| א וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב, וַיֹּאמַר. |
1 {S} Then Job answered and said: |
| ב לוּ--שָׁקוֹל יִשָּׁקֵל כַּעְשִׂי; והיתי וְהַוָּתִי, בְּמֹאזְנַיִם יִשְׂאוּ-יָחַד. |
2 Oh that my vexation were but weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances altogether! |
| ג כִּי-עַתָּה--מֵחוֹל יַמִּים יִכְבָּד; עַל-כֵּן, דְּבָרַי לָעוּ. |
3 For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas; therefore are my words broken. |
| ד כִּי חִצֵּי שַׁדַּי, עִמָּדִי--אֲשֶׁר חֲמָתָם, שֹׁתָה רוּחִי; בִּעוּתֵי אֱלוֹהַּ יַעַרְכוּנִי. |
4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof my spirit drinketh up; the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me. |
| ה הֲיִנְהַק-פֶּרֶא עֲלֵי-דֶשֶׁא; אִם יִגְעֶה-שּׁוֹר, עַל-בְּלִילוֹ. |
5 Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder? |
| ו הֲיֵאָכֵל תָּפֵל, מִבְּלִי-מֶלַח; אִם-יֶשׁ-טַעַם, בְּרִיר חַלָּמוּת. |
6 Can that which hath no savour be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the juice of mallows? |
| ז מֵאֲנָה לִנְגּוֹעַ נַפְשִׁי; הֵמָּה, כִּדְוֵי לַחְמִי. |
7 My soul refuseth to touch them; they are as the sickness of my flesh. |
| ח מִי-יִתֵּן, תָּבוֹא שֶׁאֱלָתִי; וְתִקְוָתִי, יִתֵּן אֱלוֹהַּ. |
8 Oh that I might have my request, and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! |
| ט וְיֹאֵל אֱלוֹהַּ, וִידַכְּאֵנִי; יַתֵּר יָדוֹ, וִיבַצְּעֵנִי. |
9 Even that it would please God to crush me; that He would let loose His hand, and cut me off! |
|
י וּתְהִי-עוֹד, נֶחָמָתִי-- וַאֲסַלְּדָה בְחִילָה, לֹא יַחְמוֹל: כִּי-לֹא כִחַדְתִּי, אִמְרֵי קָדוֹשׁ. |
10 Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would exult in pain, though He spare not; {N} for I have not denied the words of the Holy One. |
| יא מַה-כֹּחִי כִי-אֲיַחֵל; וּמַה-קִּצִּי, כִּי-אַאֲרִיךְ נַפְשִׁי. |
11 What is my strength, that I should wait? and what is mine end, that I should be patient? |
| יב אִם-כֹּחַ אֲבָנִים כֹּחִי; אִם-בְּשָׂרִי נָחוּשׁ. |
12 Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass? |
| יג הַאִם אֵין עֶזְרָתִי בִי; וְתֻשִׁיָּה, נִדְּחָה מִמֶּנִּי. |
13 Is it that I have no help in me, and that sound wisdom is driven quite from me? |
| יד לַמָּס מֵרֵעֵהוּ חָסֶד; וְיִרְאַת שַׁדַּי יַעֲזוֹב. |
14 To him that is ready to faint kindness is due from his friend, even to him that forsaketh the fear of the Almighty. |
| טו אַחַי, בָּגְדוּ כְמוֹ-נָחַל; כַּאֲפִיק נְחָלִים יַעֲבֹרוּ. |
15 My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, as the channel of brooks that overflow, |
| טז הַקֹּדְרִים מִנִּי-קָרַח; עָלֵימוֹ, יִתְעַלֶּם-שָׁלֶג. |
16 Which are black by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow hideth itself; |
| יז בְּעֵת יְזֹרְבוּ נִצְמָתוּ; בְּחֻמּוֹ, נִדְעֲכוּ מִמְּקוֹמָם. |
17 What time they wax warm, they vanish, when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place. |
| יח יִלָּפְתוּ, אָרְחוֹת דַּרְכָּם; יַעֲלוּ בַתֹּהוּ וְיֹאבֵדוּ. |
18 The paths of their way do wind, they go up into the waste, and are lost. |
| יט הִבִּיטוּ, אָרְחוֹת תֵּמָא; הֲלִיכֹת שְׁבָא, קִוּוּ-לָמוֹ. |
19 The caravans of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them-- |
| כ בֹּשׁוּ כִּי-בָטָח; בָּאוּ עָדֶיהָ, וַיֶּחְפָּרוּ. |
20 They were ashamed because they had hoped; they came thither, and were confounded. |
| כא כִּי-עַתָּה, הֱיִיתֶם לֹא; תִּרְאוּ חֲתַת, וַתִּירָאוּ. |
21 For now ye are become His; ye see a terror, and are afraid. |
| כב הֲכִי-אָמַרְתִּי, הָבוּ לִי; וּמִכֹּחֲכֶם, שִׁחֲדוּ בַעֲדִי. |
22 Did I say: 'Give unto me'? or: 'Offer a present for me of your substance'? |
| כג וּמַלְּטוּנִי מִיַּד-צָר; וּמִיַּד עָרִיצִים תִּפְדּוּנִי. |
23 or: 'Deliver me from the adversary's hand'? or: 'Redeem me from the hand of the oppressors'? |
| כד הוֹרוּנִי, וַאֲנִי אַחֲרִישׁ; וּמַה-שָּׁגִיתִי, הָבִינוּ לִי. |
24 Teach me, and I will hold my peace; and cause me to understand wherein I have erred. |
| כה מַה-נִּמְרְצוּ אִמְרֵי-יֹשֶׁר; וּמַה-יּוֹכִיחַ הוֹכֵחַ מִכֶּם. |
25 How forcible are words of uprightness! But what doth your arguing argue? |
| כו הַלְהוֹכַח מִלִּים תַּחְשֹׁבוּ; וּלְרוּחַ, אִמְרֵי נֹאָשׁ. |
26 Do ye hold words to be an argument, but the speeches of one that is desperate to be wind? |
| כז אַף-עַל-יָתוֹם תַּפִּילוּ; וְתִכְרוּ, עַל-רֵיעֲכֶם. |
27 Yea, ye would cast lots upon the fatherless, and dig a pit for your friend. |
| כח וְעַתָּה, הוֹאִילוּ פְנוּ-בִי; וְעַל-פְּנֵיכֶם, אִם-אֲכַזֵּב. |
28 Now therefore be pleased to look upon me; for surely I shall not lie to your face. |
| כט שׁוּבוּ-נָא, אַל-תְּהִי עַוְלָה; ושבי וְשֻׁבוּ עוֹד, צִדְקִי-בָהּ. |
29 Return, I pray you, let there be no injustice; yea, return again, my cause is righteous. |
| ל הֲיֵשׁ-בִּלְשׁוֹנִי עַוְלָה; אִם-חִכִּי, לֹא-יָבִין הַוּוֹת. | 30 Is there injustice on my tongue? Cannot my taste discern crafty devices? |