1 וְאוּלָם שְׁמַע־נָא אִיֹּוב מִלָּי וְכָל־דְּבָרַי הַאֲזִינָה | 1 Therefore, O Job, hear my discourse, and hearken to all my words. |
2 הִנֵּה־נָא פָּתַחְתִּי פִי דִּבְּרָה לְשֹׁונִי בְחִכִּי | 2 Behold, now I open my mouth; my tongue and my voice form words. |
3 יֹשֶׁר־לִבִּי אֲמָרָי וְדַעַת פָתַי בָּרוּר מִלֵּלוּ | 3 I will state directly what is in my mind, my lips shall utter knowledge sincerely; |
4 רוּחַ־אֵל עָשָׂתְנִי וְנִשְׁמַת שַׁדַּי תְּחַיֵּנִי | 4 For the spirit of God has made me, the breath of the Almighty keeps me alive. |
5 אִם־תּוּכַל הֲשִׁיבֵנִי עֶרְכָה לְפָנַי הִתְיַצָּבָה | 5 If you are able, refute me; draw up your arguments and stand forth. |
6 הֵן־אֲנִי כְפִיךָ לָאֵל מֵחֹמֶר קֹרַצְתִּי גַם־אָנִי | 6 Behold I, like yourself, have been taken from the same clay by God. |
7 הִנֵּה אֵמָתִי לֹא תְבַעֲתֶךָּ וְאַכְפִּי עָלֶיךָ לֹא־יִכְבָּד | 7 Therefore no fear of me should dismay you, nor should my presence weigh heavily upon you. |
8 אַךְ אָמַרְתָּ בְאָזְנָי וְקֹול מִלִּין אֶשְׁמָע | 8 But you have said in my hearing, as I listened to the sound of your words: |
9 זַךְ אֲנִי בְּלִי פָשַׁע חַף אָנֹכִי וְלֹא עָוֹן לִי | 9 "I am clean and without transgression; I am innocent; there is no guilt in me. |
10 הֵן תְּנוּאֹות עָלַי יִמְצָא יַחְשְׁבֵנִי לְאֹויֵב לֹו | 10 Yet he invents pretexts against me and reckons me as his enemy. |
11 יָשֵׂם בַּסַּד רַגְלָי יִשְׁמֹר כָּל־אָרְחֹתָי | 11 He puts my feet in the stocks; he watches all my ways!" |
12 הֶן־זֹאת לֹא־צָדַקְתָּ אֶעֱנֶךָּ כִּי־יִרְבֶּה אֱלֹוהַ מֵאֱנֹושׁ | 12 In this you are not just, let me tell you; for God is greater than man. |
13 מַדּוּעַ אֵלָיו רִיבֹותָ כִּי כָל־דְּבָרָיו לֹא־יַעֲנֶה | 13 Why, then, do you make complaint against him that he gives no account of his doings? |
14 כִּי־בְאַחַת יְדַבֶּר־אֵל וּבִשְׁתַּיִם לֹא יְשׁוּרֶנָּה | 14 For God does speak, perhaps once, or even twice, though one perceive it not. |
15 בַּחֲלֹום ׀ חֶזְיֹון לַיְלָה בִּנְפֹל תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל־אֲנָשִׁים בִּתְנוּמֹות עֲלֵי מִשְׁכָּב | 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, (when deep sleep falls upon men) as they slumber in their beds, |
16 אָז יִגְלֶה אֹזֶן אֲנָשִׁים וּבְמֹסָרָם יַחְתֹּם | 16 It is then he opens the ears of men and as a warning to them, terrifies them; |
17 לְהָסִיר אָדָם מַעֲשֶׂה וְגֵוָה מִגֶּבֶר יְכַסֶּה | 17 By turning man from evil and keeping pride away from him, |
18 יַחְשֹׂךְ נַפְשֹׁו מִנִּי־שָׁחַת וְחַיָּתֹו מֵעֲבֹר בַּשָּׁלַח | 18 He withholds his soul from the pit and his life from passing to the grave. |
19 וְהוּכַח בְּמַכְאֹוב עַל־מִשְׁכָּבֹו [וְרִיב כ] (וְרֹוב ק) עֲצָמָיו אֵתָן | 19 Or a man is chastened on his bed by pain and unceasing suffering within his frame, |
20 וְזִהֲמַתּוּ חַיָּתֹו לָחֶם וְנַפְשֹׁו מַאֲכַל תַּאֲוָה | 20 So that to his appetite food becomes repulsive, and his senses reject the choicest nourishment. |
21 יִכֶל בְּשָׂרֹו מֵרֹאִי [וּשְׁפִי כ] (וְשֻׁפּוּ ק) עַצְמֹותָיו לֹא רֻאּוּ | 21 His flesh is wasted so that it cannot be seen, and his bones, once invisible, appear; |
22 וַתִּקְרַב לַשַּׁחַת נַפְשֹׁו וְחַיָּתֹו לַמְמִתִים | 22 His soul draws near to the pit, his life to the place of the dead. |
23 אִם־יֵשׁ עָלָיו ׀ מַלְאָךְ מֵלִיץ אֶחָד מִנִּי־אָלֶף לְהַגִּיד לְאָדָם יָשְׁרֹו | 23 If then there be for him an angel, one out of a thousand, a mediator, To show him what is right for him and bring the man back to justice, |
24 וַיְחֻנֶּנּוּ וַיֹּאמֶר פְּדָעֵהוּ מֵרֶדֶת שָׁחַת מָצָאתִי כֹפֶר | 24 He will take pity on him and say, "Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found him a ransom." |
25 רֻטֲפַשׁ בְּשָׂרֹו מִנֹּעַר יָשׁוּב לִימֵי עֲלוּמָיו | 25 Then his flesh shall become soft as a boy's; he shall be again as in the days of his youth. |
26 יֶעְתַּר אֶל־אֱלֹוהַּ ׀ וַיִּרְצֵהוּ וַיַּרְא פָּנָיו בִּתְרוּעָה וַיָּשֶׁב לֶאֱנֹושׁ צִדְקָתֹו | 26 He shall pray and God will favor him; he shall see God's face with rejoicing. |
27 יָשֹׁר ׀ עַל־אֲנָשִׁים וַיֹּאמֶר חָטָאתִי וְיָשָׁר הֶעֱוֵיתִי וְלֹא־שָׁוָה לִי | 27 He shall sing before men and say, "I sinned and did wrong, yet he has not punished me accordingly. |
28 פָּדָה [נַפְשִׁי כ] (נַפְשֹׁו ק) מֵעֲבֹר בַּשָּׁחַת [וְחַיָּתִי כ] (וְחַיָּתֹו ק) בָּאֹור תִּרְאֶה | 28 He delivered my soul from passing to the pit, and I behold the light of life." |
29 הֶן־כָּל־אֵלֶּה יִפְעַל־אֵל פַּעֲמַיִם שָׁלֹושׁ עִם־גָּבֶר | 29 Lo, all these things God does, twice, or thrice, for a man, |
30 לְהָשִׁיב נַפְשֹׁו מִנִּי־שָׁחַת לֵאֹור בְּאֹור הַחַיִּים | 30 Bringing back his soul from the pit to the light, in the land of the living. |
31 הַקְשֵׁב אִיֹּוב שְׁמַע־לִי הַחֲרֵשׁ וְאָנֹכִי אֲדַבֵּר | 31 Be attentive, O Job; listen to me! Be silent and I will speak. |
32 אִם־יֵשׁ־מִלִּין הֲשִׁיבֵנִי דַּבֵּר כִּי־חָפַצְתִּי צַדְּקֶךָּ | 32 If you have aught to say, then answer me. Speak out! I should like to see you justified. |
33 אִם־אַיִן אַתָּה שְׁמַע־לִי הַחֲרֵשׁ וַאֲאַלֶּפְךָ חָכְמָה׃ ס | 33 If not, then do you listen to me; be silent while I teach you wisdom. |