אִיּוֹב 13

1 הֶן־כֹּ֭ל רָאֲתָ֣ה עֵינִ֑י שָֽׁמְעָ֥ה אָ֝זְנִ֗י וַתָּ֥בֶן לָֽהּ׃

See, my eye has seen all this; my ear has heard and understood it.

2 כְּֽ֭דַעְתְּכֶם יָדַ֣עְתִּי גַם־אָ֑נִי לֹא־נֹפֵ֖ל אָנֹכִ֣י מִכֶּֽם׃

What you know, the same I also know; I am not inferior to you.

3 אוּלָ֗ם אֲ֭נִי אֶל־שַׁדַּ֣י אֲדַבֵּ֑ר וְהוֹכֵ֖חַ אֶל־אֵ֣ל אֶחְפָּֽץ׃

However, I would rather speak with the Almighty; I wish to reason with God.

4 וְֽאוּלָ֗ם אַתֶּ֥ם טֹֽפְלֵי־שָׁ֑קֶר רֹפְאֵ֖י אֱלִ֣ל כֻּלְּכֶֽם׃

But you whitewash the truth with lies; you are all physicians of no value.

5 מִֽי־יִ֭תֵּן הַחֲרֵ֣שׁ תַּחֲרִישׁ֑וּן וּתְהִ֖י לָכֶ֣ם לְחָכְמָֽה׃

Oh, that you would altogether hold your peace! That would be your wisdom.

6 שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֥א תוֹכַחְתִּ֑י וְרִב֖וֹת שְׂפָתַ֣י הַקְשִֽׁיבוּ׃

Hear now my own reasoning; listen to the pleading of my own lips.

7 הַ֭לְאֵל תְּדַבְּר֣וּ עַוְלָ֑ה וְ֝ל֗וֹ תְּֽדַבְּר֥וּ רְמִיָּֽה׃

Will you speak unrighteously for God, and will you talk deceitfully for him?

8 הֲפָנָ֥יו תִּשָּׂא֑וּן אִם־לָאֵ֥ל תְּרִיבֽוּן׃

Will you show him partiality? Will you argue the case for God?

9 הֲ֭טוֹב כִּֽי־יַחְקֹ֣ר אֶתְכֶ֑ם אִם־כְּהָתֵ֥ל בֶּ֝אֱנ֗וֹשׁ תְּהָתֵ֥לּוּ בֽוֹ׃

Will it be good for you when he searches you out? Could you deceive him as you might deceive men?

10 הוֹכֵ֣חַ יוֹכִ֣יחַ אֶתְכֶ֑ם אִם־בַּ֝סֵּ֗תֶר פָּנִ֥ים תִּשָּׂאֽוּן׃

He would surely reprove you if in secret you showed partiality.

11 הֲלֹ֣א שְׂ֭אֵתוֹ תְּבַעֵ֣ת אֶתְכֶ֑ם וּ֝פַחְדּ֗וֹ יִפֹּ֥ל עֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

Will not his majesty terrify you, and the dread of him fall upon you?

12 זִֽ֭כְרֹנֵיכֶם מִשְׁלֵי־אֵ֑פֶר לְגַבֵּי־חֹ֝֗מֶר גַּבֵּיכֶֽם׃

Your memorable sayings are proverbs made of ashes; your defenses are defenses made of clay.

13 הַחֲרִ֣ישׁוּ מִ֭מֶּנִּי וַאֲדַבְּרָה־אָ֑נִי וְיַעֲבֹ֖ר עָלַ֣י מָֽה׃

Hold your peace, let me alone, so that I may speak, let come what may on me.

14 עַל־מָ֤ה ׀ אֶשָּׂ֣א בְשָׂרִ֣י בְשִׁנָּ֑י וְ֝נַפְשִׁ֗י אָשִׂ֥ים בְּכַפִּֽי׃

I will take my own flesh in my teeth; I will take my life in my hands.

15 הֵ֣ן יִ֭קְטְלֵנִי ל֣וֹ אֲיַחֵ֑ל אַךְ־דְּ֝רָכַ֗י אֶל־פָּנָ֥יו אוֹכִֽיחַ׃

See, if he kills me, I will have no hope left; nevertheless, I will defend my ways before him.

16 גַּם־הוּא־לִ֥י לִֽישׁוּעָ֑ה כִּי־לֹ֥א לְ֝פָנָ֗יו חָנֵ֥ף יָבֽוֹא׃

This will be the reason for my deliverance, for no godless person would come before him.

17 שִׁמְע֣וּ שָׁ֭מוֹעַ מִלָּתִ֑י וְ֝אַֽחֲוָתִ֗י בְּאָזְנֵיכֶֽם׃

God, listen carefully to my speech; let my declaration come to your ears.

18 הִנֵּה־נָ֭א עָרַ֣כְתִּי מִשְׁפָּ֑ט יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י אֶצְדָּֽק׃

See now, I have set my defense in order; I know that I am innocent.

19 מִי־ה֭וּא יָרִ֣יב עִמָּדִ֑י כִּֽי־עַתָּ֖ה אַחֲרִ֣ישׁ וְאֶגְוָֽע׃

Who is the one who would argue against me in court? If you came to do so, and if I were proved wrong, then I would be silent and give up my life.

20 אַךְ־שְׁ֭תַּיִם אַל־תַּ֣עַשׂ עִמָּדִ֑י אָ֥ז מִ֝פָּנֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א אֶסָּתֵֽר׃

God, do only two things for me, and then I will not hide myself from your face:

21 כַּ֭פְּךָ מֵעָלַ֣י הַרְחַ֑ק וְ֝אֵ֥מָתְךָ֗ אַֽל־תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃

withdraw your oppressive hand from me, and do not let your terrors make me afraid.

22 וּ֭קְרָא וְאָנֹכִ֣י אֶֽעֱנֶ֑ה אֽוֹ־אֲ֝דַבֵּ֗ר וַהֲשִׁיבֵֽנִי׃

Then call me, and I will answer; or let me speak to you, and you answer me.

23 כַּמָּ֣ה לִ֭י עֲוֹנ֣וֹת וְחַטָּא֑וֹת פִּֽשְׁעִ֥י וְ֝חַטָּאתִ֗י הֹדִיעֵֽנִי׃

How many are my iniquities and sins? Let me know my transgression and my sin.

24 לָֽמָּה־פָנֶ֥יךָ תַסְתִּ֑יר וְתַחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי לְאוֹיֵ֣ב לָֽךְ׃

Why do you hide your face from me and treat me like your enemy?

25 הֶעָלֶ֣ה נִדָּ֣ף תַּעֲר֑וֹץ וְאֶת־קַ֖שׁ יָבֵ֣שׁ תִּרְדֹּֽף׃

Will you persecute a driven leaf? Will you pursue dry stubble?

26 כִּֽי־תִכְתֹּ֣ב עָלַ֣י מְרֹר֑וֹת וְ֝תוֹרִישֵׁ֗נִי עֲוֹנ֥וֹת נְעוּרָֽי׃

For you write down bitter things against me; you make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.

27 וְתָ֘שֵׂ֤ם בַּסַּ֨ד ׀ רַגְלַ֗י וְתִשְׁמ֥וֹר כָּל־אָרְחוֹתָ֑י עַל־שָׁרְשֵׁ֥י רַ֝גְלַ֗י תִּתְחַקֶּֽה׃

You also put my feet in the stocks; you closely watch all my paths; you examine the ground where the soles of my feet have walked

28 וְ֭הוּא כְּרָקָ֣ב יִבְלֶ֑ה כְּ֝בֶ֗גֶד אֲכָ֣לוֹ עָֽשׁ׃

although I am like a rotten thing that wastes away, like a garment that moths have eaten.