אִיּוֹב 16

1 וַיַּ֥עַן אִיֹּ֗וב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Job replied,

2 שָׁמַ֣עְתִּי כְאֵ֣לֶּה רַבֹּ֑ות מְנַחֲמֵ֖י עָמָ֣ל כֻּלְּכֶֽם׃

“I've heard all this before. You are comforters who just cause trouble!

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

Will your windy speeches never cease? What's bothering you that you have to answer me?

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

I could talk like you do if you were in my place, stringing words together to criticize you, ridiculing you with a toss of my head.

5 אֲאַמִּצְכֶ֥ם בְּמֹו־פִ֑י וְנִ֖יד שְׂפָתַ֣י יַחְשֹֽׂךְ׃

I could build you up by my mouth speaking words; the movement of my lips would ease your pain.

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

For me, if I speak it doesn't ease my pain, and if I don't speak the pain is still there.

7 אַךְ־עַתָּ֥ה הֶלְאָ֑נִי הֲ֝שִׁמֹּ֗ותָ כָּל־עֲדָתִֽי׃

God, you have worn me out. You have destroyed my whole family.

8 וַֽ֭תִּקְמְטֵנִי לְעֵ֣ד הָיָ֑ה וַיָּ֥קָם בִּ֥י כַ֝חֲשִׁ֗י בְּפָנַ֥י יַעֲנֶֽה׃

You have made me shrivel up, which is a witness against me; my thin body testifies against me.

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

He has torn me apart in his anger; in his hostility he has gnashed his teeth at me; my enemy pierces me with his fierce look.

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

People stare at me with their mouths wide open, they slap me on my cheeks to mock me, they crowd around me to attack me.

11 יַסְגִּירֵ֣נִי אֵ֭ל אֶ֣ל עֲוִ֑יל וְעַל־יְדֵ֖י רְשָׁעִ֣ים יִרְטֵֽנִי׃

God has handed me over to evil people; he has thrown me into their hands.

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

I was living in peace and he smashed me to pieces. He grabbed me by the neck and dashed me to pieces. He set me up as his target.

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

His archers surround me. His arrows pierce my kidneys without mercy. He pours out my gall on the ground.

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

Like a wall he breaks me down, breach upon breach, rushing at me like a warrior.

15 שַׂ֣ק תָּ֭פַרְתִּי עֲלֵ֣י גִלְדִּ֑י וְעֹלַ֖לְתִּי בֶעָפָ֣ר קַרְנִֽי׃

I have sown sackcloth to cover my skin; my strength lies broken in the dust.

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

My face is red from crying and dark shadows surround my eyes,

17 עַ֭ל לֹא־חָמָ֣ס בְּכַפָּ֑י וּֽתְפִלָּתִ֥י זַכָּֽה׃

although I have done nothing wrong and my prayer is pure.

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

Earth, do not cover up my blood. May my cry find no place to hide.

19 גַּם־עַ֭תָּה הִנֵּה־בַשָּׁמַ֣יִם עֵדִ֑י וְ֝שָׂהֲדִ֗י בַּמְּרֹומִֽים׃

Look, right now my witness is in heaven; the one who speaks for me is on high.

20 מְלִיצַ֥י רֵעָ֑י אֶל־אֱ֝לֹ֗והַ דָּלְפָ֥ה עֵינִֽי׃

My friends scorn me, but my eyes pour out tears to God.

21 וְיֹוכַ֣ח לְגֶ֣בֶר עִם־אֱלֹ֑והַּ וּֽבֶן־אָדָ֥ם לְרֵעֵֽהוּ׃

I want my witness to speak for me with God as someone does for their friend.

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

For in a few short years I shall go down that road from which I shall not return.