אִיּוֹב 16

1 וַיַּ֥עַן אִיֹּ֗וב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

But Job answered and said,

2 שָׁמַ֣עְתִּי כְאֵ֣לֶּה רַבֹּ֑ות מְנַחֲמֵ֖י עָמָ֣ל כֻּלְּכֶֽם׃

I have heard many such things: poor comforters are you all.

3 הֲקֵ֥ץ לְדִבְרֵי־ר֑וּחַ אֹ֥ו מַה־יַּ֝מְרִֽיצְךָ֗ כִּ֣י תַעֲנֶֽה׃

What! is there any reason in vain words? or what will hinder you from answering?

4 גַּ֤ם ׀ אָנֹכִי֮ כָּכֶ֪ם אֲדַ֫בֵּ֥רָה ל֤וּ־יֵ֪שׁ נַפְשְׁכֶ֡ם תַּ֤חַת נַפְשִׁ֗י אַחְבִּ֣ירָה עֲלֵיכֶ֣ם בְּמִלִּ֑ים וְאָנִ֥יעָה עֲ֝לֵיכֶ֗ם בְּמֹ֣ו רֹאשִֽׁי׃

I also will speak as you [do]: if indeed your soul were in my [soul's] stead, then would I insult you with words, and I would shake my head at you.

5 אֲאַמִּצְכֶ֥ם בְּמֹו־פִ֑י וְנִ֖יד שְׂפָתַ֣י יַחְשֹֽׂךְ׃

And would there were strength in my mouth, and I would not spare the movement of my lips.

6 אִֽם־אֲ֭דַבְּרָה לֹא־יֵחָשֵׂ֣ךְ כְּאֵבִ֑י וְ֝אַחְדְּלָ֗ה מַה־מִנִּ֥י יַהֲלֹֽךְ׃

For if I should speak, I shall not feel the pain of my wound: and if I should be silent, how shall I be wounded the less?

7 אַךְ־עַתָּ֥ה הֶלְאָ֑נִי הֲ֝שִׁמֹּ֗ותָ כָּל־עֲדָתִֽי׃

But now he has made me weary, and a worn-out fool; and you have laid hold of me.

8 וַֽ֭תִּקְמְטֵנִי לְעֵ֣ד הָיָ֑ה וַיָּ֥קָם בִּ֥י כַ֝חֲשִׁ֗י בְּפָנַ֥י יַעֲנֶֽה׃

My falsehood has become a testimony, and has risen up against me: it has confronted me to my face.

9 אַפֹּ֤ו טָרַ֨ף ׀ וַֽיִּשְׂטְמֵ֗נִי חָרַ֣ק עָלַ֣י בְּשִׁנָּ֑יו צָרִ֓י ׀ יִלְטֹ֖ושׁ עֵינָ֣יו לִֽי׃

In his anger he has cast me down; he has gnashed his teeth upon me: the weapons of his robbers have fallen upon me.

10 פָּעֲר֬וּ עָלַ֨י ׀ בְּפִיהֶ֗ם בְּ֭חֶרְפָּה הִכּ֣וּ לְחָיָ֑י יַ֝֗חַד עָלַ֥י יִתְמַלָּאֽוּן׃

He has attacked me with the keen glances of his eyes; with his sharp [spear] he has struck me [down] upon my knees; and they have run upon me with one accord.

11 יַסְגִּירֵ֣נִי אֵ֭ל אֶ֣ל עֲוִ֑יל וְעַל־יְדֵ֖י רְשָׁעִ֣ים יִרְטֵֽנִי׃

For the Lord has delivered me into the hands of unrighteous men, and thrown me upon the ungodly.

12 שָׁ֘לֵ֤ו הָיִ֨יתִי ׀ וַֽיְפַרְפְּרֵ֗נִי וְאָחַ֣ז בְּ֭עָרְפִּי וַֽיְפַצְפְּצֵ֑נִי וַיְקִימֵ֥נִי לֹ֝֗ו לְמַטָּרָֽה׃

When I was at peace he distracted me: he took me by the hair of the head, and plucked it out: he set me up as a mark.

13 יָ֘סֹ֤בּוּ עָלַ֨י ׀ רַבָּ֗יו יְפַלַּ֣ח כִּ֭לְיֹותַי וְלֹ֣א יַחְמֹ֑ול יִשְׁפֹּ֥ךְ לָ֝אָ֗רֶץ מְרֵרָֽתִי׃

They surrounded me with spears, aiming at my reins: without sparing [me] they poured out my gall upon the ground.

14 יִפְרְצֵ֣נִי פֶ֭רֶץ עַל־פְּנֵי־פָ֑רֶץ יָרֻ֖ץ עָלַ֣י כְּגִבֹּֽור׃

They overthrew me with fall upon fall: they ran upon me in [their] might.

15 שַׂ֣ק תָּ֭פַרְתִּי עֲלֵ֣י גִלְדִּ֑י וְעֹלַ֖לְתִּי בֶעָפָ֣ר קַרְנִֽי׃

They sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and my strength has been spent on the ground.

16 פָּנַ֣י חֳמַרְמְרָה (חֳ֭מַרְמְרוּ) מִנִּי־בֶ֑כִי וְעַ֖ל עַפְעַפַּ֣י צַלְמָֽוֶת׃

My belly has been parched with wailing, and darkness is on my eyelids.

17 עַ֭ל לֹא־חָמָ֣ס בְּכַפָּ֑י וּֽתְפִלָּתִ֥י זַכָּֽה׃

Yet there was no injustice in my hands, and my prayer is pure.

18 אֶ֭רֶץ אַל־תְּכַסִּ֣י דָמִ֑י וְֽאַל־יְהִ֥י מָ֝קֹ֗ום לְזַעֲקָתִֽי׃

Earth, cover not over the blood of my flesh, and let my cry have no place.

19 גַּם־עַ֭תָּה הִנֵּה־בַשָּׁמַ֣יִם עֵדִ֑י וְ֝שָׂהֲדִ֗י בַּמְּרֹומִֽים׃

And now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my advocate is on high.

20 מְלִיצַ֥י רֵעָ֑י אֶל־אֱ֝לֹ֗והַ דָּלְפָ֥ה עֵינִֽי׃

Let my supplication come to the Lord, and let mine eye weep before him.

21 וְיֹוכַ֣ח לְגֶ֣בֶר עִם־אֱלֹ֑והַּ וּֽבֶן־אָדָ֥ם לְרֵעֵֽהוּ׃

Oh that a man might plead before the Lord, even [as] the son of man with his neighbour!

22 כִּֽי־שְׁנֹ֣ות מִסְפָּ֣ר יֶאֱתָ֑יוּ וְאֹ֖רַח לֹא־אָשׁ֣וּב אֶהֱלֹֽךְ׃

But my years are numbered and [their end] come, and I shall go by the way by which I shall not return.