1 וְאוּלָם שְׁמַע־נָא אִיֹּוב מִלָּי וְכָל־דְּבָרַי הַאֲזִינָה | 1 So, Job, please listen to my words and attend to al I have to say. |
2 הִנֵּה־נָא פָּתַחְתִּי פִי דִּבְּרָה לְשֹׁונִי בְחִכִּי | 2 Now as I open my mouth, and my tongue shapes words against my palate, |
3 יֹשֶׁר־לִבִּי אֲמָרָי וְדַעַת פָתַי בָּרוּר מִלֵּלוּ | 3 I shal utter words of wisdom from the heart, my lips will speak in all sincerity. |
4 רוּחַ־אֵל עָשָׂתְנִי וְנִשְׁמַת שַׁדַּי תְּחַיֵּנִי | 4 God's was the spirit that made me, Shaddai's the breath that gave me life. |
5 אִם־תּוּכַל הֲשִׁיבֵנִי עֶרְכָה לְפָנַי הִתְיַצָּבָה | 5 Refute me, if you can. Prepare yourself, take up your position! |
6 הֵן־אֲנִי כְפִיךָ לָאֵל מֵחֹמֶר קֹרַצְתִּי גַם־אָנִי | 6 Look, I am your equal, not some god, like you I was moulded out of clay. |
7 הִנֵּה אֵמָתִי לֹא תְבַעֲתֶךָּ וְאַכְפִּי עָלֶיךָ לֹא־יִכְבָּד | 7 No fear of me, therefore, need affright you, my hand wil not lie heavy over you. |
8 אַךְ אָמַרְתָּ בְאָזְנָי וְקֹול מִלִּין אֶשְׁמָע | 8 How could you say in my hearing -- for the sound of your words did not escape me- |
9 זַךְ אֲנִי בְּלִי פָשַׁע חַף אָנֹכִי וְלֹא עָוֹן לִי | 9 'I am clean, and sinless, I am pure, without fault. |
10 הֵן תְּנוּאֹות עָלַי יִמְצָא יַחְשְׁבֵנִי לְאֹויֵב לֹו | 10 But he keeps inventing excuses against me and regards me as his enemy. |
11 יָשֵׂם בַּסַּד רַגְלָי יִשְׁמֹר כָּל־אָרְחֹתָי | 11 He puts me in the stocks, he watches my every path'? |
12 הֶן־זֹאת לֹא־צָדַקְתָּ אֶעֱנֶךָּ כִּי־יִרְבֶּה אֱלֹוהַ מֵאֱנֹושׁ | 12 In saying so, I tel you, you are wrong: for God is greater than any human being. |
13 מַדּוּעַ אֵלָיו רִיבֹותָ כִּי כָל־דְּבָרָיו לֹא־יַעֲנֶה | 13 Why then quarrel with him for not replying to you, word for word? |
14 כִּי־בְאַחַת יְדַבֶּר־אֵל וּבִשְׁתַּיִם לֹא יְשׁוּרֶנָּה | 14 God speaks first in one way, and then in another, although we do not realise it. |
15 בַּחֲלֹום ׀ חֶזְיֹון לַיְלָה בִּנְפֹל תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל־אֲנָשִׁים בִּתְנוּמֹות עֲלֵי מִשְׁכָּב | 15 In dreams and in night-visions, when slumber has settled on humanity and people are asleep in bed, |
16 אָז יִגְלֶה אֹזֶן אֲנָשִׁים וּבְמֹסָרָם יַחְתֹּם | 16 he speaks in someone's ear, frightens him with apparitions |
17 לְהָסִיר אָדָם מַעֲשֶׂה וְגֵוָה מִגֶּבֶר יְכַסֶּה | 17 to turn him from what he is doing and to put an end to his pride. |
18 יַחְשֹׂךְ נַפְשֹׁו מִנִּי־שָׁחַת וְחַיָּתֹו מֵעֲבֹר בַּשָּׁלַח | 18 And thus he preserves his soul from the abyss, his life from passing down the Canal. |
19 וְהוּכַח בְּמַכְאֹוב עַל־מִשְׁכָּבֹו [וְרִיב כ] (וְרֹוב ק) עֲצָמָיו אֵתָן | 19 Or again, he corrects by the sufferings of the sick-bed, when someone's bones tremble continuously |
20 וְזִהֲמַתּוּ חַיָּתֹו לָחֶם וְנַפְשֹׁו מַאֲכַל תַּאֲוָה | 20 and the thought of food revolts him, however tasty it is, |
21 יִכֶל בְּשָׂרֹו מֵרֹאִי [וּשְׁפִי כ] (וְשֻׁפּוּ ק) עַצְמֹותָיו לֹא רֻאּוּ | 21 and his flesh rots away while you watch it and the bones beneath begin to show, |
22 וַתִּקְרַב לַשַּׁחַת נַפְשֹׁו וְחַיָּתֹו לַמְמִתִים | 22 and his soul is drawing nearer to the abyss and his life to the dwel ing of the dead. |
23 אִם־יֵשׁ עָלָיו ׀ מַלְאָךְ מֵלִיץ אֶחָד מִנִּי־אָלֶף לְהַגִּיד לְאָדָם יָשְׁרֹו | 23 Then, if there is an Angel near him, a Mediator, one in a thousand, to remind him where his duty lies, |
24 וַיְחֻנֶּנּוּ וַיֹּאמֶר פְּדָעֵהוּ מֵרֶדֶת שָׁחַת מָצָאתִי כֹפֶר | 24 to take pity on him and to say, 'Spare him from going down to the abyss: I have found the ransom forhis life,' |
25 רֻטֲפַשׁ בְּשָׂרֹו מִנֹּעַר יָשׁוּב לִימֵי עֲלוּמָיו | 25 his flesh wil recover its childhood freshness, he wil return to the days of his youth. |
26 יֶעְתַּר אֶל־אֱלֹוהַּ ׀ וַיִּרְצֵהוּ וַיַּרְא פָּנָיו בִּתְרוּעָה וַיָּשֶׁב לֶאֱנֹושׁ צִדְקָתֹו | 26 He wil pray to God who has restored him to favour, and wil come into his presence with joy. He wiltel others how he has received saving justice |
27 יָשֹׁר ׀ עַל־אֲנָשִׁים וַיֹּאמֶר חָטָאתִי וְיָשָׁר הֶעֱוֵיתִי וְלֹא־שָׁוָה לִי | 27 and sing this hymn before his companions, 'I sinned and left the path of right, but God has notpunished me as my sin deserved. |
28 פָּדָה [נַפְשִׁי כ] (נַפְשֹׁו ק) מֵעֲבֹר בַּשָּׁחַת [וְחַיָּתִי כ] (וְחַיָּתֹו ק) בָּאֹור תִּרְאֶה | 28 He has spared my soul from going down to the abyss and is making my life see the light.' |
29 הֶן־כָּל־אֵלֶּה יִפְעַל־אֵל פַּעֲמַיִם שָׁלֹושׁ עִם־גָּבֶר | 29 All this is what God keeps doing again and yet again for human beings, |
30 לְהָשִׁיב נַפְשֹׁו מִנִּי־שָׁחַת לֵאֹור בְּאֹור הַחַיִּים | 30 to snatch souls back from the abyss and to make the light of the living stil shine. |
31 הַקְשֵׁב אִיֹּוב שְׁמַע־לִי הַחֲרֵשׁ וְאָנֹכִי אֲדַבֵּר | 31 Pay attention, Job, listen to me: keep quiet, I have more to say. |
32 אִם־יֵשׁ־מִלִּין הֲשִׁיבֵנִי דַּבֵּר כִּי־חָפַצְתִּי צַדְּקֶךָּ | 32 If you have anything to say, refute me, speak out, for I would gladly accept that you are upright. |
33 אִם־אַיִן אַתָּה שְׁמַע־לִי הַחֲרֵשׁ וַאֲאַלֶּפְךָ חָכְמָה׃ ס | 33 If not, then listen to me: keep quiet, and I wil teach you wisdom. |