אִיּוֹב 13

1 הֶן־כֹּ֖ל רָאֲתָ֣ה עֵינִ֑י שָֽׁמְעָ֥ה אָ֝זְנִ֗י וַתָּ֥בֶן לָֽהּ׃

Lo! all [this], hath mine own eye seen, —Mine ear hath heard and understood it:

2 כְּֽ֭דַעְתְּכֶם יָדַ֣עְתִּי גַם־אָ֑נִי לֹא־נֹפֵ֖ל אָנֹכִ֣י מִכֶּֽם׃

Just as ye know, I too, know, I, fall not short, of you.

3 אוּלָ֗ם אֲ֭נִי אֶל־שַׁדַּ֣י אֲדַבֵּ֑ר וְהֹוכֵ֖חַ אֶל־אֵ֣ל אֶחְפָּֽץ׃

But indeed, I, unto the Almighty, would speak, and, to direct my argument unto GOD, would I be well pleased.

4 וְֽאוּלָ֗ם אַתֶּ֥ם טֹֽפְלֵי־שָׁ֑קֶר רֹפְאֵ֖י אֱלִ֣ל כֻּלְּכֶֽם׃

For, in truth, ye, do besmear with falsehood, Worthless physicians, all of you!

5 מִֽי־יִ֭תֵּן הַחֲרֵ֣שׁ תַּחֲרִישׁ֑וּן וּתְהִ֖י לָכֶ֣ם לְחָכְמָֽה׃

Oh that ye would, altogether hold your peace, and it should serve you for wisdom!

6 שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֥א תֹוכַחְתִּ֑י וְרִבֹ֖ות שְׂפָתַ֣י הַקְשִֽׁיבוּ׃

Hear, I pray you, the argument of my mouth, and, to the pleadings of my lips, give heed: —

7 הַ֭לְאֵל תְּדַבְּר֣וּ עַוְלָ֑ה וְ֝לֹ֗ו תְּֽדַבְּר֥וּ רְמִיָּֽה׃

Is it, for God, ye would speak perversely? And, for him, would ye speak deceit:

8 הֲפָנָ֥יו תִּשָּׂא֑וּן אִם־לָאֵ֥ל תְּרִיבֽוּן׃

Even, for him, would ye be partial? Or, for GOD, would ye [so] plead?

9 הֲ֭טֹוב כִּֽי־יַחְקֹ֣ר אֶתְכֶ֑ם אִם־כְּהָתֵ֥ל בֶּ֝אֱנֹ֗ושׁ תְּהָתֵ֥לּוּ בֹֽו׃

Would it be well, when he searched you out? Or, as one might jest with a mortal, would ye jest, with him?

10 הֹוכֵ֣חַ יֹוכִ֣יחַ אֶתְכֶ֑ם אִם־בַּ֝סֵּ֗תֶר פָּנִ֥ים תִּשָּׂאֽוּן׃

He will, severely rebuke, you, if ye are secretly partial.

11 הֲלֹ֣א שְׂ֭אֵתֹו תְּבַעֵ֣ת אֶתְכֶ֑ם וּ֝פַחְדֹּ֗ו יִפֹּ֥ל עֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

Shall not, his majesty, overwhelm you? and, the dread of him, fall upon you?

12 זִֽ֭כְרֹנֵיכֶם מִשְׁלֵי־אֵ֑פֶר לְגַבֵּי־חֹ֝֗מֶר גַּבֵּיכֶֽם׃

Are not your memorable sayings, proverbs of ashes? Breastworks of clay, your breastworks?

13 הַחֲרִ֣ישׁוּ מִ֭מֶּנִּי וַאֲדַבְּרָה־אָ֑נִי וְיַעֲבֹ֖ר עָלַ֣י מָֽה׃

Quietly let me alone, that, I, may speak out, then let come on me, what may.

14 עַל־מָ֤ה ׀ אֶשָּׂ֣א בְשָׂרִ֣י בְשִׁנָּ֑י וְ֝נַפְשִׁ֗י אָשִׂ֥ים בְּכַפִּֽי׃

In any case, I will take up my flesh in my teeth, and, my life, will I put in my hand:

15 הֵ֣ן יִ֭קְטְלֵנִי לֹא (לֹ֣ו) אֲיַחֵ֑ל אַךְ־דְּ֝רָכַ֗י אֶל־פָּנָ֥יו אֹוכִֽיחַ׃

Lo! he may slay me, [yet], for him, will I wait, —Nevertheless, my ways—unto his face, will I show to be right:

16 גַּם־הוּא־לִ֥י לִֽישׁוּעָ֑ה כִּי־לֹ֥א לְ֝פָנָ֗יו חָנֵ֥ף יָבֹֽוא׃

Even he, will be on my side—unto salvation, For, not before his face, shall any impious person come.

17 שִׁמְע֣וּ שָׁ֭מֹועַ מִלָּתִ֑י וְ֝אֽ͏ַחֲוָתִ֗י בְּאָזְנֵיכֶֽם׃

Hear ye patiently my speech, and be my declaration in your ears.

18 הִנֵּה־נָ֭א עָרַ֣כְתִּי מִשְׁפָּ֑ט יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י אֶצְדָּֽק׃

Lo! I pray you, I have set forth in order a plea, I know that, I, shall be found right.

19 מִי־ה֭וּא יָרִ֣יב עִמָּדִ֑י כִּֽי־עַתָּ֖ה אַחֲרִ֣ישׁ וְאֶגְוָֽע׃

Who is it that shall contend with me? For, now, if I should hold my peace, why! I should breathe my last!

20 אַךְ־שְׁ֭תַּיִם אַל־תַּ֣עַשׂ עִמָּדִ֑י אָ֥ז מִ֝פָּנֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א אֶסָּתֵֽר׃

Only, two things, do thou not with me, then, from thy face, will I not hide me: —

21 כַּ֭פְּךָ מֵעָלַ֣י הַרְחַ֑ק וְ֝אֵ֥מָתְךָ֗ אַֽל־תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃

Thy hand—from off me, take thou far away, and, thy terror, let it not startle me!

22 וּ֭קְרָא וְאָנֹכִ֣י אֶֽעֱנֶ֑ה אֹֽו־אֲ֝דַבֵּ֗ר וַהֲשִׁיבֵֽנִי׃

Then call thou, and, I, will answer, Or I will speak, and reply thou unto me.

23 כַּמָּ֣ה לִ֭י עֲוֹנֹ֣ות וְחַטָּאֹ֑ות פִּֽשְׁעִ֥י וְ֝חַטָּאתִ֗י הֹדִיעֵֽנִי׃

How many are mine iniquities and sins? My transgression and my sin, let me know!

24 לָֽמָּה־פָנֶ֥יךָ תַסְתִּ֑יר וְתַחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי לְאֹויֵ֣ב לָֽךְ׃

Wherefore, thy face, shouldst thou hide? Or count me, as an enemy to thee?

25 הֶעָלֶ֣ה נִדָּ֣ף תַּעֲרֹ֑וץ וְאֶת־קַ֖שׁ יָבֵ֣שׁ תִּרְדֹּֽף׃

A driven leaf, wilt thou cause to tremble? Or, dry stubble, wilt thou pursue?

26 כִּֽי־תִכְתֹּ֣ב עָלַ֣י מְרֹרֹ֑ות וְ֝תֹורִישֵׁ֗נִי עֲוֹנֹ֥ות נְעוּרָֽי׃

For thou writest, against me, bitter things, and dost make me inherit the iniquities of my youth;

27 וְתָ֘שֵׂ֤ם בַּסַּ֨ד ׀ רַגְלַ֗י וְתִשְׁמֹ֥ור כָּל־אָרְחֹותָ֑י עַל־שָׁרְשֵׁ֥י רַ֝גְלַ֗י תִּתְחַקֶּֽה׃

And thou dost put—in the stocks—my feet, and observest all my paths, Against the roots of my feet, thou dost cut out a bound;

28 וְ֭הוּא כְּרָקָ֣ב יִבְלֶ֑ה כְּ֝בֶ֗גֶד אֲכָ֣לֹו עָֽשׁ׃

And, a man himself, as a rotten thing, weareth out, as a garment which the moth hath eaten.