אִיּוֹב 19

1 וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Job replied,

2 עַד־אָ֭נָה תּוֹגְי֣וּן נַפְשִׁ֑י וּֽתְדַכְּאוּנַ֥נִי בְמִלִּֽים׃

“How long will you go on tormenting me? How long will you go on crushing me with words?

3 זֶ֤ה עֶ֣שֶׂר פְּ֭עָמִים תַּכְלִימ֑וּנִי לֹֽא־תֵ֝בֹ֗שׁוּ תַּהְכְּרוּ־לִֽי׃

Ten times already you have humiliated me. Aren't you ashamed for treating me so badly?

4 וְאַף־אָמְנָ֥ם שָׁגִ֑יתִי אִ֝תִּ֗י תָּלִ֥ין מְשׁוּגָתִֽי׃

Even if I did sin, that's my problem, and has nothing to do with you.

5 אִם־אָ֭מְנָם עָלַ֣י תַּגְדִּ֑ילוּ וְתוֹכִ֥יחוּ עָ֝לַ֗י חֶרְפָּתִּֽי׃

You think you're so much better than me, and you use my degradation against me.

6 דְּֽעוּ־אֵ֭פוֹ כִּי־אֱל֣וֹהַּ עִוְּתָ֑נִי וּ֝מְצוּד֗וֹ עָלַ֥י הִקִּֽיף׃

But you should realize that it's God who has wronged me, he has trapped me in his net.

7 הֵ֤ן אֶצְעַ֣ק חָ֭מָס וְלֹ֣א אֵעָנֶ֑ה אֲ֝שַׁוַּ֗ע וְאֵ֣ין מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

Even though I cry for help, I get no answer; even though I shout my objections, I get no justice.

8 אָרְחִ֣י גָ֭דַר וְלֹ֣א אֶעֱב֑וֹר וְעַ֥ל נְ֝תִיבוֹתַ֗י חֹ֣שֶׁךְ יָשִֽׂים׃

God has walled me in so I can't escape; he has plunged my path into darkness.

9 כְּ֭בוֹדִי מֵעָלַ֣י הִפְשִׁ֑יט וַ֝יָּ֗סַר עֲטֶ֣רֶת רֹאשִֽׁי׃

He has stripped my honor from me; he has taken away my reputation.

10 יִתְּצֵ֣נִי סָ֭בִיב וָאֵלַ֑ךְ וַיַּסַּ֥ע כָּ֝עֵ֗ץ תִּקְוָתִֽי׃

He tears me down from all sides until I am finished; he has destroyed my hope like a tree that is uprooted.

11 וַיַּ֣חַר עָלַ֣י אַפּ֑וֹ וַיַּחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי ל֣וֹ כְצָרָֽיו׃

His anger burns against me; he treats me as one of his enemies.

12 יַ֤חַד ׀ יָ֘בֹ֤אוּ גְדוּדָ֗יו וַיָּסֹ֣לּוּ עָלַ֣י דַּרְכָּ֑ם וַיַּחֲנ֖וּ סָבִ֣יב לְאָהֳלִֽי׃

God's troops assemble to attack me. They build ramparts against me. They encircle and besiege my home.

13 אַ֭חַי מֵעָלַ֣י הִרְחִ֑יק וְ֝יֹדְעַ֗י אַךְ־זָ֥רוּ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

He has driven my brothers far away from me; all my former friends are estranged from me.

14 חָדְל֥וּ קְרוֹבָ֑י וּֽמְיֻדָּעַ֥י שְׁכֵחֽוּנִי׃

My relatives have abandoned me; my close friends have forgotten me.

15 גָּ֘רֵ֤י בֵיתִ֣י וְ֭אַמְהֹתַי לְזָ֣ר תַּחְשְׁבֻ֑נִי נָ֝כְרִ֗י הָיִ֥יתִי בְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃

My house guests and my maidservants treat me as a stranger—to them I have become a foreigner.

16 לְעַבְדִּ֣י קָ֭רָאתִי וְלֹ֣א יַעֲנֶ֑ה בְּמוֹ־פִ֝֗י אֶתְחַנֶּן־לֽוֹ׃

I call my servant, but he doesn't reply. I have to beg him!

17 ר֭וּחִֽי זָ֣רָה לְאִשְׁתִּ֑י וְ֝חַנֹּתִ֗י לִבְנֵ֥י בִטְנִֽי׃

I am repulsive to my wife, and I am loathsome to my own brothers.

18 גַּם־עֲ֭וִילִים מָ֣אֲסוּ בִ֑י אָ֝ק֗וּמָה וַיְדַבְּרוּ־בִֽי׃

Even young children despise me; when I stand up they ridicule me.

19 תִּֽ֭עֲבוּנִי כָּל־מְתֵ֣י סוֹדִ֑י וְזֶֽה־אָ֝הַ֗בְתִּי נֶהְפְּכוּ־בִֽי׃

All my closest friends despise me, and those I loved have turned on me.

20 בְּעוֹרִ֣י וּ֭בִבְשָׂרִי דָּבְקָ֣ה עַצְמִ֑י וָ֝אֶתְמַלְּטָ֗ה בְּע֣וֹר שִׁנָּֽי׃

I've been reduced to skin and bones and I survive by the skin of my teeth.

21 חָנֻּ֬נִי חָנֻּ֣נִי אַתֶּ֣ם רֵעָ֑י כִּ֥י יַד־אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַּ נָ֣גְעָה בִּֽי׃

Have pity on me, my friends, have pity on me, because God has struck me down!

22 לָ֭מָּה תִּרְדְּפֻ֣נִי כְמוֹ־אֵ֑ל וּ֝מִבְּשָׂרִ֗י לֹ֣א תִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃

Why are you persecuting me like God does? Aren't you satisfied with getting your pound of flesh?

23 מִֽי־יִתֵּ֣ן אֵ֭פוֹ וְיִכָּתְב֣וּן מִלָּ֑י מִֽי־יִתֵּ֖ן בַּסֵּ֣פֶר וְיֻחָֽקוּ׃

I wish my words could be written down, recorded in a book,

24 בְּעֵט־בַּרְזֶ֥ל וְעֹפָ֑רֶת לָ֝עַ֗ד בַּצּ֥וּר יֵחָצְבֽוּן׃

or engraved with an iron pen and molten lead in the rock forever.

25 וַאֲנִ֣י יָ֭דַעְתִּי גֹּ֣אֲלִי חָ֑י וְ֝אַחֲר֗וֹן עַל־עָפָ֥ר יָקֽוּם׃

I know my Redeemer is alive, and that he shall finally take the stand for me on the earth.

26 וְאַחַ֣ר ע֭וֹרִֽי נִקְּפוּ־זֹ֑את וּ֝מִבְּשָׂרִ֗י אֶֽחֱזֶ֥ה אֱלֽוֹהַּ׃

Even though my skin is destroyed, in my body I shall see God.

27 אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲנִ֨י ׀ אֶֽחֱזֶה־לִּ֗י וְעֵינַ֣י רָא֣וּ וְלֹא־זָ֑ר כָּל֖וּ כִלְיֹתַ֣י בְּחֵקִֽי׃

I myself will see him—with my own eyes, and not those of someone else! The thought overcomes me!

28 כִּ֣י תֹ֭אמְרוּ מַה־נִּרְדָּף־ל֑וֹ וְשֹׁ֥רֶשׁ דָּ֝בָ֗ר נִמְצָא־בִֽי׃

You say to yourselves, ‘How can we make him suffer so he can see he is the source of his problems?’

29 גּ֤וּרוּ לָכֶ֨ם ׀ מִפְּנֵי־חֶ֗רֶב כִּֽי־חֵ֭מָה עֲוֹנ֣וֹת חָ֑רֶב לְמַ֖עַן תֵּדְע֣וּן שַׁדּֽוּן׃ ס

You yourselves should fear being punished by God, for you know anger brings God's punishment that accompanies judgment.”