איוב 10

1 נָֽקְטָה נַפְשִׁי בְּחַיָּי אֶֽעֶזְבָה עָלַי שִׂיחִי אֲדַבְּרָה בְּמַר נַפְשִֽׁי׃

“My soul is weary of my life. I will give free course to my complaint. I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

2 אֹמַר אֶל־אֱלוֹהַּ אַל־תַּרְשִׁיעֵנִי הֽוֹדִיעֵנִי עַל מַה־תְּרִיבֵֽנִי׃

I will tell God, ‘Do not condemn me. Show me why you contend with me.

3 הֲטוֹב לְךָ ׀ כִּֽי־תַעֲשֹׁק כִּֽי־תִמְאַס יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ וְעַל־עֲצַת רְשָׁעִים הוֹפָֽעְתָּ׃

Is it good to you that you should oppress, that you should despise the work of your hands, and smile on the counsel of the wicked?

4 הַעֵינֵי בָשָׂר לָךְ אִם־כִּרְאוֹת אֱנוֹשׁ תִּרְאֶֽה׃

Do you have eyes of flesh? Or do you see as man sees?

5 הֲכִימֵי אֱנוֹשׁ יָמֶיךָ אִם־שְׁנוֹתֶיךָ כִּימֵי גָֽבֶר׃

Are your days as the days of mortals, or your years as man’s years,

6 כִּֽי־תְבַקֵּשׁ לַעֲוֺנִי וּלְחַטָּאתִי תִדְרֽוֹשׁ׃

that you inquire after my iniquity, and search after my sin?

7 עַֽל־דַּעְתְּךָ כִּי־לֹא אֶרְשָׁע וְאֵין מִיָּדְךָ מַצִּֽיל׃

Although you know that I am not wicked, there is no one who can deliver out of your hand.

8 יָדֶיךָ עִצְּבוּנִי וַֽיַּעֲשׂוּנִי יַחַד סָבִיב וַֽתְּבַלְּעֵֽנִי׃

“‘Your hands have framed me and fashioned me altogether, yet you destroy me.

9 זְכָר־נָא כִּי־כַחֹמֶר עֲשִׂיתָנִי וְֽאֶל־עָפָר תְּשִׁיבֵֽנִי׃

Remember, I beg you, that you have fashioned me as clay. Will you bring me into dust again?

10 הֲלֹא כֶחָלָב תַּתִּיכֵנִי וְכַגְּבִנָּה תַּקְפִּיאֵֽנִי׃

Haven’t you poured me out like milk, and curdled me like cheese?

11 עוֹר וּבָשָׂר תַּלְבִּישֵׁנִי וּֽבַעֲצָמוֹת וְגִידִים תְּסֹכְכֵֽנִי׃

You have clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews.

12 חַיִּים וָחֶסֶד עָשִׂיתָ עִמָּדִי וּפְקֻדָּתְךָ שָֽׁמְרָה רוּחִֽי׃

You have granted me life and loving kindness. Your visitation has preserved my spirit.

13 וְאֵלֶּה צָפַנְתָּ בִלְבָבֶךָ יָדַעְתִּי כִּי־זֹאת עִמָּֽךְ׃

Yet you hid these things in your heart. I know that this is with you:

14 אִם־חָטָאתִי וּשְׁמַרְתָּנִי וּמֵעֲוֺנִי לֹא תְנַקֵּֽנִי׃

if I sin, then you mark me. You will not acquit me from my iniquity.

15 אִם־רָשַׁעְתִּי אַלְלַי לִי וְצָדַקְתִּי לֹא־אֶשָּׂא רֹאשִׁי שְׂבַע קָלוֹן וּרְאֵה עָנְיֽ͏ִי׃

If I am wicked, woe to me. If I am righteous, I still will not lift up my head, being filled with disgrace, and conscious of my affliction.

16 וְיִגְאֶה כַּשַּׁחַל תְּצוּדֵנִי וְתָשֹׁב תִּתְפַּלָּא־בִֽי׃

If my head is held high, you hunt me like a lion. Again you show yourself powerful to me.

17 תְּחַדֵּשׁ עֵדֶיךָ ׀ נֶגְדִּי וְתֶרֶב כַּֽעַשְׂךָ עִמָּדִי חֲלִיפוֹת וְצָבָא עִמִּֽי׃

You renew your witnesses against me, and increase your indignation on me. Changes and warfare are with me.

18 וְלָמָּה מֵרֶחֶם הֹצֵאתָנִי אֶגְוַע וְעַיִן לֹא־תִרְאֵֽנִי׃

“‘Why, then, have you brought me out of the womb? I wish I had given up the spirit, and no eye had seen me.

19 כַּאֲשֶׁר לֹא־הָיִיתִי אֶהְיֶה מִבֶּטֶן לַקֶּבֶר אוּבָֽל׃

I should have been as though I had not been. I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

20 הֲלֹא־מְעַט יָמַי יחדל וַחֲדָל ישית וְשִׁית מִמֶּנִּי וְאַבְלִיגָה מְּעָֽט׃

Aren’t my days few? Stop! Leave me alone, that I may find a little comfort,

21 בְּטֶרֶם אֵלֵךְ וְלֹא אָשׁוּב אֶל־אֶרֶץ חֹשֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃

before I go where I will not return from, to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death;

22 אֶרֶץ עֵיפָתָה ׀ כְּמוֹ אֹפֶל צַלְמָוֶת וְלֹא סְדָרִים וַתֹּפַע כְּמוֹ־אֹֽפֶל׃

the land dark as midnight, of the shadow of death, without any order, where the light is as midnight.’”