איוב 7
| הֲלֹא־צָבָא לֶאֱנוֹשׁ על־עֲלֵי־אָרֶץ וְכִימֵי שָׂכִיר יָמָֽיו׃ | 1 |
“Isn’t a man forced to labour on earth? Aren’t his days like the days of a hired hand?
| כְּעֶבֶד יִשְׁאַף־צֵל וּכְשָׂכִיר יְקַוֶּה פָעֳלֽוֹ׃ | 2 |
As a servant who earnestly desires the shadow, as a hireling who looks for his wages,
| כֵּן הָנְחַלְתִּי לִי יַרְחֵי־שָׁוְא וְלֵילוֹת עָמָל מִנּוּ־לִֽי׃ | 3 |
so I am made to possess months of misery, wearisome nights are appointed to me.
| אִם־שָׁכַבְתִּי וְאָמַרְתִּי מָתַי אָקוּם וּמִדַּד־עָרֶב וְשָׂבַעְתִּי נְדֻדִים עֲדֵי־נָֽשֶׁף׃ | 4 |
When I lie down, I say, ‘When will I arise, and the night be gone?’ I toss and turn until the dawning of the day.
| לָבַשׁ בְּשָׂרִי רִמָּה וגיש וְגוּשׁ עָפָר עוֹרִי רָגַע וַיִּמָּאֵֽס׃ | 5 |
My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust. My skin closes up, and breaks out afresh.
| יָמַי קַלּוּ מִנִּי־אָרֶג וַיִּכְלוּ בְּאֶפֶס תִּקְוָֽה׃ | 6 |
My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.
| זְכֹר כִּי־רוּחַ חַיָּי לֹא־תָשׁוּב עֵינִי לִרְאוֹת טֽוֹב׃ | 7 |
Oh remember that my life is a breath. My eye will no more see good.
| לֹֽא־תְשׁוּרֵנִי עֵין רֹאִי עֵינֶיךָ בִּי וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃ | 8 |
The eye of him who sees me will see me no more. Your eyes will be on me, but I will not be.
| כָּלָה עָנָן וַיֵּלַךְ כֵּן יוֹרֵד שְׁאוֹל לֹא יַעֲלֽ͏ֶה׃ (Sheol h7585) | 9 |
As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol will come up no more. (Sheol h7585)
| לֹא־יָשׁוּב עוֹד לְבֵיתוֹ וְלֹא־יַכִּירֶנּוּ עוֹד מְקֹמֽוֹ׃ | 10 |
He will return no more to his house, neither will his place know him any more.
| גַּם־אֲנִי לֹא אֶחֱשָׂךְ פִּי אֲֽדַבְּרָה בְּצַר רוּחִי אָשִׂיחָה בְּמַר נַפְשִֽׁי׃ | 11 |
“Therefore I will not keep silent. I will speak in the anguish of my spirit. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
| הֲֽיָם־אָנִי אִם־תַּנִּין כִּֽי־תָשִׂים עָלַי מִשְׁמָֽר׃ | 12 |
Am I a sea, or a sea monster, that you put a guard over me?
| כִּֽי־אָמַרְתִּי תְּנַחֲמֵנִי עַרְשִׂי יִשָּׂא בְשִׂיחִי מִשְׁכָּבִֽי׃ | 13 |
When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me. My couch will ease my complaint,’
| וְחִתַּתַּנִי בַחֲלֹמוֹת וּֽמֵחֶזְיֹנוֹת תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃ | 14 |
then you scare me with dreams and terrify me through visions,
| וַתִּבְחַר מַחֲנָק נַפְשִׁי מָוֶת מֵֽעַצְמוֹתָֽי׃ | 15 |
so that my soul chooses strangling, death rather than my bones.
| מָאַסְתִּי לֹא־לְעֹלָם אֶֽחְיֶה חֲדַל מִמֶּנִּי כִּי־הֶבֶל יָמָֽי׃ | 16 |
I loathe my life. I don’t want to live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.
| מָֽה־אֱנוֹשׁ כִּי תְגַדְּלֶנּוּ וְכִי־תָשִׁית אֵלָיו לִבֶּֽךָ׃ | 17 |
What is man, that you should magnify him, that you should set your mind on him,
| וַתִּפְקְדֶנּוּ לִבְקָרִים לִרְגָעִים תִּבְחָנֶֽנּוּ׃ | 18 |
that you should visit him every morning, and test him every moment?
| כַּמָּה לֹא־תִשְׁעֶה מִמֶּנִּי לֹֽא־תַרְפֵּנִי עַד־בִּלְעִי רֻקִּֽי׃ | 19 |
How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone until I swallow down my spittle?
| חָטָאתִי מָה אֶפְעַל ׀ לָךְ נֹצֵר הָאָדָם לָמָה שַׂמְתַּנִי לְמִפְגָּע לָךְ וָאֶהְיֶה עָלַי לְמַשָּֽׂא׃ | 20 |
If I have sinned, what do I do to you, you watcher of men? Why have you set me as a mark for you, so that I am a burden to myself?
| וּמֶה ׀ לֹא־תִשָּׂא פִשְׁעִי וְתַעֲבִיר אֶת־עֲוֺנִי כִּֽי־עַתָּה לֶעָפָר אֶשְׁכָּב וְשִׁחֲרְתַּנִי וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃ | 21 |
Why do you not pardon my disobedience, and take away my iniquity? For now will I lie down in the dust. You will seek me diligently, but I will not be.”
