איוב 19

1 וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

And Job made answer and said,

2 עַד־אָנָה תּוֹגְיוּן נַפְשִׁי וּֽתְדַכְּאוּנַנִי בְמִלִּֽים׃

How long will you make my life bitter, crushing me with words?

3 זֶה עֶשֶׂר פְּעָמִים תַּכְלִימוּנִי לֹֽא־תֵבֹשׁוּ תַּהְכְּרוּ־לִֽי׃

Ten times now you have made sport of me; it gives you no sense of shame to do me wrong.

4 וְאַף־אָמְנָם שָׁגִיתִי אִתִּי תָּלִין מְשׁוּגָתִֽי׃

And, truly, if I have been in error, the effect of my error is only on myself.

5 אִם־אָמְנָם עָלַי תַּגְדִּילוּ וְתוֹכִיחוּ עָלַי חֶרְפָּתִּֽי׃

If you make yourselves great against me, using my punishment as an argument against me,

6 דְּֽעוּ־אֵפוֹ כִּי־אֱלוֹהַּ עִוְּתָנִי וּמְצוּדוֹ עָלַי הִקִּֽיף׃

Be certain that it is God who has done me wrong, and has taken me in his net.

7 הֵן אֶצְעַק חָמָס וְלֹא אֵעָנֶה אֲשַׁוַּע וְאֵין מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

Truly, I make an outcry against the violent man, but there is no answer: I give a cry for help, but no one takes up my cause.

8 אָרְחִי גָדַר וְלֹא אֶעֱבוֹר וְעַל נְתִיבוֹתַי חֹשֶׁךְ יָשִֽׂים׃

My way is walled up by him so that I may not go by: he has made my roads dark.

9 כְּבוֹדִי מֵעָלַי הִפְשִׁיט וַיָּסַר עֲטֶרֶת רֹאשִֽׁי׃

He has put off my glory from me, and taken the crown from my head.

10 יִתְּצֵנִי סָבִיב וָאֵלַךְ וַיַּסַּע כָּעֵץ תִּקְוָתִֽי׃

I am broken down by him on every side, and I am gone; my hope is uprooted like a tree.

11 וַיַּחַר עָלַי אַפּוֹ וַיַּחְשְׁבֵנִי לוֹ כְצָרָֽיו׃

His wrath is burning against me, and I am to him as one of his haters.

12 יַחַד ׀ יָבֹאוּ גְדוּדָיו וַיָּסֹלּוּ עָלַי דַּרְכָּם וַיַּחֲנוּ סָבִיב לְאָהֳלִֽי׃

His armies come on together, they make their road high against me, and put up their tents round mine.

13 אַחַי מֵעָלַי הִרְחִיק וְיֹדְעַי אַךְ־זָרוּ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

He has taken my brothers far away from me; they have seen my fate and have become strange to me.

14 חָדְלוּ קְרוֹבָי וּֽמְיֻדָּעַי שְׁכֵחֽוּנִי׃

My relations and my near friends have given me up, and those living in my house have put me out of their minds.

15 גָּרֵי בֵיתִי וְאַמְהֹתַי לְזָר תַּחְשְׁבֻנִי נָכְרִי הָיִיתִי בְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃

I am strange to my women-servants, and seem to them as one from another country.

16 לְעַבְדִּי קָרָאתִי וְלֹא יַעֲנֶה בְּמוֹ־פִי אֶתְחַנֶּן־לֽוֹ׃

At my cry my servant gives me no answer, and I have to make a prayer to him.

17 רוּחִֽי זָרָה לְאִשְׁתִּי וְחַנֹּתִי לִבְנֵי בִטְנִֽי׃

My breath is strange to my wife, and I am disgusting to the offspring of my mother's body.

18 גַּם־עֲוִילִים מָאֲסוּ בִי אָקוּמָה וַיְדַבְּרוּ־בִֽי׃

Even young children have no respect for me; when I get up their backs are turned on me.

19 תִּֽעֲבוּנִי כָּל־מְתֵי סוֹדִי וְזֶֽה־אָהַבְתִּי נֶהְפְּכוּ־בִֽי׃

All the men of my circle keep away from me; and those dear to me are turned against me.

20 בְּעוֹרִי וּבִבְשָׂרִי דָּבְקָה עַצְמִי וָאֶתְמַלְּטָה בְּעוֹר שִׁנָּֽי׃

My bones are joined to my skin, and I have got away with my flesh in my teeth.

21 חָנֻּנִי חָנֻּנִי אַתֶּם רֵעָי כִּי יַד־אֱלוֹהַּ נָגְעָה בִּֽי׃

Have pity on me, have pity on me, O my friends! for the hand of God is on me.

22 לָמָּה תִּרְדְּפֻנִי כְמוֹ־אֵל וּמִבְּשָׂרִי לֹא תִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃

Why are you cruel to me, like God, for ever saying evil against me?

23 מִֽי־יִתֵּן אֵפוֹ וְיִכָּתְבוּן מִלָּי מִֽי־יִתֵּן בַּסֵּפֶר וְיֻחָֽקוּ׃

If only my words might be recorded! if they might be put in writing in a book!

24 בְּעֵט־בַּרְזֶל וְעֹפָרֶת לָעַד בַּצּוּר יֵחָצְבֽוּן׃

And with an iron pen and lead be cut into the rock for ever!

25 וַאֲנִי יָדַעְתִּי גֹּאֲלִי חָי וְאַחֲרוֹן עַל־עָפָר יָקֽוּם׃

But I am certain that he who will take up my cause is living, and that in time to come he will take his place on the dust;

26 וְאַחַר עוֹרִֽי נִקְּפוּ־זֹאת וּמִבְּשָׂרִי אֶֽחֱזֶה אֱלֽוֹהַּ׃

And ... without my flesh I will see God;

27 אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי ׀ אֶֽחֱזֶה־לִּי וְעֵינַי רָאוּ וְלֹא־זָר כָּלוּ כִלְיֹתַי בְּחֵקִֽי׃

Whom I will see on my side, and not as one strange to me. My heart is broken with desire.

28 כִּי תֹאמְרוּ מַה־נִּרְדָּף־לוֹ וְשֹׁרֶשׁ דָּבָר נִמְצָא־בִֽי׃

If you say, How cruel we will be to him! because the root of sin is clearly in him:

29 גּוּרוּ לָכֶם ׀ מִפְּנֵי־חֶרֶב כִּֽי־חֵמָה עֲוֺנוֹת חָרֶב לְמַעַן תֵּדְעוּן שדין שַׁדּֽוּן׃

Be in fear of the sword, for the sword is the punishment for such things, so that you may be certain that there is a judge.