אִיּוֹב 7
| הֲלֹא־צָבָ֣א לֶאֱנֹ֣ושׁ עַל־ (עֲלֵי)־אָ֑רֶץ וְכִימֵ֖י שָׂכִ֣יר יָמָֽיו׃ | 1 |
“People need to work hard on this earth, like soldiers do; all during the time that we are alive, we work hard [RHQ], like laborers/servants do.
| כְּעֶ֥בֶד יִשְׁאַף־צֵ֑ל וּ֝כְשָׂכִ֗יר יְקַוֶּ֥ה פָעֳלֹֽו׃ | 2 |
We are like [SIM] slaves who keep wanting to be in the cool shade, and we are like [SIM] workers who are waiting to be paid.
| כֵּ֤ן הָנְחַ֣לְתִּי לִ֭י יַרְחֵי־שָׁ֑וְא וְלֵילֹ֥ות עָ֝מָ֗ל מִנּוּ־לִֽי׃ | 3 |
God has given me many months [in which I think that it is] useless [to remain alive]; he has allotted/given to me many nights during which I feel miserable.
| אִם־שָׁכַ֗בְתִּי וְאָמַ֗רְתִּי מָתַ֣י אָ֭קוּם וּמִדַּד־עָ֑רֶב וְשָׂבַ֖עְתִּי נְדֻדִ֣ים עֲדֵי־נָֽשֶׁף׃ | 4 |
When I lie down [at night] I say, ‘How long will it be until morning?’ But nights are long, and I (toss/turn over and over) [on my bed] until dawn.
| לָ֘בַ֤שׁ בְּשָׂרִ֣י רִ֭מָּה וְגִישׁ (וְג֣וּשׁ) עָפָ֑ר עֹורִ֥י רָ֝גַ֗ע וַיִּמָּאֵֽס׃ | 5 |
My body is covered with maggots and scabs; pus oozes out of my open sores.
| יָמַ֣י קַ֭לּוּ מִנִּי־אָ֑רֶג וַ֝יִּכְל֗וּ בְּאֶ֣פֶס תִּקְוָֽה׃ | 6 |
My days pass as quickly as a weaver’s (shuttle/stick that takes the thread back and forth), and they end without my confidently expecting [that things will be better the next day].
| זְ֭כֹר כִּי־ר֣וּחַ חַיָּ֑י לֹא־תָשׁ֥וּב עֵ֝ינִ֗י לִרְאֹ֥ות טֹֽוב׃ | 7 |
God, do not forget that my life is [as short as] a breath [MET]; I [think that] I [SYN] will never again be happy.
| לֹֽא־תְ֭שׁוּרֵנִי עֵ֣ין רֹ֑אִי עֵינֶ֖יךָ בִּ֣י וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃ | 8 |
God, you [SYN] see me now, but [some day] you will not see me any more. You will search for me, but I will be gone [because I will be dead].
| כָּלָ֣ה עָ֭נָן וַיֵּלַ֑ךְ כֵּ֥ן יֹורֵ֥ד שְׁ֝אֹ֗ול לֹ֣א יַעֲלֽ͏ֶה׃ (Sheol h7585) | 9 |
Like [SIM] clouds (disperse/break up) and then disappear, people [die and] descend to the place where dead people are, and they do not return; (Sheol h7585)
| לֹא־יָשׁ֣וּב עֹ֣וד לְבֵיתֹ֑ו וְלֹא־יַכִּירֶ֖נּוּ עֹ֣וד מְקֹמֹֽו׃ | 10 |
they never return to their houses, and people among whom they lived do not remember them any more.
| גַּם־אֲנִי֮ לֹ֤א אֶחֱשָׂ֫ךְ פִּ֥י אֲֽ֭דַבְּרָה בְּצַ֣ר רוּחִ֑י אָ֝שִׂ֗יחָה בְּמַ֣ר נַפְשִֽׁי׃ | 11 |
So, I will not be silent; while I am suffering I will speak; I will complain [to God about what has happened to me] because I [SYN] am very angry.
| הֲֽיָם־אָ֭נִי אִם־תַּנִּ֑ין כִּֽי־תָשִׂ֖ים עָלַ֣י מִשְׁמָֽר׃ | 12 |
[God, ] why do you watch closely what I am doing? [Do you think that] I am a [dangerous] sea monster?
| כִּֽי־אָ֭מַרְתִּי תְּנַחֲמֵ֣נִי עַרְשִׂ֑י יִשָּׂ֥א בְ֝שִׂיחִ֗י מִשְׁכָּבִֽי׃ | 13 |
When [I lie down at night, ] I think, ‘I will be comforted here on my bed; my pain will be less while I am sleeping.’
| וְחִתַּתַּ֥נִי בַחֲלֹמֹ֑ות וּֽמֵחֶזְיֹנֹ֥ות תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃ | 14 |
But then you give me dreams that cause me to be afraid; you give me visions that terrify me,
| וַתִּבְחַ֣ר מַחֲנָ֣ק נַפְשִׁ֑י מָ֝֗וֶת מֵֽעַצְמֹותָֽי׃ | 15 |
with the result that I would prefer to be strangled to death than to continue to [be alive] being only a bunch of bones.
| מָ֭אַסְתִּי לֹא־לְעֹלָ֣ם אֶֽחְיֶ֑ה חֲדַ֥ל מִ֝מֶּ֗נִּי כִּי־הֶ֥בֶל יָמָֽי׃ | 16 |
I detest continuing to be alive; I do not want to live for many years [HYP]. Allow me to be alone, [because I will be alive] for only a very short remaining time [HYP].
| מָֽה־אֱ֭נֹושׁ כִּ֣י תְגַדְּלֶ֑נּוּ וְכִי־תָשִׁ֖ית אֵלָ֣יו לִבֶּֽךָ׃ | 17 |
“We human beings are not [very important]; so, why do you pay a lot of attention to us [DOU]?
| וַתִּפְקְדֶ֥נּוּ לִבְקָרִ֑ים לִ֝רְגָעִ֗ים תִּבְחָנֶֽנּוּ׃ | 18 |
You look at us every morning [to see what we are doing], and examine us every moment [to see if we are doing what is right].
| כַּ֭מָּה לֹא־תִשְׁעֶ֣ה מִמֶּ֑נִּי לֹֽא־תַ֝רְפֵּ֗נִי עַד־בִּלְעִ֥י רֻקִּֽי׃ | 19 |
(When will you stop looking at me and leave me alone [for a little time], long enough to swallow my spit?/Please stop looking at me and leave me alone [for a little time], long enough to swallow my spit.) [RHQ]
| חָטָ֡אתִי מָ֤ה אֶפְעַ֨ל ׀ לָךְ֮ נֹצֵ֪ר הָאָ֫דָ֥ם לָ֤מָה שַׂמְתַּ֣נִי לְמִפְגָּ֣ע לָ֑ךְ וָאֶהְיֶ֖ה עָלַ֣י לְמַשָּֽׂא׃ | 20 |
[Why do] you watch me constantly? If I sin, that certainly does not harm you! Why have you set me up like a target to shoot at? Do you consider me to be a heavy load that you are forced to carry?
| וּמֶ֤ה ׀ לֹא־תִשָּׂ֣א פִשְׁעִי֮ וְתַעֲבִ֪יר אֶת־עֲוֹ֫נִ֥י כִּֽי־עַ֭תָּה לֶעָפָ֣ר אֶשְׁכָּ֑ב וְשִׁ֖חֲרְתַּ֣נִי וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃ פ | 21 |
[If I have sinned, ] are you not able to forgive me for my sins— the things that I have done that are wrong? Soon I will lie in my grave; you will search for me, but [you will not find me because] I will be [dead and] gone.”
