אִיּוֹב 33

1 וְֽאוּלָ֗ם שְׁמַֽע־נָ֣א אִיֹּ֣וב מִלָּ֑י וְֽכָל־דְּבָרַ֥י הַאֲזִֽינָה׃

“But now, O Job, hear my speech, and listen to all my words.

2 הִנֵּה־נָ֭א פָּתַ֣חְתִּי פִ֑י דִּבְּרָ֖ה לְשֹׁונִ֣י בְחִכִּֽי׃

Behold, I will open my mouth; my address is on the tip of my tongue.

3 יֹֽשֶׁר־לִבִּ֥י אֲמָרָ֑י וְדַ֥עַת שְׂ֝פָתַ֗י בָּר֥וּר מִלֵּֽלוּ׃

My words are from an upright heart, and my lips speak sincerely what I know.

4 רֽוּחַ־אֵ֥ל עָשָׂ֑תְנִי וְנִשְׁמַ֖ת שַׁדַּ֣י תְּחַיֵּֽנִי׃

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

5 אִם־תּוּכַ֥ל הֲשִׁיבֵ֑נִי עֶרְכָ֥ה לְ֝פָנַ֗י הִתְיַצָּֽבָה׃

Refute me if you can; prepare your case and confront me.

6 הֵן־אֲנִ֣י כְפִ֣יךָ לָאֵ֑ל מֵ֝חֹ֗מֶר קֹרַ֥צְתִּי גַם־אָֽנִי׃

I am just like you before God; I was also formed from clay.

7 הִנֵּ֣ה אֵ֭מָתִי לֹ֣א תְבַעֲתֶ֑ךָּ וְ֝אַכְפִּ֗י עָלֶ֥יךָ לֹא־יִכְבָּֽד׃

Surely no fear of me should terrify you; nor will my hand be heavy upon you.

8 אַ֭ךְ אָמַ֣רְתָּ בְאָזְנָ֑י וְקֹ֖ול מִלִּ֣ין אֶשְׁמָֽע׃

Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard these very words:

9 זַ֥ךְ אֲנִ֗י בְּֽלִ֫י פָ֥שַׁע חַ֥ף אָנֹכִ֑י וְלֹ֖א עָוֹ֣ן לִֽי׃

‘I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, with no iniquity in me.

10 הֵ֣ן תְּ֭נוּאֹות עָלַ֣י יִמְצָ֑א יַחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי לְאֹויֵ֣ב לֹֽו׃

Yet God finds occasions against me; He counts me as His enemy.

11 יָשֵׂ֣ם בַּסַּ֣ד רַגְלָ֑י יִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר כָּל־אָרְחֹתָֽי׃

He puts my feet in the stocks; He watches over all my paths.’

12 הֶן־זֹ֣את לֹא־צָדַ֣קְתָּ אֶעֱנֶ֑ךָּ כִּֽי־יִרְבֶּ֥ה אֱ֝לֹ֗והַ מֵאֱנֹֽושׁ׃

Behold, you are not right in this matter. I will answer you, for God is greater than man.

13 מַ֭דּוּעַ אֵלָ֣יו רִיבֹ֑ותָ כִּ֥י כָל־דְּ֝בָרָ֗יו לֹ֣א־יַעֲנֶֽה׃

Why do you complain to Him that He answers nothing a man asks?

14 כִּֽי־בְאַחַ֥ת יְדַבֶּר־אֵ֑ל וּ֝בִשְׁתַּ֗יִם לֹ֣א יְשׁוּרֶֽנָּה׃

For God speaks in one way and in another, yet no one notices.

15 בַּחֲלֹ֤ום ׀ חֶזְיֹ֬ון לַ֗יְלָה בִּנְפֹ֣ל תַּ֭רְדֵּמָה עַל־אֲנָשִׁ֑ים בִּ֝תְנוּמֹ֗ות עֲלֵ֣י מִשְׁכָּֽב׃

In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds,

16 אָ֣ז יִ֭גְלֶה אֹ֣זֶן אֲנָשִׁ֑ים וּבְמֹ֖סָרָ֣ם יַחְתֹּֽם׃

He opens their ears and terrifies them with warnings

17 לְ֭הָסִיר אָדָ֣ם מַעֲשֶׂ֑ה וְגֵוָ֖ה מִגֶּ֣בֶר יְכַסֶּֽה׃

to turn a man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride,

18 יַחְשֹׂ֣ךְ נַ֭פְשֹׁו מִנִּי־שָׁ֑חַת וְ֝חַיָּתֹ֗ו מֵעֲבֹ֥ר בַּשָּֽׁלַח׃

to preserve his soul from the Pit and his life from perishing by the sword.

19 וְהוּכַ֣ח בְּ֭מַכְאֹוב עַל־מִשְׁכָּבֹ֑ו וְרִיב (וְרֹ֖וב) עֲצָמָ֣יו אֵתָֽן׃

A man is also chastened on his bed with pain and constant distress in his bones,

20 וְזִֽהֲמַ֣תּוּ חַיָּתֹ֣ו לָ֑חֶם וְ֝נַפְשֹׁ֗ו מַאֲכַ֥ל תַּאֲוָֽה׃

so that he detests his bread, and his soul loathes his favorite food.

21 יִ֣כֶל בְּשָׂרֹ֣ו מֵרֹ֑אִי וּשְׁפִי (וְשֻׁפּ֥וּ) עַ֝צְמֹותָ֗יו לֹ֣א רֻאּֽוּ׃

His flesh wastes away from sight, and his hidden bones protrude.

22 וַתִּקְרַ֣ב לַשַּׁ֣חַת נַפְשֹׁ֑ו וְ֝חַיָּתֹ֗ו לַֽמְמִתִֽים׃

He draws near to the Pit, and his life to the messengers of death.

23 אִם־יֵ֤שׁ עָלָ֨יו ׀ מַלְאָ֗ךְ מֵלִ֗יץ אֶחָ֥ד מִנִּי־אָ֑לֶף לְהַגִּ֖יד לְאָדָ֣ם יָשְׁרֹֽו׃

Yet if there is a messenger on his side, one mediator in a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him,

24 וַיְחֻנֶּ֗נּוּ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר פְּ֭דָעֵהוּ מֵרֶ֥דֶת שָׁ֗חַת מָצָ֥אתִי כֹֽפֶר׃

to be gracious to him and say, ‘Spare him from going down to the Pit; I have found his ransom,’

25 רֻֽטֲפַ֣שׁ בְּשָׂרֹ֣ו מִנֹּ֑עַר יָ֝שׁ֗וּב לִימֵ֥י עֲלוּמָֽיו׃

then his flesh is refreshed like a child’s; he returns to the days of his youth.

26 יֶעְתַּ֤ר אֶל־אֱלֹ֨והַּ ׀ וַיִּרְצֵ֗הוּ וַיַּ֣רְא פָּ֭נָיו בִּתְרוּעָ֑ה וַיָּ֥שֶׁב לֶ֝אֱנֹ֗ושׁ צִדְקָתֹֽו׃

He prays to God and finds favor; he sees God’s face and shouts for joy, and God restores His righteousness to that man.

27 יָשֹׁ֤ר ׀ עַל־אֲנָשִׁ֗ים וַיֹּ֗אמֶר חָ֭טָאתִי וְיָשָׁ֥ר הֶעֱוֵ֗יתִי וְלֹא־שָׁ֥וָה לִֽי׃

Then he sings before men with these words: ‘I have sinned and perverted what was right; yet I did not get what I deserved.

28 פָּדָ֣ה נַפְשִׁי (נַ֭פְשֹׁו) מֵעֲבֹ֣ר בַּשָּׁ֑חַת וְחַיָּתִי (וְ֝חַיָּתֹו) בָּאֹ֥ור תִּרְאֶֽה׃

He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and I will live to see the light.’

29 הֶן־כָּל־אֵ֭לֶּה יִפְעַל־אֵ֑ל פַּעֲמַ֖יִם שָׁלֹ֣ושׁ עִם־גָּֽבֶר׃

Behold, all these things God does to a man, two or even three times,

30 לְהָשִׁ֣יב נַ֭פְשֹׁו מִנִּי־שָׁ֑חַת לֵ֝אֹ֗ור בְּאֹ֣ור הַֽחַיִּים׃

to bring back his soul from the Pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life.

31 הַקְשֵׁ֖ב אִיֹּ֥וב שְֽׁמַֽע־לִ֑י הַ֝חֲרֵ֗שׁ וְאָנֹכִ֥י אֲדַבֵּֽר׃

Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.

32 אִם־יֵשׁ־מִלִּ֥ין הֲשִׁיבֵ֑נִי דַּ֝בֵּ֗ר כִּֽי־חָפַ֥צְתִּי צַדְּקֶֽךָּ׃

But if you have something to say, answer me; speak up, for I would like to vindicate you.

33 אִם־אַ֭יִן אַתָּ֥ה שְֽׁמַֽע־לִ֑י הַ֝חֲרֵ֗שׁ וַאֲאַלֶּפְךָ֥ חָכְמָֽה׃ ס

But if not, then listen to me; be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.”