1 בְּרִית כָּרַתִּי לְעֵינָי וּמָה אֶתְבֹּונֵן עַל־בְּתוּלָה | 1 I had made an agreement with my eyes not to linger on any virgin. |
2 וּמֶה ׀ חֵלֶק אֱלֹוהַּ מִמָּעַל וְנַחֲלַת דַּי מִמְּרֹמִים | 2 Now what portion does God al ot from above, what fate does Shaddai apportion from his heaven- |
3 הֲלֹא־אֵיד לְעַוָּל וְנֵכֶר לְפֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן | 3 if not the disasters appropriate to the wicked and the calamities fit for evil-doers? |
4 הֲלֹא־הוּא יִרְאֶה דְרָכָי וְכָל־צְעָדַי יִסְפֹּור | 4 But surely he sees how I behave, does he not count all my steps? |
5 אִם־הָלַכְתִּי עִם־שָׁוְא וַתַּחַשׁ עַל־מִרְמָה רַגְלִי | 5 Have I been a fel ow-travel er with falsehood, or hastened my steps towards deceit? |
6 יִשְׁקְלֵנִי בְמֹאזְנֵי־צֶדֶק וְיֵדַע אֱלֹוהַּ תֻּמָּתִי | 6 Let him weigh me on accurate scales: then he, God, will recognise my integrity! |
7 אִם תִּטֶּה אַשֻּׁרִי מִנִּי הַדָּרֶךְ וְאַחַר עֵינַי הָלַךְ לִבִּי וּבְכַפַּי דָּבַק מֻאוּם ׃ פ | 7 If my feet have wandered from the rightful path, or if my eyes have led my heart astray, or if my handsare smirched with any stain, |
8 אֶזְרְעָה וְאַחֵר יֹאכֵל וְצֶאֱצָאַי יְשֹׁרָשׁוּ | 8 let someone else eat what I have sown and let my young shoots all be rooted out. |
9 אִם־נִפְתָּה לִבִּי עַל־אִשָּׁה וְעַל־פֶּתַח רֵעִי אָרָבְתִּי | 9 If my heart has been seduced by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbour's door, |
10 תִּטְחַן לְאַחֵר אִשְׁתִּי וְעָלֶיהָ יִכְרְעוּן אֲחֵרִין | 10 let my wife go and grind for someone else, let others have intercourse with her! |
11 כִּי־ [הוּא כ] (הִיא ק) זִמָּה [וְהִיא כ] (וְהוּא ק) עָוֹן פְּלִילִים | 11 For I would have committed a sin of lust, a crime punishable by the law, |
12 כִּי אֵשׁ הִיא עַד־אֲבַדֹּון תֹּאכֵל וּבְכָל־תְּבוּאָתִי תְשָׁרֵשׁ | 12 a fire, indeed, burning al to Perdition, which would have devoured my whole revenue. |
13 אִם־אֶמְאַס מִשְׁפַּט עַבְדִּי וַאֲמָתִי בְּרִבָם עִמָּדִי | 13 If I have ever infringed the rights of slave or slave-girl in legal actions against me- |
14 וּמָה אֶעֱשֶׂה כִּי־יָקוּם אֵל וְכִי־יִפְקֹד מָה אֲשִׁיבֶנּוּ | 14 what shal I do, when God stands up? What shal I say, when he holds his assize? |
15 הֲלֹא־בַבֶּטֶן עֹשֵׂנִי עָשָׂהוּ וַיְכֻנֶנּוּ בָּרֶחֶם אֶחָד | 15 Did he not create them in the womb like me, the same God forming us in the womb? |
16 אִם־אֶמְנַע מֵחֵפֶץ דַּלִּים וְעֵינֵי אַלְמָנָה אֲכַלֶּה | 16 Have I been insensible to the needs of the poor, or let a widow's eyes grow dim? |
17 וְאֹכַל פִּתִּי לְבַדִּי וְלֹא־אָכַל יָתֹום מִמֶּנָּה | 17 Have I eaten my bit of bread on my own without sharing it with the orphan? |
18 כִּי מִנְּעוּרַי גְּדֵלַנִי כְאָב וּמִבֶּטֶן אִמִּי אַנְחֶנָּה | 18 I, whom God has fostered father-like from childhood, and guided since I left my mother's womb, |
19 אִם־אֶרְאֶה אֹובֵד מִבְּלִי לְבוּשׁ וְאֵין כְּסוּת לָאֶבְיֹון | 19 have I ever seen a wretch in need of clothing, or the poor with nothing to wear, |
20 אִם־לֹא בֵרֲכוּנִי [חֲלָצֹו כ] (חֲלָצָיו ק) וּמִגֵּז כְּבָשַׂי יִתְחַמָּם | 20 without his having cause to bless me from his heart, as he felt the warmth of the fleece from mylambs? |
21 אִם־הֲנִיפֹותִי עַל־יָתֹום יָדִי כִּי־אֶרְאֶה בַשַּׁעַר עֶזְרָתִי | 21 Have I raised my hand against an orphan, presuming on my credit at the gate? |
22 כְּתֵפִי מִשִּׁכְמָה תִפֹּול וְאֶזְרֹעִי מִקָּנָה תִשָּׁבֵר | 22 If so, let my shoulder fal from its socket, let my arm break off at the elbow! |
23 כִּי פַחַד אֵלַי אֵיד אֵל וּמִשְּׂאֵתֹו לֹא אוּכָל | 23 For the terror of God would fal on me and I could not then stand my ground before his majesty. |
24 אִם־שַׂמְתִּי זָהָב כִּסְלִי וְלַכֶּתֶם אָמַרְתִּי מִבְטַחִי | 24 Have I put my faith in gold, saying to fine gold, 'Ah, my security'? |
25 אִם־אֶשְׂמַח כִּי־רַב חֵילִי וְכִי־כַבִּיר מָצְאָה יָדִי | 25 Have I ever gloated over my great wealth, or the riches that my hands have won? |
26 אִם־אֶרְאֶה אֹור כִּי יָהֵל וְיָרֵחַ יָקָר הֹלֵךְ | 26 Or has the sight of the sun in its glory, or the glow of the moon as it walked the sky, |
27 וַיִּפְתְּ בַּסֵּתֶר לִבִּי וַתִּשַּׁק יָדִי לְפִי | 27 secretly stolen my heart, so that I blew them a kiss? |
28 גַּם־הוּא עָוֹן פְּלִילִי כִּי־כִחַשְׁתִּי לָאֵל מִמָּעַל | 28 That too would be a criminal offence, to have denied the supreme God. |
29 אִם־אֶשְׂמַח בְּפִיד מְשַׂנְאִי וְהִתְעֹרַרְתִּי כִּי־מְצָאֹו רָע | 29 Have I rejoiced at my enemy's misfortune, or exulted when disaster overtook him? - |
30 וְלֹא־נָתַתִּי לַחֲטֹא חִכִּי לִשְׁאֹל בְּאָלָה נַפְשֹׁו | 30 I, who would not allow my tongue to sin or to lay his life under a curse. |
31 אִם־לֹא אָמְרוּ מְתֵי אָהֳלִי מִי־יִתֵּן מִבְּשָׂרֹו לֹא נִשְׂבָּע | 31 The people of my tent, did they not say, 'Will anyone name a person whom he has not fil ed withmeat?' |
32 בַּחוּץ לֹא־יָלִין גֵּר דְּלָתַי לָאֹרַח אֶפְתָּח | 32 No stranger ever had to sleep outside, my door was always open to the traveller. |
33 אִם־כִּסִּיתִי כְאָדָם פְּשָׁעָי לִטְמֹון בְּחֻבִּי עֲוֹנִי | 33 Have I ever concealed my transgression from others or kept my fault a secret in my breast? |
34 כִּי אֶעֱרֹוץ ׀ הָמֹון רַבָּה וּבוּז־מִשְׁפָּחֹות יְחִתֵּנִי וָאֶדֹּם לֹא־אֵצֵא פָתַח | 34 Have I ever stood in fear of common gossip, or dreaded any family's contempt, and so kept quiet, notventuring out of doors? |
35 מִי יִתֶּן־לִי ׀ שֹׁמֵעַ לִי הֶן־תָּוִי שַׁדַּי יַעֲנֵנִי וְסֵפֶר כָּתַב אִישׁ רִיבִי | 35 Will no one give me a hearing? I have said my last word; now let Shaddai reply! When my adversaryhas drafted his writ against me |
36 אִם־לֹא עַלשִׁ־כְמִי אֶשָּׂאֶנּוּ אֶעֶנְדֶנּוּ עֲטָרֹות לִי | 36 I shall wear it on my shoulder, and bind it round my head like a royal turban. |
37 מִסְפַּר צְעָדַי אַגִּידֶנּוּ כְּמֹו־נָגִיד אֲקָרֲבֶנּוּ | 37 I shall give him an account of my every step and go as boldly as a prince to meet him.End of thewords of Job. |
38 אִם־עָלַי אַדְמָתִי תִזְעָק וְיַחַד תְּלָמֶיהָ יִבְכָּיוּן | 38 If my land cries for vengeance against me and its furrows weep in concert, |
39 אִם־כֹּחָהּ אָכַלְתִּי בְלִי־כָסֶף וְנֶפֶשׁ בְּעָלֶיהָ הִפָּחְתִּי | 39 if I have eaten its produce without paying, and caused the death of its owners, |
40 תַּחַת חִטָּה ׀ יֵצֵא חֹוחַ וְתַחַת־שְׂעֹרָה בָאְשָׁה תַּמּוּ דִּבְרֵי אִיֹּוב׃ פ | 40 let brambles grow instead of wheat, rank weeds instead of barley! |