אִיּוֹב 33

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

Now listen to me, Job. Pay attention to everything I have to say.

2 הִנֵּה־נָ֭א פָּתַ֣חְתִּי פִ֑י דִּבְּרָ֖ה לְשֹׁונִ֣י בְחִכִּֽי׃

Look, I'm about to speak; my mouth is ready to talk.

3 יֹֽשֶׁר־לִבִּ֥י אֲמָרָ֑י וְדַ֥עַת שְׂ֝פָתַ֗י בָּר֥וּר מִלֵּֽלוּ׃

My words come from my upright heart; my lips speak sincerely of what I know.

4 רֽוּחַ־אֵ֥ל עָשָׂ֑תְנִי וְנִשְׁמַ֖ת שַׁדַּ֣י תְּחַיֵּֽנִי׃

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

5 אִם־תּוּכַ֥ל הֲשִׁיבֵ֑נִי עֶרְכָ֥ה לְ֝פָנַ֗י הִתְיַצָּֽבָה׃

Answer me, if you can. Stand in front of me and prepare to defend yourself.

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

Look, before God we are both the same. I was also made from a piece of clay.

7 הִנֵּ֣ה אֵ֭מָתִי לֹ֣א תְבַעֲתֶ֑ךָּ וְ֝אַכְפִּ֗י עָלֶ֥יךָ לֹא־יִכְבָּֽד׃

See here, you don't need to be frightened of me. I won't be too hard on you.

8 אַ֭ךְ אָמַ֣רְתָּ בְאָזְנָ֑י וְקֹ֖ול מִלִּ֣ין אֶשְׁמָֽע׃

You spoke in my hearing and I have listened to everything you had to say.

9 זַ֥ךְ אֲנִ֗י בְּֽלִ֫י פָ֥שַׁע חַ֥ף אָנֹכִ֑י וְלֹ֖א עָוֹ֣ן לִֽי׃

You say, ‘I'm clean, I've done nothing wrong; I'm pure, I have not sinned.

10 הֵ֣ן תְּ֭נוּאֹות עָלַ֣י יִמְצָ֑א יַחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי לְאֹויֵ֣ב לֹֽו׃

See how God finds fault with me and treats me as his enemy.

11 יָשֵׂ֣ם בַּסַּ֣ד רַגְלָ֑י יִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר כָּל־אָרְחֹתָֽי׃

He puts my feet in the stocks and watches everything I do.’

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

But look, you are wrong—let me explain. God is greater than any human being.

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

Why are you fighting against him, complaining that God isn't answering your questions?

14 כִּֽי־בְאַחַ֥ת יְדַבֶּר־אֵ֑ל וּ֝בִשְׁתַּ֗יִם לֹ֣א יְשׁוּרֶֽנָּה׃

God speaks over and over again, but people don't notice.

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

Through dreams and visions in the night, when people fall into deep sleep, resting on their beds,

16 אָ֣ז יִ֭גְלֶה אֹ֣זֶן אֲנָשִׁ֑ים וּבְמֹ֖סָרָ֣ם יַחְתֹּֽם׃

God speaks to them with solemn warnings

17 לְ֭הָסִיר אָדָ֣ם מַעֲשֶׂ֑ה וְגֵוָ֖ה מִגֶּ֣בֶר יְכַסֶּֽה׃

to turn them away from doing wrong and to stop them from becoming proud.

18 יַחְשֹׂ֣ךְ נַ֭פְשֹׁו מִנִּי־שָׁ֑חַת וְ֝חַיָּתֹ֗ו מֵעֲבֹ֥ר בַּשָּֽׁלַח׃

He saves them from the grave and spares them from violent death.

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

People are also disciplined on a bed of pain with constant aching in their bones.

20 וְזִֽהֲמַ֣תּוּ חַיָּתֹ֣ו לָ֑חֶם וְ֝נַפְשֹׁ֗ו מַאֲכַ֥ל תַּאֲוָֽה׃

They have no desire to eat; they do not even want their favorite dishes.

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

Their flesh wastes away to nothing; all that's left is skin and bones.

22 וַתִּקְרַ֣ב לַשַּׁ֣חַת נַפְשֹׁ֑ו וְ֝חַיָּתֹ֗ו לַֽמְמִתִֽים׃

They are close to death; their lives approaching the executioner.

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

But if an angel appears, a mediator, one of God's thousands of angels, to tell someone the right way for them,

24 וַיְחֻנֶּ֗נּוּ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר פְּ֭דָעֵהוּ מֵרֶ֥דֶת שָׁ֗חַת מָצָ֥אתִי כֹֽפֶר׃

he will be gracious to them. He will say, ‘Save them from going down into the grave, for I have found a way to free them.’

25 רֻֽטֲפַ֣שׁ בְּשָׂרֹ֣ו מִנֹּ֑עַר יָ֝שׁ֗וּב לִימֵ֥י עֲלוּמָֽיו׃

Then their bodies will be renewed as if they were young again; they will be as strong as when they were in their prime.

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

They will pray to God, and he will accept them; they come into God's presence with joy, and he will set things right for them.

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

They sing, and tell others, ‘I sinned, I distorted what is right, but it did not do me any good.

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

He saved me from going down into the grave and I will live in the light.’

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

Look, God does this time and again for people;

30 לְהָשִׁ֣יב נַ֭פְשֹׁו מִנִּי־שָׁ֑חַת לֵ֝אֹ֗ור בְּאֹ֣ור הַֽחַיִּים׃

he saves them from the grave so they might see the light of life.

31 הַקְשֵׁ֖ב אִיֹּ֥וב שְֽׁמַֽע־לִ֑י הַ֝חֲרֵ֗שׁ וְאָנֹכִ֥י אֲדַבֵּֽר׃

Pay attention Job, and listen to me! Be quiet—let me speak!

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

But if you have anything to say, then speak up.

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

If not, listen to me. Keep quiet and I will teach you wisdom.”