Shir ha-Shirim (שיר השירים ) - Cantico dei Cantici 31

STUTTGARTENSIA-DELITZSCH	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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.)