איוב 23

1 ויען איוב ויאמר׃

Then Job answered and said:

2 גם היום מרי שחי ידי כבדה על אנחתי׃

Still is my complaint bitter; But my wound is deeper than my groaning.

3 מי יתן ידעתי ואמצאהו אבוא עד תכונתו׃

O that I knew where I might find him! That I might go before his throne!

4 אערכה לפניו משפט ופי אמלא תוכחות׃

I would order my cause before him, And fill my mouth with arguments;

5 אדעה מלים יענני ואבינה מה יאמר לי׃

I should know what he would answer me, And understand what he would say to me.

6 הברב כח יריב עמדי לא אך הוא ישם בי׃

Would he contend with me with his mighty power? No! he would have regard to me.

7 שם ישר נוכח עמו ואפלטה לנצח משפטי׃

Then would an upright man contend with him, And I should be fully acquitted by my judge.

8 הן קדם אהלך ואיננו ואחור ולא אבין לו׃

But, behold, I go eastward, and he is not there; And westward, but I cannot perceive him;

9 שמאול בעשתו ולא אחז יעטף ימין ולא אראה׃

To the north, where he worketh, but I cannot behold him; He hideth himself on the south, and I cannot see him.

10 כי ידע דרך עמדי בחנני כזהב אצא׃

But he knoweth the way which is in my heart; When he trieth me, I shall come forth as gold.

11 באשרו אחזה רגלי דרכו שמרתי ולא אט׃

My feet have trodden in his steps; His way I have kept, and have not turned aside from it.

12 מצות שפתיו ולא אמיש מחקי צפנתי אמרי פיו׃

I have not neglected the precepts of his lips; Above my own law have I esteemed the words of his mouth.

13 והוא באחד ומי ישיבנו ונפשו אותה ויעש׃

But he is of one mind, and who can turn him? And what he desireth, that he doeth.

14 כי ישלים חקי וכהנה רבות עמו׃

He performeth that which is appointed for me; And many such things are in his mind!

15 על כן מפניו אבהל אתבונן ואפחד ממנו׃

Therefore I am in terror on account of him; When I consider, I am afraid of him.

16 ואל הרך לבי ושדי הבהילני׃

For God maketh my heart faint; Yea, the Almighty terrifieth me;

17 כי לא נצמתי מפני חשך ומפני כסה אפל׃

Because I was not taken away before darkness came, And he hath not hidden darkness from mine eyes.