איוב 13

1 הֶן־כֹּל רָאֲתָה עֵינִי שָֽׁמְעָה אָזְנִי וַתָּבֶן לָֽהּ׃

Lo, all — hath mine eye seen, Heard hath mine ear, and it attendeth to it.

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

According to your knowledge I have known — also I. I am not fallen more than you.

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

Yet I for the Mighty One do speak, And to argue for God I delight.

4 וְֽאוּלָם אַתֶּם טֹֽפְלֵי־שָׁקֶר רֹפְאֵי אֱלִל כֻּלְּכֶֽם׃

And yet, ye [are] forgers of falsehood, Physicians of nought — all of you,

5 מִֽי־יִתֵּן הַחֲרֵשׁ תַּחֲרִישׁוּן וּתְהִי לָכֶם לְחָכְמָֽה׃

O that ye would keep perfectly silent, And it would be to you for wisdom.

6 שִׁמְעוּ־נָא תוֹכַחְתִּי וְרִבוֹת שְׂפָתַי הַקְשִֽׁיבוּ׃

Hear, I pray you, my argument, And to the pleadings of my lips attend,

7 הַלְאֵל תְּדַבְּרוּ עַוְלָה וְלוֹ תְּֽדַבְּרוּ רְמִיָּֽה׃

For God do ye speak perverseness? And for Him do ye speak deceit?

8 הֲפָנָיו תִּשָּׂאוּן אִם־לָאֵל תְּרִיבֽוּן׃

His face do ye accept, if for God ye strive?

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

Is [it] good that He doth search you, If, as one mocketh at a man, ye mock at Him?

10 הוֹכֵחַ יוֹכִיחַ אֶתְכֶם אִם־בַּסֵּתֶר פָּנִים תִּשָּׂאֽוּן׃

He doth surely reprove you, if in secret ye accept faces.

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׃

Your remembrances [are] similes of ashes, For high places of clay your heights.

13 הַחֲרִישׁוּ מִמֶּנִּי וַאֲדַבְּרָה־אָנִי וְיַעֲבֹר עָלַי מָֽה׃

Keep silent from me, and I speak, And pass over me doth what?

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

Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth? And my soul put in my hand?

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

Lo, He doth slay me — I wait not! Only, my ways unto His face I argue.

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

Also — He [is] to me for salvation, For the profane cometh not before Him.

17 שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ מִלָּתִי וְאֽ͏ַחֲוָתִי בְּאָזְנֵיכֶֽם׃

Hear ye diligently my word, And my declaration with your ears.

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

Lo, I pray you, I have set in order the cause, I have known that I am righteous.

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

Who [is] he that doth strive with me? For now I keep silent and gasp.

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

Only two things, O God, do with me: Then from Thy face I am not hidden.

21 כַּפְּךָ מֵעָלַי הַרְחַק וְאֵמָתְךָ אַֽל־תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃

Thy hand put far off from me, And Thy terror let not terrify me.

22 וּקְרָא וְאָנֹכִי אֶֽעֱנֶה אֽוֹ־אֲדַבֵּר וַהֲשִׁיבֵֽנִי׃

And call Thou, and I — I answer, Or — I speak, and answer Thou me.

23 כַּמָּה לִי עֲוֺנוֹת וְחַטָּאוֹת פִּֽשְׁעִי וְחַטָּאתִי הֹדִיעֵֽנִי׃

How many iniquities and sins have I? My transgression and my sin let me know.

24 לָֽמָּה־פָנֶיךָ תַסְתִּיר וְתַחְשְׁבֵנִי לְאוֹיֵב לָֽךְ׃

Why dost Thou hide Thy face? And reckonest me for an enemy to Thee?

25 הֶעָלֶה נִדָּף תַּעֲרוֹץ וְאֶת־קַשׁ יָבֵשׁ תִּרְדֹּֽף׃

A leaf driven away dost Thou terrify? And the dry stubble dost Thou pursue?

26 כִּֽי־תִכְתֹּב עָלַי מְרֹרוֹת וְתוֹרִישֵׁנִי עֲוֺנוֹת נְעוּרָֽי׃

For Thou writest against me bitter things, And causest me to possess iniquities of my youth:

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

And puttest in the stocks my feet, And observest all my paths, On the roots of my feet Thou settest a print,

28 וְהוּא כְּרָקָב יִבְלֶה כְּבֶגֶד אֲכָלוֹ עָֽשׁ׃

And he, as a rotten thing, weareth away, As a garment hath a moth consumed him.