1 בְּרִית כָּרַתִּי לְעֵינָי וּמָה אֶתְבֹּונֵן עַל־בְּתוּלָה | 1 I reached an agreement with my eyes, that I would not so much as think about a virgin. |
2 וּמֶה ׀ חֵלֶק אֱלֹוהַּ מִמָּעַל וְנַחֲלַת דַּי מִמְּרֹמִים | 2 For what portion should God from above hold for me, and what inheritance should the Almighty from on high keep? |
3 הֲלֹא־אֵיד לְעַוָּל וְנֵכֶר לְפֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן | 3 Is not destruction held for the wicked and repudiation kept for those who work injustice? |
4 הֲלֹא־הוּא יִרְאֶה דְרָכָי וְכָל־צְעָדַי יִסְפֹּור | 4 Does he not examine my ways and number all my steps? |
5 אִם־הָלַכְתִּי עִם־שָׁוְא וַתַּחַשׁ עַל־מִרְמָה רַגְלִי | 5 If I have walked in vanity, or if my foot has hurried towards deceitfulness, |
6 יִשְׁקְלֵנִי בְמֹאזְנֵי־צֶדֶק וְיֵדַע אֱלֹוהַּ תֻּמָּתִי | 6 let him weigh me in a just balance, and let God know my simplicity. |
7 אִם תִּטֶּה אַשֻּׁרִי מִנִּי הַדָּרֶךְ וְאַחַר עֵינַי הָלַךְ לִבִּי וּבְכַפַּי דָּבַק מֻאוּם ׃ פ | 7 If my steps have turned aside from the way, or if my heart has followed my eyes, or if a blemish has clung to my hands, |
8 אֶזְרְעָה וְאַחֵר יֹאכֵל וְצֶאֱצָאַי יְשֹׁרָשׁוּ | 8 then may I sow, and let another consume, and let my offspring be eradicated. |
9 אִם־נִפְתָּה לִבִּי עַל־אִשָּׁה וְעַל־פֶּתַח רֵעִי אָרָבְתִּי | 9 If my heart has been deceived over a woman, or if I have waited in ambush at my friend’s door, |
10 תִּטְחַן לְאַחֵר אִשְׁתִּי וְעָלֶיהָ יִכְרְעוּן אֲחֵרִין | 10 then let my wife be the harlot of another, and let other men lean over her. |
11 כִּי־ [הוּא כ] (הִיא ק) זִמָּה [וְהִיא כ] (וְהוּא ק) עָוֹן פְּלִילִים | 11 For this is a crime and a very great injustice. |
12 כִּי אֵשׁ הִיא עַד־אֲבַדֹּון תֹּאכֵל וּבְכָל־תְּבוּאָתִי תְשָׁרֵשׁ | 12 It is a fire devouring all the way to perdition, and it roots out all that springs forth. |
13 אִם־אֶמְאַס מִשְׁפַּט עַבְדִּי וַאֲמָתִי בְּרִבָם עִמָּדִי | 13 If I have despised being subject to judgment with my servant or my maid, when they had any complaint against me, |
14 וּמָה אֶעֱשֶׂה כִּי־יָקוּם אֵל וְכִי־יִפְקֹד מָה אֲשִׁיבֶנּוּ | 14 then what will I do when God rises to judge, and, when he inquires, how will I respond to him? |
15 הֲלֹא־בַבֶּטֶן עֹשֵׂנִי עָשָׂהוּ וַיְכֻנֶנּוּ בָּרֶחֶם אֶחָד | 15 Is not he who created me in the womb, also he who labored to make him? And did not one and the same form me in the womb? |
16 אִם־אֶמְנַע מֵחֵפֶץ דַּלִּים וְעֵינֵי אַלְמָנָה אֲכַלֶּה | 16 If I have denied the poor what they wanted and have made the eyes of the widow wait; |
17 וְאֹכַל פִּתִּי לְבַדִּי וְלֹא־אָכַל יָתֹום מִמֶּנָּה | 17 if I have eaten my morsel of food alone, while orphans have not eaten from it; |
18 כִּי מִנְּעוּרַי גְּדֵלַנִי כְאָב וּמִבֶּטֶן אִמִּי אַנְחֶנָּה | 18 (for from my infancy mercy grew with me, and it came out with me from my mother’s womb;) |
19 אִם־אֶרְאֶה אֹובֵד מִבְּלִי לְבוּשׁ וְאֵין כְּסוּת לָאֶבְיֹון | 19 if I have looked down on him who was perishing because he had no clothing and the poor without any covering, |
20 אִם־לֹא בֵרֲכוּנִי [חֲלָצֹו כ] (חֲלָצָיו ק) וּמִגֵּז כְּבָשַׂי יִתְחַמָּם | 20 if his sides have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep; |
21 אִם־הֲנִיפֹותִי עַל־יָתֹום יָדִי כִּי־אֶרְאֶה בַשַּׁעַר עֶזְרָתִי | 21 if I have lifted up my hand over an orphan, even when it might seem to me that I the advantage over him at the gate; |
22 כְּתֵפִי מִשִּׁכְמָה תִפֹּול וְאֶזְרֹעִי מִקָּנָה תִשָּׁבֵר | 22 then may my shoulder fall from its joint, and may my arm, with all its bones, be broken. |
23 כִּי פַחַד אֵלַי אֵיד אֵל וּמִשְּׂאֵתֹו לֹא אוּכָל | 23 For I have always feared God, like waves flowing over me, whose weight I was unable to bear. |
24 אִם־שַׂמְתִּי זָהָב כִּסְלִי וְלַכֶּתֶם אָמַרְתִּי מִבְטַחִי | 24 If I have considered gold to be my strength, or if I have called purified gold ‘my Trust;’ |
25 אִם־אֶשְׂמַח כִּי־רַב חֵילִי וְכִי־כַבִּיר מָצְאָה יָדִי | 25 if I have rejoiced over my great success, and over the many things my hand has obtained; |
26 אִם־אֶרְאֶה אֹור כִּי יָהֵל וְיָרֵחַ יָקָר הֹלֵךְ | 26 if I gazed upon the sun when it shined and the moon advancing brightly, |
27 וַיִּפְתְּ בַּסֵּתֶר לִבִּי וַתִּשַּׁק יָדִי לְפִי | 27 so that my heart rejoiced in secret and I kissed my hand with my mouth, |
28 גַּם־הוּא עָוֹן פְּלִילִי כִּי־כִחַשְׁתִּי לָאֵל מִמָּעַל | 28 which is a very great iniquity and a denial against the most high God; |
29 אִם־אֶשְׂמַח בְּפִיד מְשַׂנְאִי וְהִתְעֹרַרְתִּי כִּי־מְצָאֹו רָע | 29 if I have been glad at the ruin of him who hated me and have exulted that evil found him, |
30 וְלֹא־נָתַתִּי לַחֲטֹא חִכִּי לִשְׁאֹל בְּאָלָה נַפְשֹׁו | 30 for I have not been given my throat to sin by asking for a curse on his soul; |
31 אִם־לֹא אָמְרוּ מְתֵי אָהֳלִי מִי־יִתֵּן מִבְּשָׂרֹו לֹא נִשְׂבָּע | 31 if the men around my tabernacle have not said: “He might give us some of his food, so that we will be filled,” |
32 בַּחוּץ לֹא־יָלִין גֵּר דְּלָתַי לָאֹרַח אֶפְתָּח | 32 for the foreigner did not remain at the door, my door was open to the traveler; |
33 אִם־כִּסִּיתִי כְאָדָם פְּשָׁעָי לִטְמֹון בְּחֻבִּי עֲוֹנִי | 33 if, as man does, I have hidden my sin and have concealed my iniquity in my bosom; |
34 כִּי אֶעֱרֹוץ ׀ הָמֹון רַבָּה וּבוּז־מִשְׁפָּחֹות יְחִתֵּנִי וָאֶדֹּם לֹא־אֵצֵא פָתַח | 34 if I became frightened by an excessive crowd, and the disrespect of close relatives alarmed me, so that I would much rather have remained silent or have gone out the door; |
35 מִי יִתֶּן־לִי ׀ שֹׁמֵעַ לִי הֶן־תָּוִי שַׁדַּי יַעֲנֵנִי וְסֵפֶר כָּתַב אִישׁ רִיבִי | 35 then, would he grant me a hearing, so that the Almighty would listen to my desire, and he who judges would himself write a book, |
36 אִם־לֹא עַלשִׁ־כְמִי אֶשָּׂאֶנּוּ אֶעֶנְדֶנּוּ עֲטָרֹות לִי | 36 which I would then carry on my shoulder and wrap around me like a crown? |
37 מִסְפַּר צְעָדַי אַגִּידֶנּוּ כְּמֹו־נָגִיד אֲקָרֲבֶנּוּ | 37 With each of my steps, I would pronounce and offer it, as if to a prince. |
38 אִם־עָלַי אַדְמָתִי תִזְעָק וְיַחַד תְּלָמֶיהָ יִבְכָּיוּן | 38 So, if my land cries out against me, and if its furrows weep with it, |
39 אִם־כֹּחָהּ אָכַלְתִּי בְלִי־כָסֶף וְנֶפֶשׁ בְּעָלֶיהָ הִפָּחְתִּי | 39 if I have used its fruits for nothing but money and have afflicted the souls of its tillers, |
40 תַּחַת חִטָּה ׀ יֵצֵא חֹוחַ וְתַחַת־שְׂעֹרָה בָאְשָׁה תַּמּוּ דִּבְרֵי אִיֹּוב׃ פ | 40 then, may thistles spring forth for me instead of grain, and thorns instead of barley. (This ended the words of Job.) |