Tanach · Writings

Job 9/איוב ט׳

אוַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

1Job said in reply:

באׇ֭מְנָם יָדַ֣עְתִּי כִי־כֵ֑ן וּמַה־יִּצְדַּ֖ק אֱנ֣וֹשׁ עִם־אֵֽל׃

2Indeed I know that it is so:A mortal cannot win a suit against God.

גאִם־יַ֭חְפֹּץ לָרִ֣יב עִמּ֑וֹ לֹֽא־יַ֝עֲנֶ֗נּוּ אַחַ֥ת מִנִּי־אָֽלֶף׃

3If someone insisted on such a trial,Not one charge in a thousand would be answered.

דחֲכַ֣ם לֵ֭בָב וְאַמִּ֣יץ כֹּ֑חַ מִֽי־הִקְשָׁ֥ה אֵ֝לָ֗יו וַיִּשְׁלָֽם׃

4Wise of heart and mighty in power—Who ever challenged divine decree and came out whole?—

ההַמַּעְתִּ֣יק הָ֭רִים וְלֹ֣א יָדָ֑עוּ אֲשֶׁ֖ר הֲפָכָ֣ם בְּאַפּֽוֹ׃

5The One who moves mountains without their knowing it,Who overturns them in anger;

והַמַּרְגִּ֣יז אֶ֭רֶץ מִמְּקוֹמָ֑הּ וְ֝עַמּוּדֶ֗יהָ יִתְפַּלָּצֽוּן׃

6Who shakes the earth from its place,Till its pillars quake;

זהָאֹמֵ֣ר לַ֭חֶרֶס וְלֹ֣א יִזְרָ֑ח וּבְעַ֖ד כּוֹכָבִ֣ים יַחְתֹּֽם׃

7Who commands the sun not to shine;Who seals up the stars;

חנֹטֶ֣ה שָׁמַ֣יִם לְבַדּ֑וֹ וְ֝דוֹרֵ֗ךְ עַל־בָּ֥מֳתֵי יָֽם׃

8Who alone spread out the heavens,And trod on the back of the sea;

טעֹֽשֶׂה־עָ֭שׁ כְּסִ֥יל וְכִימָ֗ה וְחַדְרֵ֥י תֵמָֽן׃

9Who made the Bear^a and Orion,Pleiades, and the chambers of the south wind;

יעֹשֶׂ֣ה גְ֭דֹלוֹת עַד־אֵ֣ין חֵ֑קֶר וְ֝נִפְלָא֗וֹת עַד־אֵ֥ין מִסְפָּֽר׃

10Who performs great deeds that cannot be fathomed,And wondrous things without number.

יאהֵ֤ן יַעֲבֹ֣ר עָ֭לַי וְלֹ֣א אֶרְאֶ֑ה וְ֝יַחֲלֹ֗ף וְֽלֹא־אָבִ֥ין לֽוֹ׃

11[God] passes me by—I am oblivious;[God] goes by me, but I do not notice.

יבהֵ֣ן יַ֭חְתֹּף מִ֣י יְשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ מִי־יֹאמַ֥ר אֵ֝לָ֗יו מַֽה־תַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃

12[God] snatches away—who can put a stop to it?Who can say, “What are You doing?”

יגאֱ֭לוֹהַּ לֹא־יָשִׁ֣יב אַפּ֑וֹ תַּחְתָּ֥ו שָׁ֝חֲח֗וּ עֹ֣זְרֵי רָֽהַב׃

13Rahab’s^b helpers sink down under GodWho does not refrain from anger.

ידאַ֭ף כִּֽי־אָנֹכִ֣י אֶעֱנֶ֑נּוּ אֶבְחֲרָ֖ה דְבָרַ֣י עִמּֽוֹ׃

14How then can I answer,Or choose what arguments to make?

טואֲשֶׁ֣ר אִם־צָ֭דַקְתִּי לֹ֣א אֶעֱנֶ֑ה לִ֝מְשֹׁפְטִ֗י אֶתְחַנָּֽן׃

15Though I were in the right, I could not speak out,But I would plead for mercy with my judge.

טזאִם־קָרָ֥אתִי וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑נִי לֹֽא־אַ֝אֲמִ֗ין כִּֽי־יַאֲזִ֥ין קוֹלִֽי׃

16If I issued a summons and were answered,I do not believe my voice would be heard.

יזאֲשֶׁר־בִּשְׂעָרָ֥ה יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי וְהִרְבָּ֖ה פְצָעַ֣י חִנָּֽם׃

17For [God] crushes me for a hair,^c And wounds me much for no cause—

יחלֹֽא־יִ֭תְּנֵנִי הָשֵׁ֣ב רוּחִ֑י כִּ֥י יַ֝שְׂבִּעַ֗נִי מַמְּרֹרִֽים׃

18Not letting me catch my breath,But sating me with bitterness.

יטאִם־לְכֹ֣חַ אַמִּ֣יץ הִנֵּ֑ה וְאִם־לְ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט מִ֣י יוֹעִידֵֽנִי׃

19If a trial of strength—[God] is the strong one;If a trial in court—who will make the arrangements for me?

כאִם־אֶ֭צְדָּק פִּ֣י יַרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי תׇּֽם־אָ֝֗נִי וַֽיַּעְקְשֵֽׁנִי׃

20Though I were innocent,My mouth would condemn me;Though I were blameless, [God] would prove me crooked.

כאתׇּֽם־אָ֭נִי לֹֽא־אֵדַ֥ע נַפְשִׁ֗י אֶמְאַ֥ס חַיָּֽי׃

21I am blameless—I am distraught;I am sick of life.

כבאַחַ֗ת הִ֥֫יא עַל־כֵּ֥ן אָמַ֑רְתִּי תָּ֥ם וְ֝רָשָׁ֗ע ה֣וּא מְכַלֶּֽה׃

22It is all one; therefore I say,“The blameless are destroyed along with the guilty.”

כגאִם־שׁ֭וֹט יָמִ֣ית פִּתְאֹ֑ם לְמַסַּ֖ת נְקִיִּ֣ם יִלְעָֽג׃

23When suddenly a scourge brings death,[God] mocks as the innocent fail.

כדאֶ֤רֶץ׀ נִתְּנָ֬ה בְֽיַד־רָשָׁ֗ע פְּנֵֽי־שֹׁפְטֶ֥יהָ יְכַסֶּ֑ה אִם־לֹ֖א אֵפ֣וֹא מִי־הֽוּא׃

24The earth is handed over to the wicked one;The eyes of its judges are covered.If it is not [God], then who?

כהוְיָמַ֣י קַ֭לּוּ מִנִּי־רָ֑ץ בָּ֝רְח֗וּ לֹא־רָא֥וּ טוֹבָֽה׃

25My days fly swifter than a runner;They flee without seeing happiness;

כוחָ֭לְפוּ עִם־אֳנִיּ֣וֹת אֵבֶ֑ה כְּ֝נֶ֗שֶׁר יָט֥וּשׂ עֲלֵי־אֹֽכֶל׃

26They pass like reed-boats,Like an eagle swooping onto its prey.

כזאִם־אׇ֭מְרִי אֶשְׁכְּחָ֣ה שִׂיחִ֑י אֶעֶזְבָ֖ה פָנַ֣י וְאַבְלִֽיגָה׃

27If I say, “I will forget my complaint;Abandon my sorrow^d and be diverted,”

כחיָגֹ֥רְתִּי כׇל־עַצְּבֹתָ֑י יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּי־לֹ֥א תְנַקֵּֽנִי׃

28I remain in dread of all my suffering;I know that You will not acquit me.

כטאָנֹכִ֥י אֶרְשָׁ֑ע לָמָּה־זֶּ֝֗ה הֶ֣בֶל אִיגָֽע׃

29It will be I who am in the wrong;Why then should I waste effort?

לאִם־הִתְרָחַ֥צְתִּי (במו) [בְמֵי־]שָׁ֑לֶג וַ֝הֲזִכּ֗וֹתִי בְּבֹ֣ר כַּפָּֽי׃

30If I washed with soap,Cleansed my hands with lye,

לאאָ֭ז בַּשַּׁ֣חַת תִּטְבְּלֵ֑נִי וְ֝תִעֲב֗וּנִי שַׂלְמוֹתָֽי׃

31You would dip me in muckTill my clothes would abhor me.

לבכִּֽי־לֹא־אִ֣ישׁ כָּמ֣וֹנִי אֶעֱנֶ֑נּוּ נָב֥וֹא יַ֝חְדָּ֗ו בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

32[God] is not someone like me whom I can answer,That we can go to law together.

לגלֹ֣א יֵשׁ־בֵּינֵ֣ינוּ מוֹכִ֑יחַ יָשֵׁ֖ת יָד֣וֹ עַל־שְׁנֵֽינוּ׃

33No arbiter is between usTo lay his hand on us both.

לדיָסֵ֣ר מֵעָלַ֣י שִׁבְט֑וֹ וְ֝אֵמָת֗וֹ אַֽל־תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃

34If [God] would only take the rod away from meAnd call off the terror that frightens,

להאֲֽ֭דַבְּרָה וְלֹ֣א אִירָאֶ֑נּוּ כִּ֥י לֹא־כֵ֥ן אָ֝נֹכִ֗י עִמָּדִֽי׃

35Then I would speak out without fear;For I know myself not to be so.