Tanach · Writings

Job 33/איוב ל״ג

אוְֽאוּלָ֗ם שְׁמַֽע־נָ֣א אִיּ֣וֹב מִלָּ֑י וְֽכׇל־דְּבָרַ֥י הַאֲזִֽינָה׃

1But now, Job, listen to my words,Give ear to all that I say.

בהִנֵּה־נָ֭א פָּתַ֣חְתִּי פִ֑י דִּבְּרָ֖ה לְשׁוֹנִ֣י בְחִכִּֽי׃

2Now I open my lips;My tongue forms words in my mouth.

גיֹשֶׁר־לִבִּ֥י אֲמָרָ֑י וְדַ֥עַת שְׂ֝פָתַ֗י בָּר֥וּר מִלֵּֽלוּ׃

3My words bespeak the uprightness of my heart;My lips utter insight honestly.

דרֽוּחַ־אֵ֥ל עָשָׂ֑תְנִי וְנִשְׁמַ֖ת שַׁדַּ֣י תְּחַיֵּֽנִי׃

4The spirit of God formed me;The breath of Shaddai sustains me.

האִם־תּוּכַ֥ל הֲשִׁיבֵ֑נִי עֶרְכָ֥הֿ לְ֝פָנַ֗י הִתְיַצָּֽבָה׃

5If you can, answer me;Argue against me, take your stand.

והֵן־אֲנִ֣י כְפִ֣יךָ לָאֵ֑ל מֵ֝חֹ֗מֶר קֹרַ֥צְתִּי גַם־אָֽנִי׃

6You and I are the same before God;I too was nipped from clay.

זהִנֵּ֣ה אֵ֭מָתִי לֹ֣א תְבַעֲתֶ֑ךָּ וְ֝אַכְפִּ֗י עָלֶ֥יךָ לֹֽא־יִכְבָּֽד׃

7You are not overwhelmed by fear of me;My pressure does not weigh heavily on you.

חאַ֭ךְ אָמַ֣רְתָּ בְאׇזְנָ֑י וְק֖וֹל מִלִּ֣ין אֶשְׁמָֽע׃

8Indeed, you have stated in my hearing,I heard the words spoken,

טזַ֥ךְ אֲנִ֗י בְּֽלִ֫י־פָ֥שַׁע חַ֥ף אָנֹכִ֑י וְלֹ֖א עָוֺ֣ן לִֽי׃

9“I am guiltless, free from transgression;I am innocent, without iniquity.

יהֵ֣ן תְּ֭נוּאוֹת עָלַ֣י יִמְצָ֑א יַחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי לְאוֹיֵ֣ב לֽוֹ׃

10But [God] finds reasons to oppose me,And considers me an enemy.

יאיָשֵׂ֣ם בַּסַּ֣ד רַגְלָ֑י יִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר כׇּל־אׇרְחֹתָֽי׃

11My feet are placed in stocks,And all my ways are watched.”

יבהֶן־זֹ֣את לֹא־צָדַ֣קְתָּ אֶעֱנֶ֑ךָּ כִּי־יִרְבֶּ֥ה אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַּ מֵאֱנֽוֹשׁ׃

12In this you are not right;I will answer you: God is greater than any mortal.

יגמַ֭דּוּעַ אֵלָ֣יו רִיב֑וֹתָ כִּ֥י כׇל־דְּ֝בָרָ֗יו לֹ֣א יַעֲנֶֽה׃

13Why do you level the complaintThat there is no reply to anyone’s charges?

ידכִּֽי־בְאַחַ֥ת יְדַבֶּר־אֵ֑ל וּ֝בִשְׁתַּ֗יִם לֹ֣א יְשׁוּרֶֽנָּה׃

14For God speaks time and again^a—Though no one perceives it—

טובַּחֲל֤וֹם׀ חֶזְי֬וֹן לַ֗יְלָה בִּנְפֹ֣ל תַּ֭רְדֵּמָה עַל־אֲנָשִׁ֑ים בִּ֝תְנוּמ֗וֹת עֲלֵ֣י מִשְׁכָּֽב׃

15In a dream, a night vision,When deep sleep falls on everyone,While they slumber on their beds.

טזאָ֣ז יִ֭גְלֶה אֹ֣זֶן אֲנָשִׁ֑ים וּבְמֹ֖סָרָ֣ם יַחְתֹּֽם׃

16Then everyone’s understanding is opened,And God’s signature is left by disciplining them—

יזלְ֭הָסִיר אָדָ֣ם מַעֲשֶׂ֑ה וְגֵוָ֖ה מִגֶּ֣בֶר יְכַסֶּֽה׃

17To turn a mortal away from an action,To suppress pride in a man.

יחיַחְשֹׂ֣ךְ נַ֭פְשׁוֹ מִנִּי־שָׁ֑חַת וְ֝חַיָּת֗וֹ מֵעֲבֹ֥ר בַּשָּֽׁלַח׃

18[God] spares him from the Pit,His person, from perishing by the sword.

יטוְהוּכַ֣ח בְּ֭מַכְאוֹב עַל־מִשְׁכָּב֑וֹ (וריב) [וְר֖וֹב] עֲצָמָ֣יו אֵתָֽן׃

19He is reproved by pains on his bed,And the trembling in his bones is constant.

כוְזִהֲמַ֣תּוּ חַיָּת֣וֹ לָ֑חֶם וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ מַאֲכַ֥ל תַּאֲוָֽה׃

20He detests food;Fine food [is repulsive] to him.

כאיִ֣כֶל בְּשָׂר֣וֹ מֵרֹ֑אִי (ושפי) [וְשֻׁפּ֥וּ] עַ֝צְמֹתָ֗יו לֹ֣א רֻאּֽוּ׃

21His flesh wastes away till it cannot be seen,And his bones are rubbed away till they are invisible.

כבוַתִּקְרַ֣ב לַשַּׁ֣חַת נַפְשׁ֑וֹ וְ֝חַיָּת֗וֹ לַֽמְמִתִֽים׃

22He comes close to the Pit,His life [verges] on death.

כגאִם־יֵ֤שׁ עָלָ֨יו׀ מַלְאָ֗ךְ מֵלִ֗יץ אֶחָ֥ד מִנִּי־אָ֑לֶף לְהַגִּ֖יד לְאָדָ֣ם יׇשְׁרֽוֹ׃

23If he has a representative,One advocate against a thousandTo declare the person upright,

כדוַיְחֻנֶּ֗נּוּ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר פְּ֭דָעֵהוּ מֵרֶ֥דֶת שָׁ֗חַת מָצָ֥אתִי כֹֽפֶר׃

24Then [God] has mercy on him and decrees,“Redeem him from descending to the Pit,For I have obtained his ransom;

כהרֻֽטְפַ֣שׁ בְּשָׂר֣וֹ מִנֹּ֑עַר יָ֝שׁ֗וּב לִימֵ֥י עֲלוּמָֽיו׃

25Let his flesh be healthier^b than in his youth;Let him return to his younger days.”

כויֶעְתַּ֤ר אֶל־אֱל֨וֹהַּ׀ וַיִּרְצֵ֗הוּ וַיַּ֣רְא פָּ֭נָיו בִּתְרוּעָ֑ה וַיָּ֥שֶׁב לֶ֝אֱנ֗וֹשׁ צִדְקָתֽוֹ׃

26He prays to God, who accepts him;He enters the divine presence with shouts of joy,For [God] requites humans for their righteousness.

כזיָשֹׁ֤ר׀ עַל־אֲנָשִׁ֗ים וַיֹּ֗אמֶר חָ֭טָאתִי וְיָשָׁ֥ר הֶעֱוֵ֗יתִי וְלֹא־שָׁ֥וָה לִֽי׃

27The contrite person^c declares^d to all,“I have sinned; I have perverted what was right;But I was not paid back for it.”

כחפָּדָ֣ה (נפשי) [נַ֭פְשׁוֹ] מֵעֲבֹ֣ר בַּשָּׁ֑חַת (וחיתי) [וְ֝חַיָּת֗וֹ] בָּא֥וֹר תִּרְאֶֽה׃

28He is redeemed from passing into the Pit;He^e, “me…I.” will enjoy the light.

כטהֶן־כׇּל־אֵ֭לֶּה יִפְעַל־אֵ֑ל פַּעֲמַ֖יִם שָׁל֣וֹשׁ עִם־גָּֽבֶר׃

29Truly, God does all these thingsTwo or three times to a man,

ללְהָשִׁ֣יב נַ֭פְשׁוֹ מִנִּי־שָׁ֑חַת לֵ֝א֗וֹר בְּא֣וֹר הַחַיִּֽים׃

30To bring him back from the Pit,That he may bask in the light of life.

לאהַקְשֵׁ֖ב אִיּ֥וֹב שְֽׁמַֽע־לִ֑י הַ֝חֲרֵ֗שׁ וְאָנֹכִ֥י אֲדַבֵּֽר׃

31Pay heed, Job, and hear me;Be still, and I will speak;

לבאִם־יֵשׁ־מִלִּ֥ין הֲשִׁיבֵ֑נִי דַּ֝בֵּ֗ר כִּֽי־חָפַ֥צְתִּי צַדְּקֶֽךָּ׃

32If you have what to say, answer me;Speak, for I am eager to vindicate you.

לגאִם־אַ֭יִן אַתָּ֥ה שְֽׁמַֽע־לִ֑י הַ֝חֲרֵ֗שׁ וַאֲאַלֶּפְךָ֥ חׇכְמָֽה׃

33But if not, you listen to me;Be still, and I will teach you wisdom.