איוב 31
| בְּרִית כָּרַתִּי לְעֵינָי וּמָה אֶתְבּוֹנֵן עַל־בְּתוּלָֽה׃ | 1 |
I made a covenant with mine eyes; How then could I gaze upon a maid?
| וּמֶה ׀ חֵלֶק אֱלוֹהַּ מִמָּעַל וְֽנַחֲלַת שַׁדַּי מִמְּרֹמִֽים׃ | 2 |
For what is the portion appointed by God from above, And the inheritance allotted by the Almighty from on high?
| הֲלֹא־אֵיד לְעַוָּל וְנֵכֶר לְפֹעֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃ | 3 |
Is not destruction for the wicked, And ruin for the workers of iniquity?
| הֲלֹא־הוּא יִרְאֶה דְרָכָי וְֽכָל־צְעָדַי יִסְפּֽוֹר׃ | 4 |
Doth He not see my ways, And number all my steps?
| אִם־הָלַכְתִּי עִם־שָׁוְא וַתַּחַשׁ עַל־מִרְמָה רַגְלִֽי׃ | 5 |
If I have walked with falsehood, And if my foot hath hasted to deceit,
| יִשְׁקְלֵנִי בְמֹאזְנֵי־צֶדֶק וְיֵדַע אֱלוֹהַּ תֻּמָּתִֽי׃ | 6 |
Let him weigh me in an even balance; Yea, let God know my integrity!
| אִם תִּטֶּה אַשֻּׁרִי מִנִּי הַדָּרֶךְ וְאַחַר עֵינַי הָלַךְ לִבִּי וּבְכַפַּי דָּבַק מֻאֽוּם׃ | 7 |
If my steps have turned aside from the way, And my heart gone after mine eyes, Or if any stain hath cleaved to my hand,
| אֶזְרְעָה וְאַחֵר יֹאכֵל וְֽצֶאֱצָאַי יְשֹׁרָֽשׁוּ׃ | 8 |
Then I may sow, and another eat; And what I plant, may it be rooted up!
| אִם־נִפְתָּה לִבִּי עַל־אִשָּׁה וְעַל־פֶּתַח רֵעִי אָרָֽבְתִּי׃ | 9 |
If my heart hath been enticed by a woman, Or if I have watched at my neighbor's door,
| תִּטְחַן לְאַחֵר אִשְׁתִּי וְעָלֶיהָ יִכְרְעוּן אֲחֵרִֽין׃ | 10 |
Then let my wife grind for another, And let other men lie with her!
| כִּי־הוא הִיא זִמָּה והיא וְהוּא עָוֺן פְּלִילִֽים׃ | 11 |
For this were a heinous crime, Even a transgression to be punished by the judges;
| כִּי אֵשׁ הִיא עַד־אֲבַדּוֹן תֹּאכֵל וּֽבְכָל־תְּבוּאָתִי תְשָׁרֵֽשׁ׃ | 12 |
Yea, it were a fire that would consume to destruction, And root out all my increase.
| אִם־אֶמְאַס מִשְׁפַּט עַבְדִּי וַאֲמָתִי בְּרִבָם עִמָּדִֽי׃ | 13 |
If I have refused justice to my man-servant or maid-servant, When they had a controversy with me,
| וּמָה אֶֽעֱשֶׂה כִּֽי־יָקוּם אֵל וְכִֽי־יִפְקֹד מָה אֲשִׁיבֶֽנּוּ׃ | 14 |
Then what shall I do when God riseth up? And when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?
| הֲֽלֹא־בַבֶּטֶן עֹשֵׂנִי עָשָׂהוּ וַיְכֻנֶנּוּ בָּרֶחֶם אֶחָֽד׃ | 15 |
Did not He that made me in the womb make him? Did not one fashion us in the womb?
| אִם־אֶמְנַע מֵחֵפֶץ דַּלִּים וְעֵינֵי אַלְמָנָה אֲכַלֶּֽה׃ | 16 |
If I have refused the poor their desire, And caused the eyes of the widow to fail;
| וְאֹכַל פִּתִּי לְבַדִּי וְלֹא־אָכַל יָתוֹם מִמֶּֽנָּה׃ | 17 |
If I have eaten my morsel alone, And the fatherless hath not partaken of it;
| כִּי מִנְּעוּרַי גְּדֵלַנִי כְאָב וּמִבֶּטֶן אִמִּי אַנְחֶֽנָּה׃ | 18 |
(Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And I have helped the widow from my mother's womb; )
| אִם־אֶרְאֶה אוֹבֵד מִבְּלִי לְבוּשׁ וְאֵין כְּסוּת לָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃ | 19 |
If I have seen any one perishing for want of clothing, Or any poor man without covering;
| אִם־לֹא בֵרֲכוּנִי חלצו חֲלָצָיו וּמִגֵּז כְּבָשַׂי יִתְחַמָּֽם׃ | 20 |
If his loins have not blessed me, And he hath not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
| אִם־הֲנִיפוֹתִי עַל־יָתוֹם יָדִי כִּֽי־אֶרְאֶה בַשַּׁעַר עֶזְרָתִֽי׃ | 21 |
If I have shaken my hand against the fatherless, Because I saw my help in the gate, —
| כְּתֵפִי מִשִּׁכְמָה תִפּוֹל וְאֶזְרֹעִי מִקָּנָה תִשָּׁבֵֽר׃ | 22 |
Then may my shoulder fill from its blade, And my fore-arm be broken from its bone!
| כִּי פַחַד אֵלַי אֵיד אֵל וּמִשְּׂאֵתוֹ לֹא אוּכָֽל׃ | 23 |
For destruction from God was a terror to me, And before his majesty I could do nothing.
| אִם־שַׂמְתִּי זָהָב כִּסְלִי וְלַכֶּתֶם אָמַרְתִּי מִבְטַחִֽי׃ | 24 |
If I have made gold my trust, Or said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;
| אִם־אֶשְׂמַח כִּי־רַב חֵילִי וְכִֽי־כַבִּיר מָצְאָה יָדִֽי׃ | 25 |
If I have rejoiced, because my wealth was great, And my hand had found abundance;
| אִם־אֶרְאֶה אוֹר כִּי יָהֵל וְיָרֵחַ יָקָר הֹלֵֽךְ׃ | 26 |
If I have beheld the sun in his splendor, Or the moon advancing in brightness,
| וַיִּפְתְּ בַּסֵּתֶר לִבִּי וַתִּשַּׁק יָדִי לְפִֽי׃ | 27 |
And my heart hath been secretly enticed, And my mouth hath kissed my hand,
| גַּם־הוּא עָוֺן פְּלִילִי כִּֽי־כִחַשְׁתִּי לָאֵל מִמָּֽעַל׃ | 28 |
This also were a crime to be punished by the judge; For I should have denied the God who is above.
| אִם־אֶשְׂמַח בְּפִיד מְשַׂנְאִי וְהִתְעֹרַרְתִּי כִּֽי־מְצָאוֹ רָֽע׃ | 29 |
If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, And exulted when evil came upon him;
| וְלֹא־נָתַתִּי לַחֲטֹא חִכִּי לִשְׁאֹל בְּאָלָה נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃ | 30 |
(Nay, I have not suffered my mouth to sin, By asking with curses his life; )
| אִם־לֹא אָמְרוּ מְתֵי אָהֳלִי מִֽי־יִתֵּן מִבְּשָׂרוֹ לֹא נִשְׂבָּֽע׃ | 31 |
If the men of my tent have not exclaimed, “Who is there that hath not been satisfied with his meat?”
| בַּחוּץ לֹא־יָלִין גֵּר דְּלָתַי לָאֹרַח אֶפְתָּֽח׃ | 32 |
The stranger did not lodge in the street; I opened my doors to the traveller.
| אִם־כִּסִּיתִי כְאָדָם פְּשָׁעָי לִטְמוֹן בְּחֻבִּי עֲוֺֽנִי׃ | 33 |
Have I, after the manner of men, hidden my transgression, Concealing my iniquity in my bosom,
| כִּי אֶֽעֱרוֹץ ׀ הָמוֹן רַבָּה וּבוּז־מִשְׁפָּחוֹת יְחִתֵּנִי וָאֶדֹּם לֹא־אֵצֵא פָֽתַח׃ | 34 |
Then let me be confounded before the great multitude! Let the contempt of families cover me with shame! Yea, let me keep silence! let me never appear abroad!
| מִי יִתֶּן־לִי ׀ שֹׁמֵעַֽ לִי הֶן־תָּוִי שַׁדַּי יַעֲנֵנִי וְסֵפֶר כָּתַב אִישׁ רִיבִֽי׃ | 35 |
O that there were one who would hear me! Behold my signature! let the Almighty answer me. And let mine adversary write down his charge!
| אִם־לֹא עַל־שִׁכְמִי אֶשָּׂאֶנּוּ אֶֽעֶנְדֶנּוּ עֲטָרוֹת לִֽי׃ | 36 |
Truly I would wear it upon my shoulder; I would bind it upon me as a crown.
| מִסְפַּר צְעָדַי אַגִּידֶנּוּ כְּמוֹ־נָגִיד אֲקָרֲבֶֽנּוּ׃ | 37 |
I would disclose to him all my steps; I would approach him like a prince.
| אִם־עָלַי אַדְמָתִי תִזְעָק וְיַחַד תְּלָמֶיהָ יִבְכָּיֽוּן׃ | 38 |
If my land cry out against me, And its furrows bewail together;
| אִם־כֹּחָהּ אָכַלְתִּי בְלִי־כָסֶף וְנֶפֶשׁ בְּעָלֶיהָ הִפָּֽחְתִּי׃ | 39 |
If I have eaten of its fruits without payment, And wrung out the life of its owners,
| תַּחַת חִטָּה ׀ יֵצֵא חוֹחַ וְתַֽחַת־שְׂעֹרָה בָאְשָׁה תַּמּוּ דִּבְרֵי אִיּֽוֹב׃ | 40 |
Let thorns grow up instead of wheat, And noxious weeds instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.
