אִיּוֹב 9

1 וַיַּ֥עַן אִיֹּ֗וב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then Job answered:

2 אָ֭מְנָם יָדַ֣עְתִּי כִי־כֵ֑ן וּמַה־יִּצְדַּ֖ק אֱנֹ֣ושׁ עִם־אֵֽל׃

“Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God?

3 אִם־יַ֭חְפֹּץ לָרִ֣יב עִמֹּ֑ו לֹֽא־יַ֝עֲנֶ֗נּוּ אַחַ֥ת מִנִּי־אָֽלֶף׃

If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.

4 חֲכַ֣ם לֵ֭בָב וְאַמִּ֣יץ כֹּ֑חַ מִֽי־הִקְשָׁ֥ה אֵ֝לָ֗יו וַיִּשְׁלָֽם׃

God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?

5 הַמַּעְתִּ֣יק הָ֭רִים וְלֹ֣א יָדָ֑עוּ אֲשֶׁ֖ר הֲפָכָ֣ם בְּאַפֹּֽו׃

He moves mountains without their knowledge and overturns them in His anger.

6 הַמַּרְגִּ֣יז אֶ֭רֶץ מִמְּקֹומָ֑הּ וְ֝עַמּוּדֶ֗יהָ יִתְפַלָּצֽוּן׃

He shakes the earth from its place, so that its foundations tremble.

7 הָאֹמֵ֣ר לַ֭חֶרֶס וְלֹ֣א יִזְרָ֑ח וּבְעַ֖ד כֹּוכָבִ֣ים יַחְתֹּֽם׃

He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars.

8 נֹטֶ֣ה שָׁמַ֣יִם לְבַדֹּ֑ו וְ֝דֹורֵ֗ךְ עַל־בָּ֥מֳתֵי יָֽם׃

He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.

9 עֹֽשֶׂה־עָ֭שׁ כְּסִ֥יל וְכִימָ֗ה וְחַדְרֵ֥י תֵמָֽן׃

He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.

10 עֹשֶׂ֣ה גְ֭דֹלֹות עַד־אֵ֣ין חֵ֑קֶר וְנִפְלָאֹ֗ות עַד־אֵ֥ין מִסְפָּֽר׃

He does great things beyond searching out, and wonders without number.

11 הֵ֤ן יַעֲבֹ֣ר עָ֭לַי וְלֹ֣א אֶרְאֶ֑ה וְ֝יַחֲלֹ֗ף וְֽלֹא־אָבִ֥ין לֹֽו׃

Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.

12 הֵ֣ן יַ֭חְתֹּף מִ֣י יְשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ מִֽי־יֹאמַ֥ר אֵ֝לָ֗יו מַֽה־תַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃

If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’

13 אֱ֭לֹוהַּ לֹא־יָשִׁ֣יב אַפֹּ֑ו תַּחַתֹו (תַּחְתָּ֥יו) שָׁ֝חֲח֗וּ עֹ֣זְרֵי רָֽהַב׃

God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him.

14 אַ֭ף כִּֽי־אָנֹכִ֣י אֶֽעֱנֶ֑נּוּ אֶבְחֲרָ֖ה דְבָרַ֣י עִמֹּֽו׃

How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?

15 אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִם־צָ֭דַקְתִּי לֹ֣א אֶעֱנֶ֑ה לִ֝מְשֹׁפְטִ֗י אֶתְחַנָּֽן׃

For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.

16 אִם־קָרָ֥אתִי וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑נִי לֹֽא־אַ֝אֲמִ֗ין כִּֽי־יַאֲזִ֥ין קֹולִֽי׃

If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice.

17 אֲשֶׁר־בִּשְׂעָרָ֥ה יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי וְהִרְבָּ֖ה פְצָעַ֣י חִנָּֽם׃

For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.

18 לֹֽא־יִ֭תְּנֵנִי הָשֵׁ֣ב רוּחִ֑י כִּ֥י יַ֝שְׂבִּעַ֗נִי מַמְּרֹרִֽים׃

He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.

19 אִם־לְכֹ֣חַ אַמִּ֣יץ הִנֵּ֑ה וְאִם־לְ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט מִ֣י יֹועִידֵֽנִי׃

If it is a matter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?

20 אִם־אֶ֭צְדָּק פִּ֣י יַרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי תָּֽם־אָ֝֗נִי וַֽיַּעְקְשֵֽׁנִי׃

Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.

21 תָּֽם־אָ֭נִי לֹֽא־אֵדַ֥ע נַפְשִׁ֗י אֶמְאַ֥ס חַיָּֽי׃

Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.

22 אַחַ֗ת הִ֥יא עַל־כֵּ֥ן אָמַ֑רְתִּי תָּ֥ם וְ֝רָשָׁ֗ע ה֣וּא מְכַלֶּֽה׃

It is all the same, and so I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’

23 אִם־שֹׁ֭וט יָמִ֣ית פִּתְאֹ֑ם לְמַסַּ֖ת נְקִיִּ֣ם יִלְעָֽג׃

When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.

24 אֶ֤רֶץ ׀ נִתְּנָ֬ה בְֽיַד־רָשָׁ֗ע פְּנֵֽי־שֹׁפְטֶ֥יהָ יְכַסֶּ֑ה אִם־לֹ֖א אֵפֹ֣וא מִי־הֽוּא׃

The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?

25 וְיָמַ֣י קַ֭לּוּ מִנִּי־רָ֑ץ בָּֽ֝רְח֗וּ לֹא־רָא֥וּ טֹובָֽה׃

My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good.

26 חָ֭לְפוּ עִם־אֳנִיֹּ֣ות אֵבֶ֑ה כְּ֝נֶ֗שֶׁר יָט֥וּשׂ עֲלֵי־אֹֽכֶל׃

They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.

27 אִם־אָ֭מְרִי אֶשְׁכְּחָ֣ה שִׂיחִ֑י אֶעֶזְבָ֖ה פָנַ֣י וְאַבְלִֽיגָה׃

If I were to say, ‘I will forget my complaint and change my expression and smile,’

28 יָגֹ֥רְתִּי כָל־עַצְּבֹתָ֑י יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּי־לֹ֥א תְנַקֵּֽנִי׃

I would still dread all my sufferings; I know that You will not acquit me.

29 אָנֹכִ֥י אֶרְשָׁ֑ע לָמָּה־זֶּ֝֗ה הֶ֣בֶל אִיגָֽע׃

Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain?

30 אִם־הִתְרָחַ֥צְתִּי בְמֹו (בְמֵי)־שָׁ֑לֶג וַ֝הֲזִכֹּ֗ותִי בְּבֹ֣ר כַּפָּֽי׃

If I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye,

31 אָ֭ז בַּשַּׁ֣חַת תִּטְבְּלֵ֑נִי וְ֝תִֽעֲב֗וּנִי שַׂלְמֹותָֽי׃

then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me.

32 כִּי־לֹא־אִ֣ישׁ כָּמֹ֣נִי אֶֽעֱנֶ֑נּוּ נָבֹ֥וא יַ֝חְדָּ֗ו בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, that we can take each other to court.

33 לֹ֣א יֵשׁ־בֵּינֵ֣ינוּ מֹוכִ֑יחַ יָשֵׁ֖ת יָדֹ֣ו עַל־שְׁנֵֽינוּ׃

Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.

34 יָסֵ֣ר מֵעָלַ֣י שִׁבְטֹ֑ו וְ֝אֵמָתֹ֗ו אַֽל־תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃

Let Him remove His rod from me, so that His terror will no longer frighten me.

35 אַֽ֭דַבְּרָה וְלֹ֣א אִירָאֶ֑נּוּ כִּ֥י לֹא־כֵ֥ן אָ֝נֹכִ֗י עִמָּדִֽי׃

Then I would speak without fear of Him. But as it is, I am on my own.