איוב 19

1 וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then Job answered,

2 עַד־אָנָה תּוֹגְיוּן נַפְשִׁי וּֽתְדַכְּאוּנַנִי בְמִלִּֽים׃

“How long will you torment me, and crush me with words?

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

You have reproached me ten times. You aren’t ashamed that you attack me.

4 וְאַף־אָמְנָם שָׁגִיתִי אִתִּי תָּלִין מְשׁוּגָתִֽי׃

If it is true that I have erred, my error remains with myself.

5 אִם־אָמְנָם עָלַי תַּגְדִּילוּ וְתוֹכִיחוּ עָלַי חֶרְפָּתִּֽי׃

If indeed you will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach,

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

know now that God has subverted me, and has surrounded me with his net.

7 הֵן אֶצְעַק חָמָס וְלֹא אֵעָנֶה אֲשַׁוַּע וְאֵין מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

“Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard. I cry for help, but there is no justice.

8 אָרְחִי גָדַר וְלֹא אֶעֱבוֹר וְעַל נְתִיבוֹתַי חֹשֶׁךְ יָשִֽׂים׃

He has walled up my way so that I can’t pass, and has set darkness in my paths.

9 כְּבוֹדִי מֵעָלַי הִפְשִׁיט וַיָּסַר עֲטֶרֶת רֹאשִֽׁי׃

He has stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.

10 יִתְּצֵנִי סָבִיב וָאֵלַךְ וַיַּסַּע כָּעֵץ תִּקְוָתִֽי׃

He has broken me down on every side, and I am gone. He has plucked my hope up like a tree.

11 וַיַּחַר עָלַי אַפּוֹ וַיַּחְשְׁבֵנִי לוֹ כְצָרָֽיו׃

He has also kindled his wrath against me. He counts me amongst his adversaries.

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

His troops come on together, build a siege ramp against me, and encamp around my tent.

13 אַחַי מֵעָלַי הִרְחִיק וְיֹדְעַי אַךְ־זָרוּ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

“He has put my brothers far from me. My acquaintances are wholly estranged from me.

14 חָדְלוּ קְרוֹבָי וּֽמְיֻדָּעַי שְׁכֵחֽוּנִי׃

My relatives have gone away. My familiar friends have forgotten me.

15 גָּרֵי בֵיתִי וְאַמְהֹתַי לְזָר תַּחְשְׁבֻנִי נָכְרִי הָיִיתִי בְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃

Those who dwell in my house and my maids consider me a stranger. I am an alien in their sight.

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

I call to my servant, and he gives me no answer. I beg him with my mouth.

17 רוּחִֽי זָרָה לְאִשְׁתִּי וְחַנֹּתִי לִבְנֵי בִטְנִֽי׃

My breath is offensive to my wife. I am loathsome to the children of my own mother.

18 גַּם־עֲוִילִים מָאֲסוּ בִי אָקוּמָה וַיְדַבְּרוּ־בִֽי׃

Even young children despise me. If I arise, they speak against me.

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

All my familiar friends abhor me. They whom I loved have turned against me.

20 בְּעוֹרִי וּבִבְשָׂרִי דָּבְקָה עַצְמִי וָאֶתְמַלְּטָה בְּעוֹר שִׁנָּֽי׃

My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh. I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.

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

“Have pity on me. Have pity on me, you my friends, for the hand of God has touched me.

22 לָמָּה תִּרְדְּפֻנִי כְמוֹ־אֵל וּמִבְּשָׂרִי לֹא תִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃

Why do you persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?

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

“Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!

24 בְּעֵט־בַּרְזֶל וְעֹפָרֶת לָעַד בַּצּוּר יֵחָצְבֽוּן׃

That with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever!

25 וַאֲנִי יָדַעְתִּי גֹּאֲלִי חָי וְאַחֲרוֹן עַל־עָפָר יָקֽוּם׃

But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives. In the end, he will stand upon the earth.

26 וְאַחַר עוֹרִֽי נִקְּפוּ־זֹאת וּמִבְּשָׂרִי אֶֽחֱזֶה אֱלֽוֹהַּ׃

After my skin is destroyed, then I will see God in my flesh,

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

whom I, even I, will see on my side. My eyes will see, and not as a stranger. “My heart is consumed within me.

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

If you say, ‘How we will persecute him!’ because the root of the matter is found in me,

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

be afraid of the sword, for wrath brings the punishments of the sword, that you may know there is a judgement.”