶּֽה׃ | 16 |
If I have withheld poor people from their desire, or if I have caused the eyes of the widow to grow dim from crying,
| וְאֹכַל פִּתִּי לְבַדִּי וְלֹֽא־אָכַל יָתוֹם מִמֶּֽנָּה׃ | 17 |
or if I have eaten my morsel alone and not allowed those without fathers to eat it also—
| כִּי מִנְּעוּרַי גְּדֵלַנִי כְאָב וּמִבֶּטֶן אִמִּי אַנְחֶֽנָּה׃ | 18 |
because from my youth the orphan grew up with me as with a father, and I have guided his mother, a widow, from my own mother's womb.
| אִם־אֶרְאֶה אוֹבֵד מִבְּלִי לְבוּשׁ וְאֵין כְּסוּת לָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃ | 19 |
If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or if I have seen that a needy man had no clothing;
| אִם־לֹא בֵרְכוּנִי חֲלָצָו וּמִגֵּז כְּבָשַׂי יִתְחַמָּֽם׃ | 20 |
if his heart has not blessed me because he has not been warmed with the wool of my sheep,
| אִם־הֲנִיפוֹתִי עַל־יָתוֹם יָדִי כִּֽי־אֶרְאֶה בַשַּׁעַר עֶזְרָתִֽי׃ | 21 |
if I have lifted up my hand against fatherless people because I saw my support in the city gate, then bring charges against me!
| כְּתֵפִי מִשִּׁכְמָהֿ תִפּוֹל וְאֶזְרֹעִי מִקָּנָהֿ תִשָּׁבֵֽר׃ | 22 |
If I have done these things, then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, and let my arm be broken from its joint.
| כִּי פַחַד אֵלַי אֵיד אֵל וּמִשְּׂאֵתוֹ לֹא אוּכָֽל׃ | 23 |
For I dreaded destruction from God; because of his majesty, I was not able to do those things.
| אִם־שַׂמְתִּי זָהָב כִּסְלִי וְלַכֶּתֶם אָמַרְתִּי מִבְטַחִֽי׃ | 24 |
If I have made gold my hope, and if I have said to fine gold, 'You are what I am confident in';
| אִם־אֶשְׂמַח כִּֽי־רַב חֵילִי וְכִֽי־כַבִּיר מָצְאָה יָדִֽי׃ | 25 |
if I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, because my hand had gotten many possessions, then bring charges against me!
| אִם־אֶרְאֶה אוֹר כִּי יָהֵל וְיָרֵחַ יָקָר הֹלֵֽךְ׃ | 26 |
If I have seen the sun when it shone, or the moon walking in its brightness,
| וַיִּפְתְּ בַּסֵּתֶר לִבִּי וַתִּשַּׁק יָדִי לְפִֽי׃ | 27 |
and if my heart has been secretly attracted, so that my mouth has kissed my hand in worship of them—
| גַּם־הוּא עָוֺן פְּלִילִי כִּֽי־כִחַשְׁתִּי לָאֵל מִמָּֽעַל׃ | 28 |
this also would be a crime to be punished by judges, for I would have denied the God who is above.
| אִם־אֶשְׂמַח בְּפִיד מְשַׂנְאִי וְהִתְעֹרַרְתִּי כִּֽי־מְצָאוֹ רָֽע׃ | 29 |
If I have rejoiced at the destruction of anyone who hated me or congratulated myself when disaster overtook him, then bring charges against me!
| וְלֹא־נָתַתִּי לַחֲטֹא חִכִּי לִשְׁאֹל בְּאָלָה נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃ | 30 |
Indeed, I have not even allowed my mouth to sin by asking for his life with a curse.
| אִם־לֹא אָמְרוּ מְתֵי אׇהֳלִי מִי־יִתֵּן מִבְּשָׂרוֹ לֹא נִשְׂבָּֽע׃ | 31 |
If the men of my tent have never said, 'Who can find one who has not been filled with Job's food?'
| בַּחוּץ לֹא־יָלִין גֵּר דְּלָתַי לָאֹרַח אֶפְתָּֽח׃ | 32 |
(even the foreigner has never had to stay in the city square, because I have always opened my doors to the traveler), and if that is not so, then bring charges against me!
| אִם־כִּסִּיתִי כְאָדָם פְּשָׁעָי לִטְמוֹן בְּחֻבִּי עֲוֺנִֽי׃ | 33 |
If, like mankind, I have hidden my sins by hiding my guilt inside my tunic
| כִּי אֶעֱרוֹץ ׀ הָמוֹן רַבָּה וּבוּז־מִשְׁפָּחוֹת יְחִתֵּנִי וָאֶדֹּם לֹא־אֵצֵא פָֽתַח׃ | 34 |
(because I feared the great multitude, because the contempt of families terrified me, so that I kept silent and would not go outside), then bring charges against me!
| מִי יִתֶּן־לִי ׀ שֹׁמֵעַֽ לִי הֶן־תָּוִי שַׁדַּי יַעֲנֵנִי וְסֵפֶר כָּתַב אִישׁ רִיבִֽי׃ | 35 |
Oh, if only I had someone to hear me! See, here is my signature; let the Almighty answer me! If only I had the indictment that my opponent has written!
| אִם־לֹא עַל־שִׁכְמִי אֶשָּׂאֶנּוּ אֶעֶנְדֶנּוּ עֲטָרוֹת לִֽי׃ | 36 |
Surely I would carry it openly on my shoulder; I would put it on like a crown.
| מִסְפַּר צְעָדַי אַגִּידֶנּוּ כְּמוֹ־נָגִיד אֲקָֽרְבֶֽנּוּ׃ | 37 |
I would declare to him an accounting for my steps; as a confident prince I would go up to him.
| אִם־עָלַי אַדְמָתִי תִזְעָק וְיַחַד תְּלָמֶיהָ יִבְכָּיֽוּן׃ | 38 |
If my land ever cries out against me, and its furrows weep together,
| אִם־כֹּחָהּ אָכַלְתִּי בְלִי־כָסֶף וְנֶפֶשׁ בְּעָלֶיהָ הִפָּֽחְתִּי׃ | 39 |
if I have eaten its harvest without paying for it or have caused its owners to lose their lives,
| תַּחַת חִטָּה ׀ יֵצֵא חוֹחַ וְתַֽחַת־שְׂעֹרָה בׇאְשָׁה תַּמּוּ דִּבְרֵי אִיּֽוֹב׃ | 40 |
then let thorns grow instead of wheat and weeds instead of barley.” The words of Job are finished.
