אִיּוֹב 10

1 נָֽקְטָ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֗י בְּחַ֫יָּ֥י אֶֽעֶזְבָ֣ה עָלַ֣י שִׂיחִ֑י אֲ֝דַבְּרָה֗ בְּמַ֣ר נַפְשִֽׁי׃

I hate my life! Let me speak freely about my complaints—I can't keep my bitterness to myself.

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

I will tell God, “Don't just condemn me—tell me what you have against me.

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

Do you enjoy accusing me? Why do you reject me, someone you made with your own hands, and yet smile on the scheming of the wicked?

4 הַעֵינֵ֣י בָשָׂ֣ר לָ֑ךְ אִם־כִּרְאֹ֖ות אֱנֹ֣ושׁ תִּרְאֶֽה׃

Do you have human eyes? Do you see like human beings do?

5 הֲכִימֵ֣י אֱנֹ֣ושׁ יָמֶ֑יךָ אִם־שְׁ֝נֹותֶ֗יךָ כִּ֣ימֵי גָֽבֶר׃

Is your life as short as mortal beings? Are your years as brief as those of humanity,

6 כִּֽי־תְבַקֵּ֥שׁ לַעֲוֹנִ֑י וּ֭לְחַטָּאתִ֥י תִדְרֹֽושׁ׃

that you have to examine my wrongs and investigate my sins?

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

Even though you know I'm not guilty, no one can save me from you.

8 יָדֶ֣יךָ עִ֭צְּבוּנִי וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֑וּנִי יַ֥חַד סָ֝בִ֗יב וַֽתְּבַלְּעֵֽנִי׃

You made me and shaped me with your own hands, and yet you destroy me.

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

Remember that you shaped me like a piece of clay—are you now going to turn me back into dust?

10 הֲלֹ֣א כֶ֭חָלָב תַּתִּיכֵ֑נִי וְ֝כַגְּבִנָּ֗ה תַּקְפִּיאֵֽנִי׃

You poured me out like milk, you curdled me like cheese.

11 עֹ֣ור וּ֭בָשָׂר תַּלְבִּישֵׁ֑נִי וּֽבַעֲצָמֹ֥ות וְ֝גִידִ֗ים תְּסֹכְכֵֽנִי׃

You clothed me with skin and flesh; you wove my body together with bones and muscles.

12 חַיִּ֣ים וָ֭חֶסֶד עָשִׂ֣יתָ עִמָּדִ֑י וּ֝פְקֻדָּתְךָ֗ שָֽׁמְרָ֥ה רוּחִֽי׃

You granted me life and showed me your kindness; you have taken great care of me.

13 וְ֭אֵלֶּה צָפַ֣נְתָּ בִלְבָבֶ֑ךָ יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּי־זֹ֥את עִמָּֽךְ׃

But you kept these things hidden in your heart. I know your purpose was

14 אִם־חָטָ֥אתִי וּשְׁמַרְתָּ֑נִי וּ֝מֵעֲוֹנִ֗י לֹ֣א תְנַקֵּֽנִי׃

to watch me, and if I sinned, then you would not forgive my wrongs.

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

If I'm guilty I'm in trouble, if I'm innocent I can't hold my head high because I'm totally disgraced as I look at my sufferings.

16 וְ֭יִגְאֶה כַּשַּׁ֣חַל תְּצוּדֵ֑נִי וְ֝תָשֹׁ֗ב תִּתְפַּלָּא־בִֽי׃

If I do hold my head high you hunt me down like a lion, showing how powerful you are in hurting me.

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

You repeat your arguments against me, you pour out more and more of your anger against me, you send fresh armies against me.

18 וְלָ֣מָּה מֵ֭רֶחֶם הֹצֵאתָ֑נִי אֶ֝גְוַ֗ע וְעַ֣יִן לֹא־תִרְאֵֽנִי׃

So why did you allow me to be born? I wish that I had died, and nobody had ever seen me!

19 כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־הָיִ֣יתִי אֶהְיֶ֑ה מִ֝בֶּ֗טֶן לַקֶּ֥בֶר אוּבָֽל׃

It would have been better if I had never existed, taken straight from the womb to the grave.

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

I only have a few days left, so why don't you leave me alone so I can have a little peace

21 בְּטֶ֣רֶם אֵ֭לֵךְ וְלֹ֣א אָשׁ֑וּב אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃

before I go to where I shall never return from, the land of darkness and the shadow of death—

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

the land of total darkness where death's shadow lies, a place of chaos where light itself is darkness.”