| א וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב, וַיֹּאמַר. |
1 {S} Then Job answered and said: |
| ב אָמְנָם, יָדַעְתִּי כִי-כֵן; וּמַה-יִּצְדַּק אֱנוֹשׁ עִם-אֵל. |
2 Of a truth I know that it is so; and how can man be just with God? |
| ג אִם-יַחְפֹּץ, לָרִיב עִמּוֹ-- לֹא-יַעֲנֶנּוּ, אַחַת מִנִּי-אָלֶף. |
3 If one should desire to contend with Him, he could not answer Him one of a thousand. |
| ד חֲכַם לֵבָב, וְאַמִּיץ כֹּחַ-- מִי-הִקְשָׁה אֵלָיו, וַיִּשְׁלָם. |
4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength; who hath hardened himself against Him, and prospered? |
| ה הַמַּעְתִּיק הָרִים, וְלֹא יָדָעוּ-- אֲשֶׁר הֲפָכָם בְּאַפּוֹ. |
5 Who removeth the mountains, and they know it not, when He overturneth them in His anger. |
| ו הַמַּרְגִּיז אֶרֶץ, מִמְּקוֹמָהּ; וְעַמּוּדֶיהָ, יִתְפַּלָּצוּן. |
6 Who shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble. |
| ז הָאֹמֵר לַחֶרֶס, וְלֹא יִזְרָח; וּבְעַד כּוֹכָבִים יַחְתֹּם. |
7 Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars. |
| ח נֹטֶה שָׁמַיִם לְבַדּוֹ; וְדוֹרֵךְ, עַל-בָּמֳתֵי יָם. |
8 Who alone stretcheth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea. |
| ט עֹשֶׂה-עָשׁ, כְּסִיל וְכִימָה; וְחַדְרֵי תֵמָן. |
9 Who maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south. |
| י עֹשֶׂה גְדֹלוֹת, עַד-אֵין חֵקֶר; וְנִפְלָאוֹת, עַד-אֵין מִסְפָּר. |
10 Who doeth great things past finding out; yea, marvellous things without number. |
| יא הֵן יַעֲבֹר עָלַי, וְלֹא אֶרְאֶה; וְיַחֲלֹף, וְלֹא-אָבִין לוֹ. |
11 Lo, He goeth by me, and I see Him not. He passeth on also, but I perceive Him not. |
| יב הֵן יַחְתֹּף, מִי יְשִׁיבֶנּוּ; מִי-יֹאמַר אֵלָיו, מַה-תַּעֲשֶׂה. |
12 Behold, He snatcheth away, who can hinder Him? Who will say unto Him: 'What doest Thou?' |
| יג אֱלוֹהַּ, לֹא-יָשִׁיב אַפּוֹ; תַּחְתָּו שָׁחֲחוּ, עֹזְרֵי רָהַב. |
13 God will not withdraw His anger; the helpers of Rahab did stoop under Him. |
| יד אַף, כִּי-אָנֹכִי אֶעֱנֶנּוּ; אֶבְחֲרָה דְבָרַי עִמּוֹ. |
14 How much less shall I answer Him, and choose out my arguments with Him? |
| טו אֲשֶׁר אִם-צָדַקְתִּי, לֹא אֶעֱנֶה; לִמְשֹׁפְטִי, אֶתְחַנָּן. |
15 Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer; I would make supplication to Him that contendeth with me. |
| טז אִם-קָרָאתִי וַיַּעֲנֵנִי-- לֹא-אַאֲמִין, כִּי-יַאֲזִין קוֹלִי. |
16 If I had called, and He had answered me; yet would I not believe that He would hearken unto my voice-- |
| יז אֲשֶׁר-בִּשְׂעָרָה יְשׁוּפֵנִי; וְהִרְבָּה פְצָעַי חִנָּם. |
17 He that would break me with a tempest, and multiply my wounds without cause; |
| יח לֹא-יִתְּנֵנִי, הָשֵׁב רוּחִי: כִּי יַשְׂבִּעַנִי, מַמְּרֹרִים. |
18 That would not suffer me to take my breath, but fill me with bitterness. |
| יט אִם-לְכֹחַ אַמִּיץ הִנֵּה; וְאִם-לְמִשְׁפָּט, מִי יוֹעִידֵנִי. |
19 If it be a matter of strength, lo, He is mighty! and if of justice, who will appoint me a time? |
| כ אִם-אֶצְדָּק, פִּי יַרְשִׁיעֵנִי; תָּם-אָנִי, וַיַּעְקְשֵׁנִי. |
20 Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me; though I be innocent, He shall prove me perverse. |
| כא תָּם-אָנִי, לֹא-אֵדַע נַפְשִׁי; אֶמְאַס חַיָּי. |
21 I am innocent--I regard not myself, I despise my life. |
| כב אַחַת, הִיא: עַל-כֵּן אָמַרְתִּי--תָּם וְרָשָׁע, הוּא מְכַלֶּה. |
22 It is all one--therefore I say: He destroyeth the innocent and the wicked. |
| כג אִם-שׁוֹט, יָמִית פִּתְאֹם-- לְמַסַּת נְקִיִּם יִלְעָג. |
23 If the scourge slay suddenly, He will mock at the calamity of the guiltless. |
|
כד אֶרֶץ, נִתְּנָה בְיַד-רָשָׁע-- פְּנֵי-שֹׁפְטֶיהָ יְכַסֶּה; אִם-לֹא אֵפוֹא מִי-הוּא. |
24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; {N} if it be not He, who then is it? |
| כה וְיָמַי קַלּוּ, מִנִּי-רָץ; בָּרְחוּ, לֹא-רָאוּ טוֹבָה. |
25 Now my days are swifter than a runner; they flee away, they see no good. |
| כו חָלְפוּ, עִם-אֳנִיּוֹת אֵבֶה; כְּנֶשֶׁר, יָטוּשׂ עֲלֵי-אֹכֶל. |
26 They are passed away as the swift ships; as the vulture that swoopeth on the prey. |
| כז אִם-אָמְרִי, אֶשְׁכְּחָה שִׂיחִי; אֶעֶזְבָה פָנַי וְאַבְלִיגָה. |
27 If I say: 'I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad countenance, and be of good cheer', |
| כח יָגֹרְתִּי כָל-עַצְּבֹתָי; יָדַעְתִּי, כִּי-לֹא תְנַקֵּנִי. |
28 I am afraid of all my pains, I know that Thou wilt not hold me guiltless. |
| כט אָנֹכִי אֶרְשָׁע; לָמָּה-זֶּה, הֶבֶל אִיגָע. |
29 I shall be condemned; why then do I labour in vain? |
| ל אִם-הִתְרָחַצְתִּי במו- בְמֵי- שָׁלֶג; וַהֲזִכּוֹתִי, בְּבֹר כַּפָּי. |
30 If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean; |
| לא אָז, בַּשַּׁחַת תִּטְבְּלֵנִי; וְתִעֲבוּנִי, שַׂלְמוֹתָי. |
31 Yet wilt Thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me. |
| לב כִּי-לֹא-אִישׁ כָּמוֹנִי אֶעֱנֶנּוּ; נָבוֹא יַחְדָּו, בַּמִּשְׁפָּט. |
32 For He is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him, that we should come together in judgment. |
| לג לֹא יֵשׁ-בֵּינֵינוּ מוֹכִיחַ-- יָשֵׁת יָדוֹ עַל-שְׁנֵינוּ. |
33 There is no arbiter betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both. |
| לד יָסֵר מֵעָלַי שִׁבְטוֹ; וְאֵמָתוֹ, אַל-תְּבַעֲתַנִּי. |
34 Let Him take His rod away from me, and let not His terror make me afraid; |
| לה אֲדַבְּרָה, וְלֹא אִירָאֶנּוּ: כִּי לֹא-כֵן אָנֹכִי, עִמָּדִי. | 35 Then would I speak, and not fear Him; for I am not so with myself. |