< איוב 6 >

וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ 1
Then Job answered and said:
לוּ שָׁקוֹל יִשָּׁקֵל כַּעְשִׂי והיתי וְהַוָּתִי בְּֽמֹאזְנַיִם יִשְׂאוּ־יָֽחַד׃ 2
O that my grief were weighed thoroughly! That my calamities were put together in the balance!
כִּֽי־עַתָּה מֵחוֹל יַמִּים יִכְבָּד עַל־כֵּן דְּבָרַי לָֽעוּ׃ 3
Surely they would be heavier than the sand of the sea; On this account were my words rash.
כִּי חִצֵּי שַׁדַּי עִמָּדִי אֲשֶׁר חֲמָתָם שֹׁתָה רוּחִי בִּעוּתֵי אֱלוֹהַּ יַֽעַרְכֽוּנִי׃ 4
For the arrows of the Almighty have pierced me; Their poison drinketh up my spirit; The terrors of God set themselves in array against me.
הֲיִֽנְהַק־פֶּרֶא עֲלֵי־דֶשֶׁא אִם יִגְעֶה־שּׁוֹר עַל־בְּלִילֽוֹ׃ 5
Doth the wild ass bray in the midst of grass? Or loweth the ox over his fodder?
הֲיֵאָכֵל תָּפֵל מִבְּלִי־מֶלַח אִם־יֶשׁ־טַעַם בְּרִיר חַלָּמֽוּת׃ 6
Can that which is unsavory be eaten without salt? Is there any taste in the white of an egg?
מֵאֲנָה לִנְגּוֹעַ נַפְשִׁי הֵמָּה כִּדְוֵי לַחְמִֽי׃ 7
That which my soul abhorreth to touch Hath become my loathsome food.
מִֽי־יִתֵּן תָּבוֹא שֶֽׁאֱלָתִי וְתִקְוָתִי יִתֵּן אֱלֽוֹהַּ׃ 8
O that I might have my request, And that God would grant me that which I long for!
וְיֹאֵל אֱלוֹהַּ וִֽידַכְּאֵנִי יַתֵּר יָדוֹ וִֽיבַצְּעֵֽנִי׃ 9
That it would please God to destroy me; That he would let loose his hand, and make an end of me!
וּתְהִי עוֹד ׀ נֶחָמָתִי וַאֲסַלְּדָה בְחִילָה לֹא יַחְמוֹל כִּי־לֹא כִחַדְתִּי אִמְרֵי קָדֽוֹשׁ׃ 10
Yet it should still be my consolation, Yea, in unsparing anguish I would exult, That I have not denied the commands of the Holy One.
מַה־כֹּחִי כִֽי־אֲיַחֵל וּמַה־קִּצִּי כִּֽי־אַאֲרִיךְ נַפְשִֽׁי׃ 11
What is my strength, that I should hope? And what mine end, that I should be patient?
אִם־כֹּחַ אֲבָנִים כֹּחִי אִֽם־בְּשָׂרִי נָחֽוּשׁ׃ 12
Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh brass?
הַאִם אֵין עֶזְרָתִי בִי וְתֻשִׁיָּה נִדְּחָה מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ 13
Alas, there is no help within me! Deliverance is driven from me!
לַמָּס מֵרֵעֵהוּ חָסֶד וְיִרְאַת שַׁדַּי יַעֲזֽוֹב׃ 14
To the afflicted, kindness should be shown by a friend; Else he casteth off the fear of the Almighty.
אַחַי בָּגְדוּ כְמוֹ־נָחַל כַּאֲפִיק נְחָלִים יַעֲבֹֽרוּ׃ 15
But my brethren are faithless like a brook; Like streams of the valley that pass away;
הַקֹּדְרִים מִנִּי־קָרַח עָלֵימוֹ יִתְעַלֶּם־שָֽׁלֶג׃ 16
Which are turbid by reason of the ice, And the snow, which hideth itself in them.
בְּעֵת יְזֹרְבוּ נִצְמָתוּ בְּחֻמּוֹ נִדְעֲכוּ מִמְּקוֹמָֽם׃ 17
As soon as they flow forth, they vanish; When the heat cometh, they are dried up from their place.
יִלָּפְתוּ אָרְחוֹת דַּרְכָּם יַעֲלוּ בַתֹּהוּ וְיֹאבֵֽדוּ׃ 18
The caravans turn aside to them on their way; They go up into the desert, and perish.
הִבִּיטוּ אָרְחוֹת תֵּמָא הֲלִיכֹת שְׁבָא קִוּוּ־לָֽמוֹ׃ 19
The caravans of Tema look for them; The companies of Sheba expect to see them;
בֹּשׁוּ כִּֽי־בָטָח בָּאוּ עָדֶיהָ וַיֶּחְפָּֽרוּ׃ 20
They are ashamed that they have relied on them; They come to their place, and are confounded.
כִּֽי־עַתָּה הֱיִיתֶם לא לוֹ תִּֽרְאוּ חֲתַת וַתִּירָֽאוּ׃ 21
So ye also are nothing; Ye see a terror, and shrink back.
הֲ‍ֽכִי־אָמַרְתִּי הָבוּ לִי וּמִכֹּחֲכֶם שִׁחֲדוּ בַעֲדִֽי׃ 22
Have I said, Bring me gifts? Or, Give a present for me out of your substance?
וּמַלְּטוּנִי מִיַּד־צָר וּמִיַּד עָרִיצִים תִּפְדּֽוּנִי׃ 23
Or, Deliver me from the enemy's hand? Or, Rescue me from the hand of the violent?
הוֹרוּנִי וַאֲנִי אַחֲרִישׁ וּמַה־שָּׁגִיתִי הָבִינוּ לִֽי׃ 24
Convince me, and I will hold my peace; Cause me to understand wherein I have erred.
מַה־נִּמְרְצוּ אִמְרֵי־יֹשֶׁר וּמַה־יּוֹכִיחַ הוֹכֵחַ מִכֶּֽם׃ 25
How powerful are the words of truth! But what do your reproaches prove?
הַלְהוֹכַח מִלִּים תַּחְשֹׁבוּ וּלְרוּחַ אִמְרֵי נֹאָֽשׁ׃ 26
Do ye mean to censure words? The words of a man in despair are but wind.
אַף־עַל־יָתוֹם תַּפִּילוּ וְתִכְרוּ עַל־רֵֽיעֲכֶֽם׃ 27
Truly ye spread a net for the fatherless; Ye dig a pit for your friend.
וְעַתָּה הוֹאִילוּ פְנוּ־בִי וְעַל־פְּנֵיכֶם אִם־אֲכַזֵּֽב׃ 28
Look now upon me, I pray you; For to your very face can I speak falsehood?
שֻֽׁבוּ־נָא אַל־תְּהִי עַוְלָה ושבי וְשׁוּבוּ עוֹד צִדְקִי־בָֽהּ׃ 29
Return, I pray, and let there be no unfairness; Yea, return; —still is my cause righteous.
הֲיֵשׁ־בִּלְשׁוֹנִי עַוְלָה אִם־חִכִּי לֹא־יָבִין הַוּֽוֹת׃ 30
Is there iniquity on my tongue? Cannot my taste discern what is sinful?

< איוב 6 >