אִיּוֹב 33

1 וְֽאוּלָ֗ם שְׁמַֽע־נָ֣א אִיּ֣וֹב מִלָּ֑י וְֽכָל־דְּבָרַ֥י הַאֲזִֽינָה׃

So now, Job, I beg you, hear my speech; listen to all my words.

2 הִנֵּה־נָ֭א פָּתַ֣חְתִּי פִ֑י דִּבְּרָ֖ה לְשׁוֹנִ֣י בְחִכִּֽי׃

See now, I have opened my mouth; my tongue has spoken in my mouth.

3 יֹֽשֶׁר־לִבִּ֥י אֲמָרָ֑י וְדַ֥עַת שְׂ֝פָתַ֗י בָּר֥וּר מִלֵּֽלוּ׃

My words come from the uprightness of my heart; my lips speak pure knowledge.

4 רֽוּחַ־אֵ֥ל עָשָׂ֑תְנִי וְנִשְׁמַ֖ת שַׁדַּ֣י תְּחַיֵּֽנִי׃

The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty has given me life.

5 אִם־תּוּכַ֥ל הֲשִׁיבֵ֑נִי עֶרְכָ֥ה לְ֝פָנַ֗י הִתְיַצָּֽבָה׃

If you can, answer me; set your words in order before me and stand up.

6 הֵן־אֲנִ֣י כְפִ֣יךָ לָאֵ֑ל מֵ֝חֹ֗מֶר קֹרַ֥צְתִּי גַם־אָֽנִי׃

See, I am just as you are in God's sight; I also have been formed out of the clay.

7 הִנֵּ֣ה אֵ֭מָתִי לֹ֣א תְבַעֲתֶ֑ךָּ וְ֝אַכְפִּ֗י עָלֶ֥יךָ לֹא־יִכְבָּֽד׃

See, terror of me will not make you afraid; neither will my pressure be heavy upon you.

8 אַ֭ךְ אָמַ֣רְתָּ בְאָזְנָ֑י וְק֖וֹל מִלִּ֣ין אֶשְׁמָֽע׃

You have certainly spoken in my hearing; I have heard the sound of your words saying,

9 זַ֥ךְ אֲנִ֗י בְּֽלִ֫י פָ֥שַׁע חַ֥ף אָנֹכִ֑י וְלֹ֖א עָוֹ֣ן לִֽי׃

'I am clean and without transgression; I am innocent, and there is no sin in me.

10 הֵ֣ן תְּ֭נוּאוֹת עָלַ֣י יִמְצָ֑א יַחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי לְאוֹיֵ֣ב לֽוֹ׃

See, God finds opportunities to attack me; he regards me as his enemy.

11 יָשֵׂ֣ם בַּסַּ֣ד רַגְלָ֑י יִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר כָּל־אָרְחֹתָֽי׃

He puts my feet in stocks; he watches all my paths.'

12 הֶן־זֹ֣את לֹא־צָדַ֣קְתָּ אֶעֱנֶ֑ךָּ כִּֽי־יִרְבֶּ֥ה אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַ מֵאֱנֽוֹשׁ׃

See, in this you are not right—I will answer you, for God is greater than man.

13 מַ֭דּוּעַ אֵלָ֣יו רִיב֑וֹתָ כִּ֥י כָל־דְּ֝בָרָ֗יו לֹ֣א־יַעֲנֶֽה׃

Why do you struggle against him? He does not account for any of his doings.

14 כִּֽי־בְאַחַ֥ת יְדַבֶּר־אֵ֑ל וּ֝בִשְׁתַּ֗יִם לֹ֣א יְשׁוּרֶֽנָּה׃

For God speaks once— yes, twice, though man does not notice it.

15 בַּחֲל֤וֹם ׀ חֶזְי֬וֹן לַ֗יְלָה בִּנְפֹ֣ל תַּ֭רְדֵּמָה עַל־אֲנָשִׁ֑ים בִּ֝תְנוּמ֗וֹת עֲלֵ֣י מִשְׁכָּֽב׃

In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, in slumber on the bed—

16 אָ֣ז יִ֭גְלֶה אֹ֣זֶן אֲנָשִׁ֑ים וּבְמֹ֖סָרָ֣ם יַחְתֹּֽם׃

then God opens the ears of men, and frightens them with threats,

17 לְ֭הָסִיר אָדָ֣ם מַעֲשֶׂ֑ה וְגֵוָ֖ה מִגֶּ֣בֶר יְכַסֶּֽה׃

in order to pull man back from his sinful purposes, and keep pride from him.

18 יַחְשֹׂ֣ךְ נַ֭פְשׁוֹ מִנִּי־שָׁ֑חַת וְ֝חַיָּת֗וֹ מֵעֲבֹ֥ר בַּשָּֽׁלַח׃

God keeps man's life back from the pit, his life from crossing over to death.

19 וְהוּכַ֣ח בְּ֭מַכְאוֹב עַל־מִשְׁכָּב֑וֹ וְר֖וֹב עֲצָמָ֣יו אֵתָֽן׃

Man is punished also with pain on his bed, with constant agony in his bones,

20 וְזִֽהֲמַ֣תּוּ חַיָּת֣וֹ לָ֑חֶם וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ מַאֲכַ֥ל תַּאֲוָֽה׃

so that his life abhors food, and his soul abhors delicacies.

21 יִ֣כֶל בְּשָׂר֣וֹ מֵרֹ֑אִי וְשֻׁפּ֥וּ עַ֝צְמוֹתָ֗יו לֹ֣א רֻאּֽוּ׃

His flesh is consumed away so that it cannot be seen; his bones, once not seen, now stick out.

22 וַתִּקְרַ֣ב לַשַּׁ֣חַת נַפְשׁ֑וֹ וְ֝חַיָּת֗וֹ לַֽמְמִתִֽים׃

Indeed, his soul draws close to the pit, his life to those who wish to destroy it.

23 אִם־יֵ֤שׁ עָלָ֨יו ׀ מַלְאָ֗ךְ מֵלִ֗יץ אֶחָ֥ד מִנִּי־אָ֑לֶף לְהַגִּ֖יד לְאָדָ֣ם יָשְׁרֽוֹ׃

But if there is an angel who can be a mediator for him, a mediator, one from among the thousands of angels, to show him what is right to do,

24 וַיְחֻנֶּ֗נּוּ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר פְּ֭דָעֵהוּ מֵרֶ֥דֶת שָׁ֗חַת מָצָ֥אתִי כֹֽפֶר׃

and if the angel is kind to him and says to God, 'Save this person from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for him,'

25 רֻֽטֲפַ֣שׁ בְּשָׂר֣וֹ מִנֹּ֑עַר יָ֝שׁ֗וּב לִימֵ֥י עֲלוּמָֽיו׃

then his flesh will become fresher than a child's; he will return to the days of his youthful strength.

26 יֶעְתַּ֤ר אֶל־אֱל֨וֹהַּ ׀ וַיִּרְצֵ֗הוּ וַיַּ֣רְא פָּ֭נָיו בִּתְרוּעָ֑ה וַיָּ֥שֶׁב לֶ֝אֱנ֗וֹשׁ צִדְקָתֽוֹ׃

He will pray to God, and God will be kind to him, so that he sees God's face with joy. God will give the person his triumph.

27 יָשֹׁ֤ר ׀ עַל־אֲנָשִׁ֗ים וַיֹּ֗אמֶר חָ֭טָאתִי וְיָשָׁ֥ר הֶעֱוֵ֗יתִי וְלֹא־שָׁ֥וָה לִֽי׃

Then that person will sing in front of other people and say, 'I sinned and perverted that which was right, but my sin was not punished.

28 פָּדָ֣ה נַ֭פְשׁוֹ מֵעֲבֹ֣ר בַּשָּׁ֑חַת וְ֝חַיָּתוֹ בָּא֥וֹר תִּרְאֶֽה׃

God has rescued my soul from going down into the pit; my life will continue to see light.'

29 הֶן־כָּל־אֵ֭לֶּה יִפְעַל־אֵ֑ל פַּעֲמַ֖יִם שָׁל֣וֹשׁ עִם־גָּֽבֶר׃

See, God does all these things with a person, twice, yes, even three times,

30 לְהָשִׁ֣יב נַ֭פְשׁוֹ מִנִּי־שָׁ֑חַת לֵ֝א֗וֹר בְּא֣וֹר הַֽחַיִּים׃

to bring his soul back from the pit, so that he may be enlightened with the light of life.

31 הַקְשֵׁ֖ב אִיּ֥וֹב שְֽׁמַֽע־לִ֑י הַ֝חֲרֵ֗שׁ וְאָנֹכִ֥י אֲדַבֵּֽר׃

Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent and I will speak.

32 אִם־יֵשׁ־מִלִּ֥ין הֲשִׁיבֵ֑נִי דַּ֝בֵּ֗ר כִּֽי־חָפַ֥צְתִּי צַדְּקֶֽךָּ׃

If you have anything to say, answer me; speak, for I wish to prove that you are in the right.

33 אִם־אַ֭יִן אַתָּ֥ה שְֽׁמַֽע־לִ֑י הַ֝חֲרֵ֗שׁ וַאֲאַלֶּפְךָ֥ חָכְמָֽה׃ ס

If not, then listen to me; remain silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”