Tanach · Writings

Job 31/איוב ל״א

אבְּ֭רִית כָּרַ֣תִּי לְעֵינָ֑י וּמָ֥ה אֶ֝תְבּוֹנֵ֗ן עַל־בְּתוּלָֽה׃

1I have covenanted with my eyesNot to gaze on a maiden.

בוּמֶ֤ה חֵ֣לֶק אֱל֣וֹהַּ מִמָּ֑עַל וְֽנַחֲלַ֥ת שַׁ֝דַּ֗י מִמְּרֹמִֽים׃

2What fate is decreed by God above?What lot, by Shaddai in the heights?

גהֲלֹא־אֵ֥יד לְעַוָּ֑ל וְ֝נֵ֗כֶר לְפֹ֣עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃

3Calamity is surely for the iniquitous;Misfortune, for the worker of mischief.

דהֲלֹא־ה֭וּא יִרְאֶ֣ה דְרָכָ֑י וְֽכׇל־צְעָדַ֥י יִסְפּֽוֹר׃

4Surely [God] observes my ways,Takes account of my every step.

האִם־הָלַ֥כְתִּי עִם־שָׁ֑וְא וַתַּ֖חַשׁ עַל־מִרְמָ֣ה רַגְלִֽי׃

5Have I walked with the worthless,Or my feet hurried to deceit?

ויִשְׁקְלֵ֥נִי בְמֹֽאזְנֵי־צֶ֑דֶק וְיֵדַ֥ע אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַּ תֻּמָּתִֽי׃

6Let me be weighed on the scale of righteousness;Let God ascertain my integrity.

זאִ֥ם־תִּטֶּ֣ה אַשֻּׁרִי֮ מִנִּ֢י הַ֫דָּ֥רֶךְ וְאַחַ֣ר עֵ֭ינַי הָלַ֣ךְ לִבִּ֑י וּ֝בְכַפַּ֗י דָּ֣בַק מֽאוּם׃

7If my feet have strayed from their course,My heart followed after my eyes,And a stain sullied my hands,

חאֶ֭זְרְעָה וְאַחֵ֣ר יֹאכֵ֑ל וְֽצֶאֱצָאַ֥י יְשֹׁרָֽשׁוּ׃

8May I sow, but another reap,May the growth of my field be uprooted!

טאִם־נִפְתָּ֣ה לִ֭בִּי עַל־אִשָּׁ֑ה וְעַל־פֶּ֖תַח רֵעִ֣י אָרָֽבְתִּי׃

9If my heart was ravished by the wife of my neighbor,And I lay in wait at his door,

יתִּטְחַ֣ן לְאַחֵ֣ר אִשְׁתִּ֑י וְ֝עָלֶ֗יהָ יִכְרְע֥וּן אֲחֵרִֽין׃

10May my wife grind for another,May others kneel over her!

יאכִּי־[הִ֥יא] (הוא) זִמָּ֑ה (והיא) [וְ֝ה֗וּא] עָוֺ֥ן פְּלִילִֽים׃

11For that would have been debauchery,A criminal offense,

יבכִּ֤י אֵ֣שׁ הִ֭יא עַד־אֲבַדּ֣וֹן תֹּאכֵ֑ל וּֽבְכׇל־תְּב֖וּאָתִ֣י תְשָׁרֵֽשׁ׃

12A fire burning down to Abaddon,Consuming the roots of all my increase.

יגאִם־אֶמְאַ֗ס מִשְׁפַּ֣ט עַ֭בְדִּי וַאֲמָתִ֑י בְּ֝רִבָ֗ם עִמָּדִֽי׃

13Did I ever brush aside the case of my servants, man or maid,When they made a complaint against me?

ידוּמָ֣ה אֶ֭עֱשֶׂה כִּֽי־יָק֣וּם אֵ֑ל וְכִי־יִ֝פְקֹ֗ד מָ֣ה אֲשִׁיבֶֽנּוּ׃

14What then should I do when God arises;When I am called to account, what should I answer?

טוהֲֽלֹא־בַ֭בֶּטֶן עֹשֵׂ֣נִי עָשָׂ֑הוּ וַ֝יְכֻנֶ֗נּוּ בָּרֶ֥חֶם אֶחָֽד׃

15Did not the One who made me in my mother’s belly make him?Did not One form us both in the womb?

טזאִם־אֶ֭מְנַע מֵחֵ֣פֶץ דַּלִּ֑ים וְעֵינֵ֖י אַלְמָנָ֣ה אֲכַלֶּֽה׃

16Did I deny the poor their needs,Or let a^a widow pine away,

יזוְאֹכַ֣ל פִּתִּ֣י לְבַדִּ֑י וְלֹֽא־אָכַ֖ל יָת֣וֹם מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

17By eating my food alone,The fatherless not eating of it also?

יחכִּ֣י מִ֭נְּעוּרַי גְּדֵלַ֣נִי כְאָ֑ב וּמִבֶּ֖טֶן אִמִּ֣י אַנְחֶֽנָּה׃

18Why, from my youth he grew up with me as though I were his father;Since I left my mother’s womb I was the widow’s^b guide.

יטאִם־אֶרְאֶ֣ה א֭וֹבֵד מִבְּלִ֣י לְב֑וּשׁ וְאֵ֥ין כְּ֝ס֗וּת לָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃

19I never saw an unclad wretch,Someone needy without clothing,

כאִם־לֹ֣א בֵרְכ֣וּנִי חֲלָצָ֑ו וּמִגֵּ֥ז כְּ֝בָשַׂ֗י יִתְחַמָּֽם׃

20Whose loins did not bless meAs they warmed themselves with the shearings of my sheep.

כאאִם־הֲנִיפ֣וֹתִי עַל־יָת֣וֹם יָדִ֑י כִּֽי־אֶרְאֶ֥ה בַ֝שַּׁ֗עַר עֶזְרָתִֽי׃

21If I raised my hand against the fatherless,Looking to my supporters in the gate,

כבכְּ֭תֵפִי מִשִּׁכְמָ֣הֿ תִפּ֑וֹל וְ֝אֶזְרֹעִ֗י מִקָּנָ֥הֿ תִשָּׁבֵֽר׃

22May my arm drop off my shoulder;My forearm break off at the elbow.^c

כגכִּ֤י פַ֣חַד אֵ֭לַי אֵ֣יד אֵ֑ל וּ֝מִשְּׂאֵת֗וֹ לֹ֣א אוּכָֽל׃

23For I am in dread of God-sent calamity;I cannot bear such a threat.

כדאִם־שַׂ֣מְתִּי זָהָ֣ב כִּסְלִ֑י וְ֝לַכֶּ֗תֶם אָמַ֥רְתִּי מִבְטַחִֽי׃

24Did I put my reliance on gold,Or regard fine gold as my bulwark?

כהאִם־אֶ֭שְׂמַח כִּֽי־רַ֣ב חֵילִ֑י וְכִֽי־כַ֝בִּ֗יר מָצְאָ֥ה יָדִֽי׃

25Did I rejoice in my great wealth,In having attained plenty?

כואִם־אֶרְאֶ֣ה א֭וֹר כִּ֣י יָהֵ֑ל וְ֝יָרֵ֗חַ יָקָ֥ר הֹלֵֽךְ׃

26If ever I saw the light shining,The moon on its course in full glory,

כזוַיִּ֣פְתְּ בַּסֵּ֣תֶר לִבִּ֑י וַתִּשַּׁ֖ק יָדִ֣י לְפִֽי׃

27And I secretly succumbed,And my hand touched my mouth in a kiss,

כחגַּם־ה֭וּא עָוֺ֣ן פְּלִילִ֑י כִּֽי־כִחַ֖שְׁתִּי לָאֵ֣ל מִמָּֽעַל׃

28That, too, would have been a criminal offense,For I would have denied God above.

כטאִם־אֶ֭שְׂמַח בְּפִ֣יד מְשַׂנְאִ֑י וְ֝הִתְעֹרַ֗רְתִּי כִּֽי־מְצָ֥אוֹ רָֽע׃

29Did I rejoice over my enemies’ misfortune?Did I thrill because evil befell them?

לוְלֹא־נָתַ֣תִּי לַחֲטֹ֣א חִכִּ֑י לִשְׁאֹ֖ל בְּאָלָ֣ה נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

30I never let my mouth^d sinBy wishing their death in a curse.

לאאִם־לֹ֣א אָ֭מְרוּ מְתֵ֣י אׇהֳלִ֑י מִי־יִתֵּ֥ן מִ֝בְּשָׂר֗וֹ לֹ֣א נִשְׂבָּֽע׃

31(Indeed, those of my clan said,“We would consume his flesh^e insatiably!”)

לבבַּ֭חוּץ לֹא־יָלִ֣ין גֵּ֑ר דְּ֝לָתַ֗י לָאֹ֥רַח אֶפְתָּֽח׃

32No sojourner spent the night in the open;I opened my doors to the road.

לגאִם־כִּסִּ֣יתִי כְאָדָ֣ם פְּשָׁעָ֑י לִטְמ֖וֹן בְּחֻבִּ֣י עֲוֺנִֽי׃

33Did I hide my transgressions like Adam,Bury my wrongdoing in my bosom,

לדכִּ֤י אֶעֱר֨וֹץ׀ הָ֘מ֤וֹן רַבָּ֗ה וּבוּז־מִשְׁפָּח֥וֹת יְחִתֵּ֑נִי וָ֝אֶדֹּ֗ם לֹא־אֵ֥צֵא פָֽתַח׃

34That I should [now] fear the great multitude,And am shattered by the contempt of families,So that I keep silent and do not step outdoors?

להמִ֤י יִתֶּן־לִ֨י׀ שֹׁ֘מֵ֤עַֽ לִ֗י הֶן־תָּ֭וִי שַׁדַּ֣י יַעֲנֵ֑נִי וְסֵ֥פֶר כָּ֝תַ֗ב אִ֣ישׁ רִיבִֽי׃

35O that I had someone to give me a hearing;O that Shaddai would reply to my writ,Or my accuser draw up a true bill!

לואִם־לֹ֣א עַל־שִׁ֭כְמִי אֶשָּׂאֶ֑נּוּ אֶעֶנְדֶ֖נּוּ עֲטָר֣וֹת לִֽי׃

36I would carry it on my shoulder;Tie it around me for a wreath.

לזמִסְפַּ֣ר צְ֭עָדַי אַגִּידֶ֑נּוּ כְּמוֹ־נָ֝גִ֗יד אֲקָֽרְבֶֽנּוּ׃

37I would give an account of my steps,Offer it as to a commander.

לחאִם־עָ֭לַי אַדְמָתִ֣י תִזְעָ֑ק וְ֝יַ֗חַד תְּלָמֶ֥יהָ יִבְכָּיֽוּן׃

38If my land cries out against me,Its furrows weep together;

לטאִם־כֹּ֭חָהּ אָכַ֣לְתִּי בְלִי־כָ֑סֶף וְנֶ֖פֶשׁ בְּעָלֶ֣יהָ הִפָּֽחְתִּי׃

39If I have eaten its produce without payment,And made its [rightful] owners despair,

מתַּ֤חַת חִטָּ֨ה׀ יֵ֥צֵא ח֗וֹחַ וְתַֽחַת־שְׂעֹרָ֥ה בׇאְשָׁ֑ה תַּ֝֗מּוּ דִּבְרֵ֥י אִיּֽוֹב׃

40May nettles grow there instead of wheat;Instead of barley, stinkweed!The words of Job are at an end.