איוב 13

1 הֶן־כֹּל רָאֲתָה עֵינִי שָֽׁמְעָה אָזְנִי וַתָּבֶן לָֽהּ׃

“Behold, my eye has seen all this. My ear has heard and understood it.

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

What you know, I know also. I am not inferior to you.

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

“Surely I would speak to the Almighty. I desire to reason with God.

4 וְֽאוּלָם אַתֶּם טֹֽפְלֵי־שָׁקֶר רֹפְאֵי אֱלִל כֻּלְּכֶֽם׃

But you are forgers of lies. You are all physicians of no value.

5 מִֽי־יִתֵּן הַחֲרֵשׁ תַּחֲרִישׁוּן וּתְהִי לָכֶם לְחָכְמָֽה׃

Oh that you would be completely silent! Then you would be wise.

6 שִׁמְעוּ־נָא תוֹכַחְתִּי וְרִבוֹת שְׂפָתַי הַקְשִֽׁיבוּ׃

Hear now my reasoning. Listen to the pleadings of my lips.

7 הַלְאֵל תְּדַבְּרוּ עַוְלָה וְלוֹ תְּֽדַבְּרוּ רְמִיָּֽה׃

Will you speak unrighteously for God, and talk deceitfully for him?

8 הֲפָנָיו תִּשָּׂאוּן אִם־לָאֵל תְּרִיבֽוּן׃

Will you show partiality to him? Will you contend for God?

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

Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceives a man, will you deceive him?

10 הוֹכֵחַ יוֹכִיחַ אֶתְכֶם אִם־בַּסֵּתֶר פָּנִים תִּשָּׂאֽוּן׃

He will surely reprove you if you secretly show partiality.

11 הֲלֹא שְׂאֵתוֹ תְּבַעֵת אֶתְכֶם וּפַחְדּוֹ יִפֹּל עֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

Won’t his majesty make you afraid and his dread fall on you?

12 זִֽכְרֹנֵיכֶם מִשְׁלֵי־אֵפֶר לְגַבֵּי־חֹמֶר גַּבֵּיכֶֽם׃

Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes. Your defenses are defenses of clay.

13 הַחֲרִישׁוּ מִמֶּנִּי וַאֲדַבְּרָה־אָנִי וְיַעֲבֹר עָלַי מָֽה׃

“Be silent! Leave me alone, that I may speak. Let come on me what will.

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

Why should I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hand?

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

Behold, he will kill me. I have no hope. Nevertheless, I will maintain my ways before him.

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

This also will be my salvation, that a godless man will not come before him.

17 שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ מִלָּתִי וְאֽ͏ַחֲוָתִי בְּאָזְנֵיכֶֽם׃

Listen carefully to my speech. Let my declaration be in your ears.

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

See now, I have set my cause in order. I know that I am righteous.

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

Who is he who will contend with me? For then would I hold my peace and give up the spirit.

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

“Only don’t do two things to me, then I will not hide myself from your face:

21 כַּפְּךָ מֵעָלַי הַרְחַק וְאֵמָתְךָ אַֽל־תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃

withdraw your hand far from me, and don’t let your terror make me afraid.

22 וּקְרָא וְאָנֹכִי אֶֽעֱנֶה אֽוֹ־אֲדַבֵּר וַהֲשִׁיבֵֽנִי׃

Then call, and I will answer, or let me speak, and you answer me.

23 כַּמָּה לִי עֲוֺנוֹת וְחַטָּאוֹת פִּֽשְׁעִי וְחַטָּאתִי הֹדִיעֵֽנִי׃

How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my disobedience and my sin.

24 לָֽמָּה־פָנֶיךָ תַסְתִּיר וְתַחְשְׁבֵנִי לְאוֹיֵב לָֽךְ׃

Why do you hide your face, and consider me your enemy?

25 הֶעָלֶה נִדָּף תַּעֲרוֹץ וְאֶת־קַשׁ יָבֵשׁ תִּרְדֹּֽף׃

Will you harass a driven leaf? Will you pursue the dry stubble?

26 כִּֽי־תִכְתֹּב עָלַי מְרֹרוֹת וְתוֹרִישֵׁנִי עֲוֺנוֹת נְעוּרָֽי׃

For you write bitter things against me, and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.

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

You also put my feet in the stocks, and mark all my paths. You set a bound to the soles of my feet,

28 וְהוּא כְּרָקָב יִבְלֶה כְּבֶגֶד אֲכָלוֹ עָֽשׁ׃

though I am decaying like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten.