אִיּוֹב 9

1 וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

THEN Job answered and said,

2 אָ֭מְנָם יָדַ֣עְתִּי כִי־כֵ֑ן וּמַה־יִּצְדַּ֖ק אֱנ֣וֹשׁ עִם־אֵֽל׃

I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?

3 אִם־יַ֭חְפֹּץ לָרִ֣יב עִמּ֑וֹ לֹֽא־יַ֝עֲנֶ֗נּוּ אַחַ֥ת מִנִּי־אָֽלֶף׃

If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.

4 חֲכַ֣ם לֵ֭בָב וְאַמִּ֣יץ כֹּ֑חַ מִֽי־הִקְשָׁ֥ה אֵ֝לָ֗יו וַיִּשְׁלָֽם׃

He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?

5 הַמַּעְתִּ֣יק הָ֭רִים וְלֹ֣א יָדָ֑עוּ אֲשֶׁ֖ר הֲפָכָ֣ם בְּאַפּֽוֹ׃

Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.

6 הַמַּרְגִּ֣יז אֶ֭רֶץ מִמְּקוֹמָ֑הּ וְ֝עַמּוּדֶ֗יהָ יִתְפַלָּצֽוּן׃

Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.

7 הָאֹמֵ֣ר לַ֭חֶרֶס וְלֹ֣א יִזְרָ֑ח וּבְעַ֖ד כּוֹכָבִ֣ים יַחְתֹּֽם׃

Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.

8 נֹטֶ֣ה שָׁמַ֣יִם לְבַדּ֑וֹ וְ֝דוֹרֵ֗ךְ עַל־בָּ֥מֳתֵי יָֽם׃

Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

9 עֹֽשֶׂה־עָ֭שׁ כְּסִ֥יל וְכִימָ֗ה וְחַדְרֵ֥י תֵמָֽן׃

Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

10 עֹשֶׂ֣ה גְ֭דֹלוֹת עַד־אֵ֣ין חֵ֑קֶר וְנִפְלָא֗וֹת עַד־אֵ֥ין מִסְפָּֽר׃

Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.

11 הֵ֤ן יַעֲבֹ֣ר עָ֭לַי וְלֹ֣א אֶרְאֶ֑ה וְ֝יַחֲלֹ֗ף וְֽלֹא־אָבִ֥ין לֽוֹ׃

Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.

12 הֵ֣ן יַ֭חְתֹּף מִ֣י יְשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ מִֽי־יֹאמַ֥ר אֵ֝לָ֗יו מַֽה־תַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃

Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?

13 אֱ֭לוֹהַּ לֹא־יָשִׁ֣יב אַפּ֑וֹ תַּחְתָּ֥יו שָׁ֝חֲח֗וּ עֹ֣זְרֵי רָֽהַב׃

If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.

14 אַ֭ף כִּֽי־אָנֹכִ֣י אֶֽעֱנֶ֑נּוּ אֶבְחֲרָ֖ה דְבָרַ֣י עִמּֽוֹ׃

How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?

15 אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִם־צָ֭דַקְתִּי לֹ֣א אֶעֱנֶ֑ה לִ֝מְשֹׁפְטִ֗י אֶתְחַנָּֽן׃

Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.

16 אִם־קָרָ֥אתִי וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑נִי לֹֽא־אַ֝אֲמִ֗ין כִּֽי־יַאֲזִ֥ין קוֹלִֽי׃

If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.

17 אֲשֶׁר־בִּשְׂעָרָ֥ה יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי וְהִרְבָּ֖ה פְצָעַ֣י חִנָּֽם׃

For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

18 לֹֽא־יִ֭תְּנֵנִי הָשֵׁ֣ב רוּחִ֑י כִּ֥י יַ֝שְׂבִּעַ֗נִי מַמְּרֹרִֽים׃

He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.

19 אִם־לְכֹ֣חַ אַמִּ֣יץ הִנֵּ֑ה וְאִם־לְ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט מִ֣י יוֹעִידֵֽנִי׃

If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?

20 אִם־אֶ֭צְדָּק פִּ֣י יַרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי תָּֽם־אָ֝֗נִי וַֽיַּעְקְשֵֽׁנִי׃

If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.

21 תָּֽם־אָ֭נִי לֹֽא־אֵדַ֥ע נַפְשִׁ֗י אֶמְאַ֥ס חַיָּֽי׃

Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

22 אַחַ֗ת הִ֥יא עַל־כֵּ֥ן אָמַ֑רְתִּי תָּ֥ם וְ֝רָשָׁ֗ע ה֣וּא מְכַלֶּֽה׃

This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

23 אִם־שׁ֭וֹט יָמִ֣ית פִּתְאֹ֑ם לְמַסַּ֖ת נְקִיִּ֣ם יִלְעָֽג׃

If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

24 אֶ֤רֶץ ׀ נִתְּנָ֬ה בְֽיַד־רָשָׁ֗ע פְּנֵֽי־שֹׁפְטֶ֥יהָ יְכַסֶּ֑ה אִם־לֹ֖א אֵפ֣וֹא מִי־הֽוּא׃

The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?

25 וְיָמַ֣י קַ֭לּוּ מִנִּי־רָ֑ץ בָּֽ֝רְח֗וּ לֹא־רָא֥וּ טוֹבָֽה׃

Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.

26 חָ֭לְפוּ עִם־אֳנִיּ֣וֹת אֵבֶ֑ה כְּ֝נֶ֗שֶׁר יָט֥וּשׂ עֲלֵי־אֹֽכֶל׃

They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.

27 אִם־אָ֭מְרִי אֶשְׁכְּחָ֣ה שִׂיחִ֑י אֶעֶזְבָ֖ה פָנַ֣י וְאַבְלִֽיגָה׃

If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:

28 יָגֹ֥רְתִּי כָל־עַצְּבֹתָ֑י יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּי־לֹ֥א תְנַקֵּֽנִי׃

I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

29 אָנֹכִ֥י אֶרְשָׁ֑ע לָמָּה־זֶּ֝֗ה הֶ֣בֶל אִיגָֽע׃

If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?

30 אִם־הִתְרָחַ֥צְתִּי בְמֵי שָׁ֑לֶג וַ֝הֲזִכּ֗וֹתִי בְּבֹ֣ר כַּפָּֽי׃

If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;

31 אָ֭ז בַּשַּׁ֣חַת תִּטְבְּלֵ֑נִי וְ֝תִֽעֲב֗וּנִי שַׂלְמוֹתָֽי׃

Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.

32 כִּי־לֹא־אִ֣ישׁ כָּמֹ֣נִי אֶֽעֱנֶ֑נּוּ נָב֥וֹא יַ֝חְדָּ֗ו בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.

33 לֹ֣א יֵשׁ־בֵּינֵ֣ינוּ מוֹכִ֑יחַ יָשֵׁ֖ת יָד֣וֹ עַל־שְׁנֵֽינוּ׃

Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.

34 יָסֵ֣ר מֵעָלַ֣י שִׁבְט֑וֹ וְ֝אֵמָת֗וֹ אַֽל־תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃

Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:

35 אַֽ֭דַבְּרָה וְלֹ֣א אִירָאֶ֑נּוּ כִּ֥י לֹא־כֵ֥ן אָ֝נֹכִ֗י עִמָּדִֽי׃

Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.