אִיּוֹב 10

1 נָֽקְטָ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֗י בְּחַ֫יָּ֥י אֶֽעֶזְבָ֣ה עָלַ֣י שִׂיחִ֑י אֲ֝דַבְּרָה֗ בְּמַ֣ר נַפְשִֽׁי׃

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

2 אֹמַ֣ר אֶל־אֱ֭לֹוהַּ אַל־תַּרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי הֹֽ֝ודִיעֵ֗נִי עַ֣ל מַה־תְּרִיבֵֽנִי׃

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

3 הֲטֹ֤וב לְךָ֨ ׀ כִּֽי־תַעֲשֹׁ֗ק כִּֽי־תִ֭מְאַס יְגִ֣יעַ כַּפֶּ֑יךָ וְעַל־עֲצַ֖ת רְשָׁעִ֣ים הֹופָֽעְתָּ׃

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

4 הַעֵינֵ֣י בָשָׂ֣ר לָ֑ךְ אִם־כִּרְאֹ֖ות אֱנֹ֣ושׁ תִּרְאֶֽה׃

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

5 הֲכִימֵ֣י אֱנֹ֣ושׁ יָמֶ֑יךָ אִם־שְׁ֝נֹותֶ֗יךָ כִּ֣ימֵי גָֽבֶר׃

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

6 כִּֽי־תְבַקֵּ֥שׁ לַעֲוֹנִ֑י וּ֭לְחַטָּאתִ֥י תִדְרֹֽושׁ׃

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

7 עַֽל־דַּ֭עְתְּךָ כִּי־לֹ֣א אֶרְשָׁ֑ע וְאֵ֖ין מִיָּדְךָ֣ מַצִּֽיל׃

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

8 יָדֶ֣יךָ עִ֭צְּבוּנִי וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֑וּנִי יַ֥חַד סָ֝בִ֗יב וַֽתְּבַלְּעֵֽנִי׃

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

9 זְכָר־נָ֭א כִּי־כַחֹ֣מֶר עֲשִׂיתָ֑נִי וְֽאֶל־עָפָ֥ר תְּשִׁיבֵֽנִי׃

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

10 הֲלֹ֣א כֶ֭חָלָב תַּתִּיכֵ֑נִי וְ֝כַגְּבִנָּ֗ה תַּקְפִּיאֵֽנִי׃

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

11 עֹ֣ור וּ֭בָשָׂר תַּלְבִּישֵׁ֑נִי וּֽבַעֲצָמֹ֥ות וְ֝גִידִ֗ים תְּסֹכְכֵֽנִי׃

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

12 חַיִּ֣ים וָ֭חֶסֶד עָשִׂ֣יתָ עִמָּדִ֑י וּ֝פְקֻדָּתְךָ֗ שָֽׁמְרָ֥ה רוּחִֽי׃

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

13 וְ֭אֵלֶּה צָפַ֣נְתָּ בִלְבָבֶ֑ךָ יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּי־זֹ֥את עִמָּֽךְ׃

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

14 אִם־חָטָ֥אתִי וּשְׁמַרְתָּ֑נִי וּ֝מֵעֲוֹנִ֗י לֹ֣א תְנַקֵּֽנִי׃

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

15 אִם־רָשַׁ֡עְתִּי אַלְלַ֬י לִ֗י וְ֭צָדַקְתִּי לֹא־אֶשָּׂ֣א רֹאשִׁ֑י שְׂבַ֥ע קָ֝לֹ֗ון וּרְאֵ֥ה עָנְיֽ͏ִי׃

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 וְ֭יִגְאֶה כַּשַּׁ֣חַל תְּצוּדֵ֑נִי וְ֝תָשֹׁ֗ב תִּתְפַּלָּא־בִֽי׃

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

17 תְּחַדֵּ֬שׁ עֵדֶ֨יךָ ׀ נֶגְדִּ֗י וְתֶ֣רֶב כַּֽ֭עַשְׂךָ עִמָּדִ֑י חֲלִיפֹ֖ות וְצָבָ֣א עִמִּֽי׃

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

18 וְלָ֣מָּה מֵ֭רֶחֶם הֹצֵאתָ֑נִי אֶ֝גְוַ֗ע וְעַ֣יִן לֹא־תִרְאֵֽנִי׃

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

19 כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־הָיִ֣יתִי אֶהְיֶ֑ה מִ֝בֶּ֗טֶן לַקֶּ֥בֶר אוּבָֽל׃

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

20 הֲלֹא־מְעַ֣ט יָמַ֣י יֶחְדָּל (וַחֲדָ֑ל) יָשִׁית (וְשִׁ֥ית) מִ֝מֶּ֗נִּי וְאַבְלִ֥יגָה מְּעָֽט׃

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

21 בְּטֶ֣רֶם אֵ֭לֵךְ וְלֹ֣א אָשׁ֑וּב אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃

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

22 אֶ֤רֶץ עֵיפָ֨תָה ׀ כְּמֹ֥ו אֹ֗פֶל צַ֭לְמָוֶת וְלֹ֥א סְדָרִ֗ים וַתֹּ֥פַע כְּמֹו־אֹֽפֶל׃ פ

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