אִיּוֹב 30

1 וְעַתָּ֤ה ׀ שָֽׂחֲק֣וּ עָלַי֮ צְעִירִ֥ים מִמֶּ֗נִּי לְיָ֫מִ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־מָאַ֥סְתִּי אֲבֹותָ֑ם לָ֝שִׁ֗ית עִם־כַּלְבֵ֥י צֹאנִֽי׃

“But now they mock me, men younger than I am, whose fathers I would have refused to entrust with my sheep dogs.

2 גַּם־כֹּ֣חַ יְ֭דֵיהֶם לָ֣מָּה לִּ֑י עָ֝לֵ֗ימֹו אָ֣בַד כָּֽלַח׃

What use to me was the strength of their hands, since their vigor had left them?

3 בְּחֶ֥סֶר וּבְכָפָ֗ן גַּ֫לְמ֥וּד הַֽעֹרְקִ֥ים צִיָּ֑ה אֶ֝֗מֶשׁ שֹׁואָ֥ה וּמְשֹׁאָֽה׃

Gaunt from poverty and hunger, they gnawed the dry land, and the desolate wasteland by night.

4 הַקֹּטְפִ֣ים מַלּ֣וּחַ עֲלֵי־שִׂ֑יחַ וְשֹׁ֖רֶשׁ רְתָמִ֣ים לַחְמָֽם׃

They plucked mallow among the shrubs, and the roots of the broom tree were their food.

5 מִן־גֵּ֥ו יְגֹרָ֑שׁוּ יָרִ֥יעוּ עָ֝לֵ֗ימֹו כַּגַּנָּֽב׃

They were banished from among men, shouted down like thieves,

6 בַּעֲר֣וּץ נְחָלִ֣ים לִשְׁכֹּ֑ן חֹרֵ֖י עָפָ֣ר וְכֵפִֽים׃

so that they lived on the slopes of the wadis, among the rocks and in holes in the ground.

7 בֵּין־שִׂיחִ֥ים יִנְהָ֑קוּ תַּ֖חַת חָר֣וּל יְסֻפָּֽחוּ׃

They cried out among the shrubs and huddled beneath the nettles.

8 בְּֽנֵי־נָ֭בָל גַּם־בְּנֵ֣י בְלִי־שֵׁ֑ם נִ֝כְּא֗וּ מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

A senseless and nameless brood, they were driven off the land.

9 וְ֭עַתָּה נְגִינָתָ֣ם הָיִ֑יתִי וָאֱהִ֖י לָהֶ֣ם לְמִלָּֽה׃

And now they mock me in song; I have become a byword among them.

10 תִּֽ֭עֲבוּנִי רָ֣חֲקוּ מֶ֑נִּי וּ֝מִפָּנַ֗י לֹא־חָ֥שְׂכוּ רֹֽק׃

They abhor me and keep far from me; they do not hesitate to spit in my face.

11 כִּֽי־יִתְרֹו (יִתְרִ֣י) פִ֭תַּח וַיְעַנֵּ֑נִי וְ֝רֶ֗סֶן מִפָּנַ֥י שִׁלֵּֽחוּ׃

Because God has unstrung my bow and afflicted me, they have cast off restraint in my presence.

12 עַל־יָמִין֮ פִּרְחַ֪ח יָ֫ק֥וּמוּ רַגְלַ֥י שִׁלֵּ֑חוּ וַיָּסֹ֥לּוּ עָ֝לַ֗י אָרְחֹ֥ות אֵידָֽם׃

The rabble arises at my right; they lay snares for my feet and build siege ramps against me.

13 נָתְס֗וּ נְֽתִיבָ֫תִ֥י לְהַוָּתִֽי יֹעִ֑ילוּ לֹ֖א עֹזֵ֣ר לָֽמֹו׃

They tear up my path; they profit from my destruction, with no one to restrain them.

14 כְּפֶ֣רֶץ רָחָ֣ב יֶאֱתָ֑יוּ תַּ֥חַת שֹׁ֝אָ֗ה הִתְגַּלְגָּֽלוּ׃

They advance as through a wide breach; through the ruins they keep rolling in.

15 הָהְפַּ֥ךְ עָלַ֗י בַּלָּ֫הֹ֥ות תִּרְדֹּ֣ף כָּ֭רוּחַ נְדִבָתִ֑י וּ֝כְעָ֗ב עָבְרָ֥ה יְשֻׁעָתִֽי׃

Terrors are turned loose against me; they drive away my dignity as by the wind, and my prosperity has passed like a cloud.

16 וְעַתָּ֗ה עָ֭לַי תִּשְׁתַּפֵּ֣ךְ נַפְשִׁ֑י יֹ֖אחֲז֣וּנִי יְמֵי־עֹֽנִי׃

And now my soul is poured out within me; days of affliction grip me.

17 לַ֗יְלָה עֲ֭צָמַי נִקַּ֣ר מֵעָלָ֑י וְ֝עֹרְקַ֗י לֹ֣א יִשְׁכָּבֽוּן׃

Night pierces my bones, and my gnawing pains never rest.

18 בְּרָב־כֹּ֖חַ יִתְחַפֵּ֣שׂ לְבוּשִׁ֑י כְּפִ֖י כֻתָּנְתִּ֣י יַֽאַזְרֵֽנִי׃

With great force He grasps my garment; He seizes me by the collar of my tunic.

19 הֹרָ֥נִי לַחֹ֑מֶר וָ֝אֶתְמַשֵּׁ֗ל כֶּעָפָ֥ר וָאֵֽפֶר׃

He throws me into the mud, and I have become like dust and ashes.

20 אֲשַׁוַּ֣ע אֵ֭לֶיךָ וְלֹ֣א תַעֲנֵ֑נִי עָ֝מַ֗דְתִּי וַתִּתְבֹּ֥נֶן בִּֽי׃

I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer; when I stand up, You merely look at me.

21 תֵּהָפֵ֣ךְ לְאַכְזָ֣ר לִ֑י בְּעֹ֖צֶם יָדְךָ֣ תִשְׂטְמֵֽנִי׃

You have ruthlessly turned on me; You oppose me with Your strong hand.

22 תִּשָּׂאֵ֣נִי אֶל־ר֖וּחַ תַּרְכִּיבֵ֑נִי וּ֝תְמֹגְגֵ֗נִי תְּשֻׁוֶּה (תּוּשִׁיָּֽה)׃

You snatch me up into the wind and drive me before it; You toss me about in the storm.

23 כִּֽי־יָ֭דַעְתִּי מָ֣וֶת תְּשִׁיבֵ֑נִי וּבֵ֖ית מֹועֵ֣ד לְכָל־חָֽי׃

Yes, I know that You will bring me down to death, to the place appointed for all the living.

24 אַ֣ךְ לֹא־בְ֭עִי יִשְׁלַח־יָ֑ד אִם־בְּ֝פִידֹ֗ו לָהֶ֥ן שֽׁוּעַ׃

Yet no one stretches out his hand to a ruined man when he cries for help in his distress.

25 אִם־לֹ֣א בָ֭כִיתִי לִקְשֵׁה־יֹ֑ום עָֽגְמָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י לָאֶבְיֹֽון׃

Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has my soul not grieved for the needy?

26 כִּ֤י טֹ֣וב קִ֭וִּיתִי וַיָּ֣בֹא רָ֑ע וַֽאֲיַחֲלָ֥ה לְ֝אֹ֗ור וַיָּ֥בֹא אֹֽפֶל׃

But when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, darkness fell.

27 מֵעַ֖י רֻתְּח֥וּ וְלֹא־דָ֗מּוּ קִדְּמֻ֥נִי יְמֵי־עֹֽנִי׃

I am churning within and cannot rest; days of affliction confront me.

28 קֹדֵ֣ר הִ֭לַּכְתִּי בְּלֹ֣א חַמָּ֑ה קַ֖מְתִּי בַקָּהָ֣ל אֲשַׁוֵּֽעַ׃

I go about blackened, but not by the sun. I stand up in the assembly and cry for help.

29 אָ֭ח הָיִ֣יתִי לְתַנִּ֑ים וְ֝רֵ֗עַ לִבְנֹ֥ות יַעֲנָֽה׃

I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of ostriches.

30 עֹ֖ורִי שָׁחַ֣ר מֵעָלָ֑י וְעַצְמִי־חָ֝֗רָה מִנִּי־חֹֽרֶב׃

My skin grows black and peels, and my bones burn with fever.

31 וַיְהִ֣י לְ֭אֵבֶל כִּנֹּרִ֑י וְ֝עֻגָבִ֗י לְקֹ֣ול בֹּכִֽים׃

My harp is tuned to mourning and my flute to the sound of weeping.