< איוב 23 >

וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ 1
Then Job answered and said:
גַּם־הַיּוֹם מְרִי שִׂחִי יָדִי כָּבְדָה עַל־אַנְחָתִֽי׃ 2
Still is my complaint bitter; But my wound is deeper than my groaning.
מִֽי־יִתֵּן יָדַעְתִּי וְאֶמְצָאֵהוּ אָבוֹא עַד־תְּכוּנָתֽוֹ׃ 3
O that I knew where I might find him! That I might go before his throne!
אֶעֶרְכָה לְפָנָיו מִשְׁפָּט וּפִי אֲמַלֵּא תוֹכָחֽוֹת׃ 4
I would order my cause before him, And fill my mouth with arguments;
אֵדְעָה מִלִּים יַעֲנֵנִי וְאָבִינָה מַה־יֹּאמַר לִֽי׃ 5
I should know what he would answer me, And understand what he would say to me.
הַבְּרָב־כֹּחַ יָרִיב עִמָּדִי לֹא אַךְ־הוּא יָשִׂם בִּֽי׃ 6
Would he contend with me with his mighty power? No! he would have regard to me.
שָׁם יָשָׁר נוֹכָח עִמּוֹ וַאֲפַלְּטָה לָנֶצַח מִשֹּׁפְטִֽי׃ 7
Then would an upright man contend with him, And I should be fully acquitted by my judge.
הֵן קֶדֶם אֶהֱלֹךְ וְאֵינֶנּוּ וְאָחוֹר וְֽלֹא־אָבִין לֽוֹ׃ 8
But, behold, I go eastward, and he is not there; And westward, but I cannot perceive him;
שְׂמֹאול בַּעֲשֹׂתוֹ וְלֹא־אָחַז יַעְטֹף יָמִין וְלֹא אֶרְאֶֽה׃ 9
To the north, where he worketh, but I cannot behold him; He hideth himself on the south, and I cannot see him.
כִּֽי־יָדַע דֶּרֶךְ עִמָּדִי בְּחָנַנִי כַּזָּהָב אֵצֵֽא׃ 10
But he knoweth the way which is in my heart; When he trieth me, I shall come forth as gold.
בַּאֲשֻׁרוֹ אָחֲזָה רַגְלִי דַּרְכּוֹ שָׁמַרְתִּי וְלֹא־אָֽט׃ 11
My feet have trodden in his steps; His way I have kept, and have not turned aside from it.
מִצְוַת שְׂפָתָיו וְלֹא אָמִישׁ מֵחֻקִּי צָפַנְתִּי אִמְרֵי־פִֽיו׃ 12
I have not neglected the precepts of his lips; Above my own law have I esteemed the words of his mouth.
וְהוּא בְאֶחָד וּמִי יְשִׁיבֶנּוּ וְנַפְשׁוֹ אִוְּתָה וַיָּֽעַשׂ׃ 13
But he is of one mind, and who can turn him? And what he desireth, that he doeth.
כִּי יַשְׁלִים חֻקִּי וְכָהֵנָּה רַבּוֹת עִמּֽוֹ׃ 14
He performeth that which is appointed for me; And many such things are in his mind!
עַל־כֵּן מִפָּנָיו אֶבָּהֵל אֶתְבּוֹנֵן וְאֶפְחַד מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ 15
Therefore I am in terror on account of him; When I consider, I am afraid of him.
וְאֵל הֵרַךְ לִבִּי וְשַׁדַּי הִבְהִילָֽנִי׃ 16
For God maketh my heart faint; Yea, the Almighty terrifieth me;
כִּֽי־לֹא נִצְמַתִּי מִפְּנֵי־חֹשֶׁךְ וּמִפָּנַי כִּסָּה־אֹֽפֶל׃ 17
Because I was not taken away before darkness came, And he hath not hidden darkness from mine eyes.

< איוב 23 >