אִיּוֹב 10

1 נָֽקְטָ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֗י בְּחַ֫יָּ֥י אֶֽעֶזְבָ֣ה עָלַ֣י שִׂיחִ֑י אֲ֝דַבְּרָה֗ בְּמַ֣ר נַפְשִֽׁי׃

“My soul is weary of my life. I will give free course to my complaint. I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

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

I will tell God, ‘Do not condemn me. Show me why you contend with me.

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

Is it good to you that you should oppress, that you should despise the work of your hands, and smile on the counsel of the wicked?

4 הַעֵינֵ֣י בָשָׂ֣ר לָ֑ךְ אִם־כִּרְאֹ֖ות אֱנֹ֣ושׁ תִּרְאֶֽה׃

Do you have eyes of flesh? Or do you see as man sees?

5 הֲכִימֵ֣י אֱנֹ֣ושׁ יָמֶ֑יךָ אִם־שְׁ֝נֹותֶ֗יךָ כִּ֣ימֵי גָֽבֶר׃

Are your days as the days of mortals, or your years as man’s years,

6 כִּֽי־תְבַקֵּ֥שׁ לַעֲוֹנִ֑י וּ֭לְחַטָּאתִ֥י תִדְרֹֽושׁ׃

that you enquire after my iniquity, and search after my sin?

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

Although you know that I am not wicked, there is no one who can deliver out of your hand.

8 יָדֶ֣יךָ עִ֭צְּבוּנִי וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֑וּנִי יַ֥חַד סָ֝בִ֗יב וַֽתְּבַלְּעֵֽנִי׃

“‘Your hands have framed me and fashioned me altogether, yet you destroy me.

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

Remember, I beg you, that you have fashioned me as clay. Will you bring me into dust again?

10 הֲלֹ֣א כֶ֭חָלָב תַּתִּיכֵ֑נִי וְ֝כַגְּבִנָּ֗ה תַּקְפִּיאֵֽנִי׃

Haven’t you poured me out like milk, and curdled me like cheese?

11 עֹ֣ור וּ֭בָשָׂר תַּלְבִּישֵׁ֑נִי וּֽבַעֲצָמֹ֥ות וְ֝גִידִ֗ים תְּסֹכְכֵֽנִי׃

You have 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 kindness. Your visitation has preserved my spirit.

13 וְ֭אֵלֶּה צָפַ֣נְתָּ בִלְבָבֶ֑ךָ יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּי־זֹ֥את עִמָּֽךְ׃

Yet you hid these things in your heart. I know that this is with you:

14 אִם־חָטָ֥אתִי וּשְׁמַרְתָּ֑נִי וּ֝מֵעֲוֹנִ֗י לֹ֣א תְנַקֵּֽנִי׃

if I sin, then you mark me. You will not acquit me from my iniquity.

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

If I am wicked, woe to me. If I am righteous, I still will not lift up my head, being filled with disgrace, and conscious of my affliction.

16 וְ֭יִגְאֶה כַּשַּׁ֣חַל תְּצוּדֵ֑נִי וְ֝תָשֹׁ֗ב תִּתְפַּלָּא־בִֽי׃

If my head is held high, you hunt me like a lion. Again you show yourself powerful to me.

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

You renew your witnesses against me, and increase your indignation on me. Changes and warfare are with me.

18 וְלָ֣מָּה מֵ֭רֶחֶם הֹצֵאתָ֑נִי אֶ֝גְוַ֗ע וְעַ֣יִן לֹא־תִרְאֵֽנִי׃

“‘Why, then, have you brought me out of the womb? I wish I had given up the spirit, and no eye had seen me.

19 כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־הָיִ֣יתִי אֶהְיֶ֑ה מִ֝בֶּ֗טֶן לַקֶּ֥בֶר אוּבָֽל׃

I should have been as though I had not been. I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

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

Aren’t my days few? Stop! Leave me alone, that I may find a little comfort,

21 בְּטֶ֣רֶם אֵ֭לֵךְ וְלֹ֣א אָשׁ֑וּב אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃

before I go where I will not return from, to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death;

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

the land dark as midnight, of the shadow of death, without any order, where the light is as midnight.’”