1 וַיַּעַן אִיֹּוב וַיֹּאמַר | 1 Then Job answered and said: |
2 שָׁמַעְתִּי כְאֵלֶּה רַבֹּות מְנַחֲמֵי עָמָל כֻּלְּכֶם | 2 I have heard this sort of thing many times. Wearisome comforters are you all! |
3 הֲקֵץ לְדִבְרֵי־רוּחַ אֹו מַה־יַּמְרִיצְךָ כִּי תַעֲנֶה | 3 Is there no end to windy words? Or what sickness have you that you speak on? |
4 גַּם ׀ אָנֹכִי כָּכֶם אֲדַבֵּרָה לוּ־יֵשׁ נַפְשְׁכֶם תַּחַת נַפְשִׁי אַחְבִּירָה עֲלֵיכֶם בְּמִלִּים וְאָנִיעָה עֲלֵיכֶם בְּמֹו רֹאשִׁי | 4 I also could talk as you do, were you in my place. I could declaim over you, or wag my head at you; |
5 אֲאַמִּצְכֶם בְּמֹו־פִי וְנִיד שְׂפָתַי יַחְשֹׂךְ | 5 I could strengthen you with talk, or shake my head with silent lips. |
6 אִם־אֲדַבְּרָה לֹא־יֵחָשֵׂךְ כְּאֵבִי וְאַחְדְּלָה מַה־מִנִּי יַהֲלֹךְ | 6 If I speak, this pain I have will not be checked; if I leave off, it will not depart from me. |
7 אַךְ־עַתָּה הֶלְאָנִי הֲשִׁמֹּותָ כָּל־עֲדָתִי | 7 But now that I am exhausted and stunned, all my company has closed in on me. |
8 וַתִּקְמְטֵנִי לְעֵד הָיָה וַיָּקָם בִּי כַחֲשִׁי בְּפָנַי יַעֲנֶה | 8 As a witness there rises up my traducer, speaking openly against me; |
9 אַפֹּו טָרַף ׀ וַיִּשְׂטְמֵנִי חָרַק עָלַי בְּשִׁנָּיו צָרִי ׀ יִלְטֹושׁ עֵינָיו לִי | 9 I am the prey his wrath assails, he gnashes his teeth against me. My enemies lord it over me; |
10 פָּעֲרוּ עָלַי ׀ בְּפִיהֶם בְּחֶרְפָּה הִכּוּ לְחָיָי יַחַד עָלַי יִתְמַלָּאוּן | 10 their mouths are agape to bite me. They smite me on the cheek insultingly; they are all enlisted against me. |
11 יַסְגִּירֵנִי אֵל אֶל עֲוִיל וְעַל־יְדֵי רְשָׁעִים יִרְטֵנִי | 11 God has given me over to the impious; into the clutches of the wicked he has cast me. |
12 שָׁלֵו הָיִיתִי ׀ וַיְפַרְפְּרֵנִי וְאָחַז בְּעָרְפִּי וַיְפַצְפְּצֵנִי וַיְקִימֵנִי לֹו לְמַטָּרָה | 12 I was in peace, but he dislodged me; he seized me by the neck and dashed me to pieces. He has set me up for a target; |
13 יָסֹבּוּ עָלַי ׀ רַבָּיו יְפַלַּח כִּלְיֹותַי וְלֹא יַחְמֹול יִשְׁפֹּךְ לָאָרֶץ מְרֵרָתִי | 13 his arrows strike me from all directions, He pierces my sides without mercy, he pours out my gall upon the ground. |
14 יִפְרְצֵנִי פֶרֶץ עַל־פְּנֵי־פָרֶץ יָרֻץ עָלַי כְּגִבֹּור | 14 He pierces me with thrust upon thrust; he attacks me like a warrior. |
15 שַׂק תָּפַרְתִּי עֲלֵי גִלְדִּי וְעֹלַלְתִּי בֶעָפָר קַרְנִי | 15 I have fastened sackcloth over my skin, and have laid my brow in the dust. |
16 פָּנַי [חֳמַרְמְרָה כ] (חֳמַרְמְרוּ ק) מִנִּי־בֶכִי וְעַל עַפְעַפַּי צַלְמָוֶת | 16 My face is inflamed with weeping and there is darkness over my eyes, |
17 עַל לֹא־חָמָס בְּכַפָּי וּתְפִלָּתִי זַכָּה | 17 Although my hands are free from violence, and my prayer is sincere. |
18 אֶרֶץ אַל־תְּכַסִּי דָמִי וְאַל־יְהִי מָקֹום לְזַעֲקָתִי | 18 O earth, cover not my blood, nor let my outcry come to rest! |
19 גַּם־עַתָּה הִנֵּה־בַשָּׁמַיִם עֵדִי וְשָׂהֲדִי בַּמְּרֹומִים | 19 Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my spokesman is on high. |
20 מְלִיצַי רֵעָי אֶל־אֱלֹוהַ דָּלְפָה עֵינִי | 20 My friends it is who wrong me; before God my eyes drop tears, |
21 וְיֹוכַח לְגֶבֶר עִם־אֱלֹוהַּ וּבֶן־אָדָם לְרֵעֵהוּ | 21 That he may do justice for a mortal in his presence and decide between a man and his neighbor. |
22 כִּי־שְׁנֹות מִסְפָּר יֶאֱתָיוּ וְאֹרַח לֹא־אָשׁוּב אֶהֱלֹךְ | 22 For my years are numbered now, and I am on a journey from which I shall not return. |