אִיּוֹב 7

1 הֲלֹא־צָבָ֣א לֶאֱנ֣וֹשׁ עֲלֵי אָ֑רֶץ וְכִימֵ֖י שָׂכִ֣יר יָמָֽיו׃

Is not the life of man upon earth a state of trial? and his existence as that of a hireling by the day?

2 כְּעֶ֥בֶד יִשְׁאַף־צֵ֑ל וּ֝כְשָׂכִ֗יר יְקַוֶּ֥ה פָעֳלֽוֹ׃

Or as a servant that fears his master, and one who has grasped a shadow? or as a hireling waiting for his pay?

3 כֵּ֤ן הָנְחַ֣לְתִּי לִ֭י יַרְחֵי־שָׁ֑וְא וְלֵיל֥וֹת עָ֝מָ֗ל מִנּוּ־לִֽי׃

So have I also endured months of vanity, and nights of pain have been appointed me.

4 אִם־שָׁכַ֗בְתִּי וְאָמַ֗רְתִּי מָתַ֣י אָ֭קוּם וּמִדַּד־עָ֑רֶב וְשָׂבַ֖עְתִּי נְדֻדִ֣ים עֲדֵי־נָֽשֶׁף׃

Whenever I lie down, I say, When [will it be] day? and whenever I rise up, again [I say] when [will it be] evening? and I am full of pains from evening to morning.

5 לָ֘בַ֤שׁ בְּשָׂרִ֣י רִ֭מָּה וְג֣וּשׁ עָפָ֑ר עוֹרִ֥י רָ֝גַ֗ע וַיִּמָּאֵֽס׃

And my body is covered with loathsome worms; and I waste away, scraping off clods of dust from my eruption.

6 יָמַ֣י קַ֭לּוּ מִנִּי־אָ֑רֶג וַ֝יִּכְל֗וּ בְּאֶ֣פֶס תִּקְוָֽה׃

And my life is lighter than a word, and has perished in vain hope.

7 זְ֭כֹר כִּי־ר֣וּחַ חַיָּ֑י לֹא־תָשׁ֥וּב עֵ֝ינִ֗י לִרְא֥וֹת טֽוֹב׃

Remember then that my life is breath, and mine eye shall not yet again see good.

8 לֹֽא־תְ֭שׁוּרֵנִי עֵ֣ין רֹ֑אִי עֵינֶ֖יךָ בִּ֣י וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃

The eye of him that sees me shall not see me [again]: your eyes are upon me, and I am no more.

9 כָּלָ֣ה עָ֭נָן וַיֵּלַ֑ךְ כֵּ֥ן יוֹרֵ֥ד שְׁ֝א֗וֹל לֹ֣א יַעֲלֶֽה׃ (Sheol h7585)

[I am] as a cloud that is cleared away from the sky: for if a man go down to the grave, he shall not come up again: (Sheol h7585)

10 לֹא־יָשׁ֣וּב ע֣וֹד לְבֵית֑וֹ וְלֹא־יַכִּירֶ֖נּוּ ע֣וֹד מְקֹמֽוֹ׃

and he shall surely not return to his own house, neither shall his place know him any more.

11 גַּם־אֲנִי֮ לֹ֤א אֶחֱשָׂ֫ךְ פִּ֥י אֲֽ֭דַבְּרָה בְּצַ֣ר רוּחִ֑י אָ֝שִׂ֗יחָה בְּמַ֣ר נַפְשִֽׁי׃

Then neither will I refrain my mouth: I will speak being in distress; being in anguish I will disclose the bitterness of my soul.

12 הֲֽיָם־אָ֭נִי אִם־תַּנִּ֑ין כִּֽי־תָשִׂ֖ים עָלַ֣י מִשְׁמָֽר׃

Am I a sea, or a serpent, that you have set a watch over me?

13 כִּֽי־אָ֭מַרְתִּי תְּנַחֲמֵ֣נִי עַרְשִׂ֑י יִשָּׂ֥א בְ֝שִׂיחִ֗י מִשְׁכָּבִֽי׃

I said that my bed should comfort me, and I would privately counsel with myself on my couch.

14 וְחִתַּתַּ֥נִי בַחֲלֹמ֑וֹת וּֽמֵחֶזְיֹנ֥וֹת תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃

You scare me with dreams, and do terrify me with visions.

15 וַתִּבְחַ֣ר מַחֲנָ֣ק נַפְשִׁ֑י מָ֝֗וֶת מֵֽעַצְמוֹתָֽי׃

You will separate life from my spirit; and yet [keep] my bones from death.

16 מָ֭אַסְתִּי לֹא־לְעֹלָ֣ם אֶֽחְיֶ֑ה חֲדַ֥ל מִ֝מֶּ֗נִּי כִּי־הֶ֥בֶל יָמָֽי׃

For I shall not live for ever, that I should patiently endure: depart from me, for my life [is] vain.

17 מָֽה־אֱ֭נוֹשׁ כִּ֣י תְגַדְּלֶ֑נּוּ וְכִי־תָשִׁ֖ית אֵלָ֣יו לִבֶּֽךָ׃

For what is man, that you have magnified him? or that you give heed to him?

18 וַתִּפְקְדֶ֥נּוּ לִבְקָרִ֑ים לִ֝רְגָעִ֗ים תִּבְחָנֶֽנּוּ׃

Will you visit him till the morning, and judge him till [the time of] rest?

19 כַּ֭מָּה לֹא־תִשְׁעֶ֣ה מִמֶּ֑נִּי לֹֽא־תַ֝רְפֵּ֗נִי עַד־בִּלְעִ֥י רֻקִּֽי׃

How long do you not let me alone, nor let me go, until I shall swallow down my spittle?

20 חָטָ֡אתִי מָ֤ה אֶפְעַ֨ל ׀ לָךְ֮ נֹצֵ֪ר הָאָ֫דָ֥ם לָ֤מָה שַׂמְתַּ֣נִי לְמִפְגָּ֣ע לָ֑ךְ וָאֶהְיֶ֖ה עָלַ֣י לְמַשָּֽׂא׃

If I have sinned, what shall I be able to do, O you that understand the mind of men? why have you made me as your accuser, and [why] am I a burden to you?

21 וּמֶ֤ה ׀ לֹא־תִשָּׂ֣א פִשְׁעִי֮ וְתַעֲבִ֪יר אֶת־עֲוֹ֫נִ֥י כִּֽי־עַ֭תָּה לֶעָפָ֣ר אֶשְׁכָּ֑ב וְשִׁ֖חֲרְתַּ֣נִי וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃ פ

Why have you not forgotten my iniquity, and purged my sin? but now I shall depart to the earth; and in the morning I am no more.