איוב 13

1 הֶן־כֹּל רָאֲתָה עֵינִי שָֽׁמְעָה אָזְנִי וַתָּבֶן לָֽהּ׃

Lo, all [this] hath my eye seen, my ear hath heard and noted it for itself;

2 כְּֽדַעְתְּכֶם יָדַעְתִּי גַם־אָנִי לֹא־נֹפֵל אָנֹכִי מִכֶּֽם׃

As much as ye know, do I also know: I do not fall short compared with you.

3 אוּלָם אֲנִי אֶל־שַׁדַּי אֲדַבֵּר וְהוֹכֵחַ אֶל־אֵל אֶחְפָּֽץ׃

However, I would gladly speak to the Almighty; and to argue with God do I desire.

4 וְֽאוּלָם אַתֶּם טֹֽפְלֵי־שָׁקֶר רֹפְאֵי אֱלִל כֻּלְּכֶֽם׃

But ye are inventors of falsehood, physicians of no value are all of you.

5 מִֽי־יִתֵּן הַחֲרֵשׁ תַּחֲרִישׁוּן וּתְהִי לָכֶם לְחָכְמָֽה׃

Oh, who would grant that ye might keep a profound silences! and it would he accounted unto you as wisdom.

6 שִׁמְעוּ־נָא תוֹכַחְתִּי וְרִבוֹת שְׂפָתַי הַקְשִֽׁיבוּ׃

Do hearken but to my reasoning, and listen to the pleadings of my lips.

7 הַלְאֵל תְּדַבְּרוּ עַוְלָה וְלוֹ תְּֽדַבְּרוּ רְמִיָּֽה׃

Will ye speak wrong things for God? and will ye speak for him deceitfully?

8 הֲפָנָיו תִּשָּׂאוּן אִם־לָאֵל תְּרִיבֽוּן׃

Will ye show him undue favor, when ye contend for God?

9 הֲטוֹב כִּֽי־יַחְקֹר אֶתְכֶם אִם־כְּהָתֵל בֶּאֱנוֹשׁ תְּהָתֵלּוּ בֽוֹ׃

Will it be well if he should search you out? or as one overreacheth another mortal, do ye expect to overreach him?

10 הוֹכֵחַ יוֹכִיחַ אֶתְכֶם אִם־בַּסֵּתֶר פָּנִים תִּשָּׂאֽוּן׃

He will surely reprove you, if in secret you show him undue favor.

11 הֲלֹא שְׂאֵתוֹ תְּבַעֵת אֶתְכֶם וּפַחְדּוֹ יִפֹּל עֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

Doth not his excellency terrify you? and his dread fall upon you?

12 זִֽכְרֹנֵיכֶם מִשְׁלֵי־אֵפֶר לְגַבֵּי־חֹמֶר גַּבֵּיכֶֽם׃

The things you remember are mere proverbs of ashes, your high-places are high-places of clay.

13 הַחֲרִישׁוּ מִמֶּנִּי וַאֲדַבְּרָה־אָנִי וְיַעֲבֹר עָלַי מָֽה׃

Keep silence toward me, that I may indeed speak, and let pass over me what will.

14 עַל־מָה ׀ אֶשָּׂא בְשָׂרִי בְשִׁנָּי וְנַפְשִׁי אָשִׂים בְּכַפִּֽי׃

Whatever it may cost, I will take my flesh in my teeth, and my life will I put in my hand.

15 הֵן יִקְטְלֵנִי לא לוֹ אֲיַחֵל אַךְ־דְּרָכַי אֶל־פָּנָיו אוֹכִֽיחַ׃

Lo, though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: only I will argue my own ways before him.

16 גַּם־הוּא־לִי לִֽישׁוּעָה כִּי־לֹא לְפָנָיו חָנֵף יָבֽוֹא׃

Even he will come to my assistance; for a hypocrite cannot come before him.

17 שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ מִלָּתִי וְאֽ͏ַחֲוָתִי בְּאָזְנֵיכֶֽם׃

Listen well to my word, and to my demonstration with your ears.

18 הִנֵּה־נָא עָרַכְתִּי מִשְׁפָּט יָדַעְתִּי כִּֽי־אֲנִי אֶצְדָּֽק׃

Behold now, I have arrayed my cause: I know that I shall be indeed justified.

19 מִי־הוּא יָרִיב עִמָּדִי כִּֽי־עַתָּה אַחֲרִישׁ וְאֶגְוָֽע׃

Who is he that will contend with me? for now, if I keep silence, I must perish.

20 אַךְ־שְׁתַּיִם אַל־תַּעַשׂ עִמָּדִי אָז מִפָּנֶיךָ לֹא אֶסָּתֵֽר׃

Only two things do not unto me: then will I not hide myself from thy presence.

21 כַּפְּךָ מֵעָלַי הַרְחַק וְאֵמָתְךָ אַֽל־תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃

Remove thy hand far from me; and let not thy dread terrify me.

22 וּקְרָא וְאָנֹכִי אֶֽעֱנֶה אֽוֹ־אֲדַבֵּר וַהֲשִׁיבֵֽנִי׃

Then call thou, and I will answer; or let me speak, and do thou reply to me.

23 כַּמָּה לִי עֲוֺנוֹת וְחַטָּאוֹת פִּֽשְׁעִי וְחַטָּאתִי הֹדִיעֵֽנִי׃

How many are my iniquities and sins? my transgression and my sin let me know.

24 לָֽמָּה־פָנֶיךָ תַסְתִּיר וְתַחְשְׁבֵנִי לְאוֹיֵב לָֽךְ׃

Wherefore wilt thou hide thy face, and regard me as an enemy unto thee?

25 הֶעָלֶה נִדָּף תַּעֲרוֹץ וְאֶת־קַשׁ יָבֵשׁ תִּרְדֹּֽף׃

Wilt thou terrify a leaf driven about [by the wind]? and wilt thou pursue dry stubble?

26 כִּֽי־תִכְתֹּב עָלַי מְרֹרוֹת וְתוֹרִישֵׁנִי עֲוֺנוֹת נְעוּרָֽי׃

That thou writest bitter decrees against me, and assignest unto me the iniquities of my youth;

27 וְתָשֵׂם בַּסַּד ׀ רַגְלַי וְתִשְׁמוֹר כָּל־אָרְחוֹתָי עַל־שָׁרְשֵׁי רַגְלַי תִּתְחַקֶּֽה׃

And [that] thou puttest my feet in the stocks, and watchest narrowly all my paths; [and] settest for thyself a mark upon the soles of my feet?

28 וְהוּא כְּרָקָב יִבְלֶה כְּבֶגֶד אֲכָלוֹ עָֽשׁ׃

And yet the body decayeth like a rotten thing, as a garment that the moth hath eaten.