אִיּוֹב 13

1 הֶן־כֹּ֭ל רָאֲתָ֣ה עֵינִ֑י שָֽׁמְעָ֥ה אָ֝זְנִ֗י וַתָּ֥בֶן לָֽהּ׃

“Behold, 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, I know also. I am not inferior to you.

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

“Surely I would speak to the Almighty. I desire to reason with God.

4 וְֽאוּלָ֗ם אַתֶּ֥ם טֹֽפְלֵי־שָׁ֑קֶר רֹפְאֵ֖י אֱלִ֣ל כֻּלְּכֶֽם׃

But you are forgers of lies. You are all physicians of no value.

5 מִֽי־יִ֭תֵּן הַחֲרֵ֣שׁ תַּחֲרִישׁ֑וּן וּתְהִ֖י לָכֶ֣ם לְחָכְמָֽה׃

Oh that you would be completely silent! Then you would be wise.

6 שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֥א תוֹכַחְתִּ֑י וְרִב֖וֹת שְׂפָתַ֣י הַקְשִֽׁיבוּ׃

Hear now my reasoning. Listen to the pleadings of my lips.

7 הַ֭לְאֵל תְּדַבְּר֣וּ עַוְלָ֑ה וְ֝ל֗וֹ תְּֽדַבְּר֥וּ רְמִיָּֽה׃

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

8 הֲפָנָ֥יו תִּשָּׂא֑וּן אִם־לָאֵ֥ל תְּרִיבֽוּן׃

Will you show partiality to him? Will you contend for God?

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

Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceives a man, will you deceive him?

10 הוֹכֵ֣חַ יוֹכִ֣יחַ אֶתְכֶ֑ם אִם־בַּ֝סֵּ֗תֶר פָּנִ֥ים תִּשָּׂאֽוּן׃

He will surely reprove you if you secretly show partiality.

11 הֲלֹ֣א שְׂ֭אֵתוֹ תְּבַעֵ֣ת אֶתְכֶ֑ם וּ֝פַחְדּ֗וֹ יִפֹּ֥ל עֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

Won’t his majesty make you afraid and his dread fall on you?

12 זִֽ֭כְרֹנֵיכֶם מִשְׁלֵי־אֵ֑פֶר לְגַבֵּי־חֹ֝֗מֶר גַּבֵּיכֶֽם׃

Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes. Your defences are defences of clay.

13 הַחֲרִ֣ישׁוּ מִ֭מֶּנִּי וַאֲדַבְּרָה־אָ֑נִי וְיַעֲבֹ֖ר עָלַ֣י מָֽה׃

“Be silent! Leave me alone, that I may speak. Let come on me what will.

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

Why should I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hand?

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

Behold, he will kill me. I have no hope. Nevertheless, I will maintain my ways before him.

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

This also will be my salvation, that a godless man will not come before him.

17 שִׁמְע֣וּ שָׁ֭מוֹעַ מִלָּתִ֑י וְ֝אַֽחֲוָתִ֗י בְּאָזְנֵיכֶֽם׃

Listen carefully to my speech. Let my declaration be in your ears.

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

See now, I have set my cause in order. I know that I am righteous.

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

Who is he who will contend with me? For then would I hold my peace and give up the spirit.

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

“Only don’t do two things to me, then I will not hide myself from your face:

21 כַּ֭פְּךָ מֵעָלַ֣י הַרְחַ֑ק וְ֝אֵ֥מָתְךָ֗ אַֽל־תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃

withdraw your hand far from me, and don’t let your terror make me afraid.

22 וּ֭קְרָא וְאָנֹכִ֣י אֶֽעֱנֶ֑ה אֽוֹ־אֲ֝דַבֵּ֗ר וַהֲשִׁיבֵֽנִי׃

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

23 כַּמָּ֣ה לִ֭י עֲוֹנ֣וֹת וְחַטָּא֑וֹת פִּֽשְׁעִ֥י וְ֝חַטָּאתִ֗י הֹדִיעֵֽנִי׃

How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my disobedience and my sin.

24 לָֽמָּה־פָנֶ֥יךָ תַסְתִּ֑יר וְתַחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי לְאוֹיֵ֣ב לָֽךְ׃

Why do you hide your face, and consider me your enemy?

25 הֶעָלֶ֣ה נִדָּ֣ף תַּעֲר֑וֹץ וְאֶת־קַ֖שׁ יָבֵ֣שׁ תִּרְדֹּֽף׃

Will you harass a driven leaf? Will you pursue the dry stubble?

26 כִּֽי־תִכְתֹּ֣ב עָלַ֣י מְרֹר֑וֹת וְ֝תוֹרִישֵׁ֗נִי עֲוֹנ֥וֹת נְעוּרָֽי׃

For you write bitter things against me, and 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, and mark all my paths. You set a bound to the soles of my feet,

28 וְ֭הוּא כְּרָקָ֣ב יִבְלֶ֑ה כְּ֝בֶ֗גֶד אֲכָ֣לוֹ עָֽשׁ׃

though I am decaying like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten.