< איוב 30 >

וְעַתָּה ׀ שָֽׂחֲקוּ עָלַי צְעִירִים מִמֶּנִּי לְיָמִים אֲשֶׁר־מָאַסְתִּי אֲבוֹתָם לָשִׁית עִם־כַּלְבֵי צֹאנִֽי׃ 1
"But now those who are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to put with my sheep dogs.
גַּם־כֹּחַ יְדֵיהֶם לָמָּה לִּי עָלֵימוֹ אָבַד כָּֽלַח׃ 2
Of what use is the strength of their hands to me, men in whom ripe age has perished?
בְּחֶסֶר וּבְכָפָן גַּלְמוּד הַֽעֹרְקִים צִיָּה אֶמֶשׁ שׁוֹאָה וּמְשֹׁאָֽה׃ 3
They are gaunt from lack and famine. They gnaw the dry ground, in the gloom of waste and desolation.
הַקֹּטְפִים מַלּוּחַ עֲלֵי־שִׂיחַ וְשֹׁרֶשׁ רְתָמִים לַחְמָֽם׃ 4
They pluck salt herbs by the bushes. The roots of the broom are their food.
מִן־גֵּו יְגֹרָשׁוּ יָרִיעוּ עָלֵימוֹ כַּגַּנָּֽב׃ 5
They are driven out from the midst of men. They cry after them as after a thief;
בַּעֲרוּץ נְחָלִים לִשְׁכֹּן חֹרֵי עָפָר וְכֵפִֽים׃ 6
So that they dwell in frightful valleys, and in holes of the earth and of the rocks.
בֵּין־שִׂיחִים יִנְהָקוּ תַּחַת חָרוּל יְסֻפָּֽחוּ׃ 7
Among the bushes they bray; and under the nettles they are gathered together.
בְּֽנֵי־נָבָל גַּם־בְּנֵי בְלִי־שֵׁם נִכְּאוּ מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ 8
They are children of fools, yes, children of base men. They were flogged out of the land.
וְעַתָּה נְגִינָתָם הָיִיתִי וָאֱהִי לָהֶם לְמִלָּֽה׃ 9
"Now I have become their song. Yes, I am a byword to them.
תִּֽעֲבוּנִי רָחֲקוּ מֶנִּי וּמִפָּנַי לֹא־חָשְׂכוּ רֹֽק׃ 10
They abhor me, they keep their distance from me, and do not hesitate to spit in my face.
כִּֽי־יתרו יִתְרִי פִתַּח וַיְעַנֵּנִי וְרֶסֶן מִפָּנַי שִׁלֵּֽחוּ׃ 11
For he has untied his cord, and afflicted me; and they have thrown off restraint before me.
עַל־יָמִין פִּרְחַח יָקוּמוּ רַגְלַי שִׁלֵּחוּ וַיָּסֹלּוּ עָלַי אָרְחוֹת אֵידָֽם׃ 12
On my right hand rise the rabble. They thrust aside my feet, They cast up against me their ways of destruction.
נָתְסוּ נְֽתִיבָתִי לְהַוָּתִי יֹעִילוּ לֹא עֹזֵר לָֽמוֹ׃ 13
They mar my path, They set forward my calamity, without anyone's help.
כְּפֶרֶץ רָחָב יֶאֱתָיוּ תַּחַת שֹׁאָה הִתְגַּלְגָּֽלוּ׃ 14
As through a wide breach they come, in the midst of the ruin they roll themselves in.
הָהְפַּךְ עָלַי בַּלָּהוֹת תִּרְדֹּף כָּרוּחַ נְדִבָתִי וּכְעָב עָבְרָה יְשֻׁעָתִֽי׃ 15
Terrors have turned on me. They chase my honor as the wind. My welfare has passed away as a cloud.
וְעַתָּה עָלַי תִּשְׁתַּפֵּךְ נַפְשִׁי יֹאחֲזוּנִי יְמֵי־עֹֽנִי׃ 16
"Now my soul is poured out within me. Days of affliction have taken hold on me.
לַיְלָה עֲצָמַי נִקַּר מֵעָלָי וְעֹרְקַי לֹא יִשְׁכָּבֽוּן׃ 17
In the night season my bones are pierced in me, and the pains that gnaw me take no rest.
בְּרָב־כֹּחַ יִתְחַפֵּשׂ לְבוּשִׁי כְּפִי כֻתָּנְתִּי יַֽאַזְרֵֽנִי׃ 18
By great force is my garment disfigured. It binds me about as the collar of my coat.
הֹרָנִי לַחֹמֶר וָאֶתְמַשֵּׁל כֶּעָפָר וָאֵֽפֶר׃ 19
He has cast me into the mire. I have become like dust and ashes.
אֲשַׁוַּע אֵלֶיךָ וְלֹא תַעֲנֵנִי עָמַדְתִּי וַתִּתְבֹּנֶן בִּֽי׃ 20
I cry to you, and you do not answer me. I stand up, and you gaze at me.
תֵּהָפֵךְ לְאַכְזָר לִי בְּעֹצֶם יָדְךָ תִשְׂטְמֵֽנִי׃ 21
You have turned to be cruel to me. With the might of your hand you persecute me.
תִּשָּׂאֵנִי אֶל־רוּחַ תַּרְכִּיבֵנִי וּתְמֹגְגֵנִי תשוה תּוּשִׁיָּֽה׃ 22
You lift me up to the wind, and drive me with it. You dissolve me in the storm.
כִּֽי־יָדַעְתִּי מָוֶת תְּשִׁיבֵנִי וּבֵית מוֹעֵד לְכָל־חָֽי׃ 23
For I know that you will bring me to death, To the house appointed for all living.
אַךְ לֹא־בְעִי יִשְׁלַח־יָד אִם־בְּפִידוֹ לָהֶן שֽׁוּעַ׃ 24
"However doesn't one stretch out a hand in his fall? Or in his calamity therefore cry for help?
אִם־לֹא בָכִיתִי לִקְשֵׁה־יוֹם עָֽגְמָה נַפְשִׁי לָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃ 25
Did I not weep for him who was in trouble? Wasn't my soul grieved for the needy?
כִּי טוֹב קִוִּיתִי וַיָּבֹא רָע וַֽאֲיַחֲלָה לְאוֹר וַיָּבֹא אֹֽפֶל׃ 26
When I looked for good, then evil came; When I waited for light, there came darkness.
מֵעַי רֻתְּחוּ וְלֹא־דָמּוּ קִדְּמֻנִי יְמֵי־עֹֽנִי׃ 27
My heart is troubled, and doesn't rest. Days of affliction have come on me.
קֹדֵר הִלַּכְתִּי בְּלֹא חַמָּה קַמְתִּי בַקָּהָל אֲשַׁוֵּֽעַ׃ 28
I go mourning without the sun. I stand up in the assembly, and cry for help.
אָח הָיִיתִי לְתַנִּים וְרֵעַ לִבְנוֹת יַעֲנָֽה׃ 29
I am a brother to jackals, and a companion to ostriches.
עוֹרִי שָׁחַר מֵעָלָי וְעַצְמִי־חָרָה מִנִּי־חֹֽרֶב׃ 30
My skin grows black and peels from me. My bones are burned with heat.
וַיְהִי לְאֵבֶל כִּנֹּרִי וְעֻגָבִי לְקוֹל בֹּכִֽים׃ 31
Therefore my harp has turned to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of those who weep.

< איוב 30 >