אִיּוֹב 30

1 וְעַתָּ֤ה ׀ שָֽׂחֲק֣וּ עָלַי֮ צְעִירִ֥ים מִמֶּ֗נִּי לְיָ֫מִ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־מָאַ֥סְתִּי אֲבוֹתָ֑ם לָ֝שִׁ֗ית עִם־כַּלְבֵ֥י צֹאנִֽי׃

But, now, they who are of fewer days than I, have poured derision upon me; whose fathers I refused—to set with the dogs of my flock.

2 גַּם־כֹּ֣חַ יְ֭דֵיהֶם לָ֣מָּה לִּ֑י עָ֝לֵ֗ימוֹ אָ֣בַד כָּֽלַח׃

Even the strength of their hands, wherefore was it mine? Upon them, vigour was lost;

3 בְּחֶ֥סֶר וּבְכָפָ֗ן גַּ֫לְמ֥וּד הַֽעֹרְקִ֥ים צִיָּ֑ה אֶ֝֗מֶשׁ שׁוֹאָ֥ה וּמְשֹׁאָֽה׃

In want and hunger, they were lean, —who used to gnaw the dry ground, a dark night of desolation!

4 הַקֹּטְפִ֣ים מַלּ֣וּחַ עֲלֵי־שִׂ֑יחַ וְשֹׁ֖רֶשׁ רְתָמִ֣ים לַחְמָֽם׃

Who used to pluck off the mallow by the bushes, with the root of the broom for their food;

5 מִן־גֵּ֥ו יְגֹרָ֑שׁוּ יָרִ֥יעוּ עָ֝לֵ֗ימוֹ כַּגַּנָּֽב׃

Out of the midst, were they driven, men shouted after them, as after a thief;

6 בַּעֲר֣וּץ נְחָלִ֣ים לִשְׁכֹּ֑ן חֹרֵ֖י עָפָ֣ר וְכֵפִֽים׃

In the fissures, of the ravines had they to dwell, in holes of dust and crags;

7 בֵּין־שִׂיחִ֥ים יִנְהָ֑קוּ תַּ֖חַת חָר֣וּל יְסֻפָּֽחוּ׃

Among the bushes, used they to shriek, Under the bramble, were they huddled together:

8 בְּֽנֵי־נָ֭בָל גַּם־בְּנֵ֣י בְלִי־שֵׁ֑ם נִ֝כְּא֗וּ מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Sons of the base, yea sons of the nameless, they were scourged out of the land.

9 וְ֭עַתָּה נְגִינָתָ֣ם הָיִ֑יתִי וָאֱהִ֖י לָהֶ֣ם לְמִלָּֽה׃

But, now, their song, have I become, Yea I serve them for a byword;

10 תִּֽ֭עֲבוּנִי רָ֣חֲקוּ מֶ֑נִּי וּ֝מִפָּנַ֗י לֹא־חָ֥שְׂכוּ רֹֽק׃

They abhor me—have put themselves far from me, and, from my face, have not withheld—spittle!

11 כִּֽי־יתרו פִ֭תַּח וַיְעַנֵּ֑נִי וְ֝רֶ֗סֶן מִפָּנַ֥י שִׁלֵּֽחוּ׃

Because, my girdle, he had loosened and had humbled me, therefore, the bridle—in my presence, cast they off;

12 עַל־יָמִין֮ פִּרְחַ֪ח יָ֫ק֥וּמוּ רַגְלַ֥י שִׁלֵּ֑חוּ וַיָּסֹ֥לּוּ עָ֝לַ֗י אָרְח֥וֹת אֵידָֽם׃

On my right hand, the young brood rose up, —My feet, they thrust aside, and cast up against me their earthworks of destruction;

13 נָתְס֗וּ נְֽתִיבָ֫תִ֥י לְהַוָּתִ֥י יֹעִ֑ילוּ לֹ֖א עֹזֵ֣ר לָֽמוֹ׃

They brake up my path, —My engulfing ruin, they helped forward, unaided;

14 כְּפֶ֣רֶץ רָחָ֣ב יֶאֱתָ֑יוּ תַּ֥חַת שֹׁ֝אָ֗ה הִתְגַּלְגָּֽלוּ׃

As through a wide breach, came they on, with a crashing noise, they rolled themselves along.

15 הָהְפַּ֥ךְ עָלַ֗י בַּלָּ֫ה֥וֹת תִּרְדֹּ֣ף כָּ֭רוּחַ נְדִבָתִ֑י וּ֝כְעָ֗ב עָבְרָ֥ה יְשֻׁעָתִֽי׃

There are turned upon me terrors, —Chased away as with a wind, is mine abundance, and, as a cloud, hath passed away my prosperity.

16 וְעַתָּ֗ה עָ֭לַי תִּשְׁתַּפֵּ֣ךְ נַפְשִׁ֑י יֹ֭אחֲז֣וּנִי יְמֵי־עֹֽנִי׃

Now, therefore, over myself, my soul poureth itself out, There seize me days of affliction:

17 לַ֗יְלָה עֲ֭צָמַי נִקַּ֣ר מֵעָלָ֑י וְ֝עֹרְקַ֗י לֹ֣א יִשְׁכָּבֽוּן׃

Night, boreth, my bones, all over me, —and, my sinews, find no rest;

18 בְּרָב־כֹּ֭חַ יִתְחַפֵּ֣שׂ לְבוּשִׁ֑י כְּפִ֖י כֻתָּנְתִּ֣י יַֽאַזְרֵֽנִי׃

Most effectually, is my skin disfigured, —Like the collar of my tunic, it girdeth me about:

19 הֹרָ֥נִי לַחֹ֑מֶר וָ֝אֶתְמַשֵּׁ֗ל כֶּעָפָ֥ר וָאֵֽפֶר׃

He hath cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes.

20 אֲשַׁוַּ֣ע אֵ֭לֶיךָ וְלֹ֣א תַעֲנֵ֑נִי עָ֝מַ֗דְתִּי וַתִּתְבֹּ֥נֶן בִּֽי׃

I cry out for help unto thee, and thou dost not answer, I stand still, and thou dost gaze at me;

21 תֵּהָפֵ֣ךְ לְאַכְזָ֣ר לִ֑י בְּעֹ֖צֶם יָדְךָ֣ תִשְׂטְמֵֽנִי׃

Thou art turned to become a cruel one unto me, With the might of thy hand, thou assailest me;

22 תִּשָּׂאֵ֣נִי אֶל־ר֭וּחַ תַּרְכִּיבֵ֑נִי וּ֝תְמֹגְגֵ֗נִי תשוה׃

Thou liftest up me to the wind, thou carriest me away, and the storm maketh me faint;

23 כִּֽי־יָ֭דַעְתִּי מָ֣וֶת תְּשִׁיבֵ֑נִי וּבֵ֖ית מוֹעֵ֣ד לְכָל־חָֽי׃

For I know that, unto death, thou wilt bring me back, even unto the house of meeting for every one living.

24 אַ֣ךְ לֹא־בְ֭עִי יִשְׁלַח־יָ֑ד אִם־בְּ֝פִיד֗וֹ לָהֶ֥ן שֽׁוּעַ׃

Only, against a heap of ruins, will one not thrust a hand! Surely, when one is in calamity—for that very reason, is there an outcry for help.

25 אִם־לֹ֣א בָ֭כִיתִי לִקְשֵׁה־י֑וֹם עָֽגְמָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י לָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃

Verily I wept, for him whose lot was hard, Grieved was my soul, for the needy.

26 כִּ֤י ט֣וֹב קִ֭וִּיתִי וַיָּ֣בֹא רָ֑ע וַֽאֲיַחֲלָ֥ה לְ֝א֗וֹר וַיָּ֥בֹא אֹֽפֶל׃

Surely, for good, I looked, but there came in evil, And I waited for light, but there came in darkness;

27 מֵעַ֖י רֻתְּח֥וּ וְלֹא־דָ֗מּוּ קִדְּמֻ֥נִי יְמֵי־עֹֽנִי׃

I boiled within me, and rested not, There confronted me—days of affliction;

28 קֹדֵ֣ר הִ֭לַּכְתִּי בְּלֹ֣א חַמָּ֑ה קַ֖מְתִּי בַקָּהָ֣ל אֲשַׁוֵּֽעַ׃

In gloom, I walked along, without sun, I arose—in the convocation, I cried out for help;

29 אָ֭ח הָיִ֣יתִי לְתַנִּ֑ים וְ֝רֵ֗עַ לִבְנ֥וֹת יַעֲנָֽה׃

A brother, became I to the brutes that howl, and a companion to the birds that screech:

30 ע֭וֹרִי שָׁחַ֣ר מֵעָלָ֑י וְעַצְמִי־חָ֝֗רָה מִנִּי־חֹֽרֶב׃

My skin, turned black, and peeled off me, and, my bones, burned with heat:

31 וַיְהִ֣י לְ֭אֵבֶל כִּנֹּרִ֑י וְ֝עֻגָבִ֗י לְק֣וֹל בֹּכִֽים׃

Thus is attuned to mourning—my lyre, and my flute, to the noise of them who weep.