Job 13

הֶן־כֹּ֭ל רָאֲתָ֣ה עֵינִ֑י שָֽׁמְעָ֥ה אָ֝זְנִ֗י וַתָּ֥בֶן לָֽהּ׃

“Indeed, my eyes have seen all this; my ears have heard and understood.

Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it.

כְּֽ֭דַעְתְּכֶם יָדַ֣עְתִּי גַם־אָ֑נִי לֹא־נֹפֵ֖ל אָנֹכִ֣י מִכֶּֽם׃

What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you.

What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.

אוּלָ֗ם אֲ֭נִי אֶל־שַׁדַּ֣י אֲדַבֵּ֑ר וְהוֹכֵ֖חַ אֶל־אֵ֣ל אֶחְפָּֽץ׃

Yet I desire to speak to the Almighty and argue my case before God.

Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.

וְֽאוּלָ֗ם אַתֶּ֥ם טֹֽפְלֵי־שָׁ֑קֶר רֹפְאֵ֖י אֱלִ֣ל כֻּלְּכֶֽם׃

You, however, smear with lies; you are all worthless physicians.

But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.

מִֽי־יִ֭תֵּן הַחֲרֵ֣שׁ תַּחֲרִישׁ֑וּן וּתְהִ֖י לָכֶ֣ם לְחָכְמָֽה׃

If only you would remain silent; for that would be your wisdom!

O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.

שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֥א תוֹכַחְתִּ֑י וְרִב֖וֹת שְׂפָתַ֣י הַקְשִֽׁיבוּ׃

Hear now my argument, and listen to the plea of my lips.

Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.

הַ֭לְאֵל תְּדַבְּר֣וּ עַוְלָ֑ה וְ֝ל֗וֹ תְּֽדַבְּר֥וּ רְמִיָּֽה׃

Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf or speak deceitfully for Him?

Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?

הֲפָנָ֥יו תִּשָּׂא֑וּן אִם־לָאֵ֥ל תְּרִיבֽוּן׃

Would you show Him partiality or argue in His defense?

Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?

הֲ֭טוֹב כִּֽי־יַחְקֹ֣ר אֶתְכֶ֑ם אִם־כְּהָתֵ֥ל בֶּ֝אֱנ֗וֹשׁ תְּהָתֵ֥לּוּ בֽוֹ׃

Would it be well when He examined you? Could you deceive Him as you would deceive a man?

Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?

הוֹכֵ֣חַ יוֹכִ֣יחַ אֶתְכֶ֑ם אִם־בַּ֝סֵּ֗תֶר פָּנִ֥ים תִּשָּׂאֽוּן׃

Surely He would rebuke you if you secretly showed partiality.

He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.

הֲלֹ֣א שְׂ֭אֵתוֹ תְּבַעֵ֣ת אֶתְכֶ֑ם וּ֝פַחְדּ֗וֹ יִפֹּ֥ל עֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

Would His majesty not terrify you? Would the dread of Him not fall upon you?

Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?

זִֽ֭כְרֹנֵיכֶם מִשְׁלֵי־אֵ֑פֶר לְגַבֵּי־חֹ֝֗מֶר גַּבֵּיכֶֽם׃

Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay.

Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.

הַחֲרִ֣ישׁוּ מִ֭מֶּנִּי וַאֲדַבְּרָה־אָ֑נִי וְיַעֲבֹ֖ר עָלַ֣י מָֽה׃

Be silent, and I will speak. Then let come to me what may.

Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will.

עַל־מָ֤ה ׀ אֶשָּׂ֣א בְשָׂרִ֣י בְשִׁנָּ֑י וְ֝נַפְשִׁ֗י אָשִׂ֥ים בְּכַפִּֽי׃

Why do I put myself at risk and take my life in my own hands?

Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?

הֵ֣ן יִ֭קְטְלֵנִי (לא) [ל֣וֹ] אֲיַחֵ֑ל אַךְ־דְּ֝רָכַ֗י אֶל־פָּנָ֥יו אוֹכִֽיחַ׃

Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. I will still defend my ways to His face.

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

גַּם־הוּא־לִ֥י לִֽישׁוּעָ֑ה כִּי־לֹ֥א לְ֝פָנָ֗יו חָנֵ֥ף יָבֽוֹא׃

Moreover, this will be my salvation, for no godless man can appear before Him.

He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.

שִׁמְע֣וּ שָׁ֭מוֹעַ מִלָּתִ֑י וְ֝אַֽחֲוָתִ֗י בְּאָזְנֵיכֶֽם׃

Listen carefully to my words; let my declaration ring in your ears.

Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.

הִנֵּה־נָ֭א עָרַ֣כְתִּי מִשְׁפָּ֑ט יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י אֶצְדָּֽק׃

See now, I have prepared my case; I know that I will be vindicated.

Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.

מִי־ה֭וּא יָרִ֣יב עִמָּדִ֑י כִּֽי־עַתָּ֖ה אַחֲרִ֣ישׁ וְאֶגְוָֽע׃

Can anyone indict me? If so, I will be silent and die.

Who is he that will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.

אַךְ־שְׁ֭תַּיִם אַל־תַּ֣עַשׂ עִמָּדִ֑י אָ֥ז מִ֝פָּנֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א אֶסָּתֵֽר׃

Only grant these two things to me, so that I need not hide from You:

Only do not two things unto me: then will I not hide myself from thee.

כַּ֭פְּךָ מֵעָלַ֣י הַרְחַ֑ק וְ֝אֵ֥מָתְךָ֗ אַֽל־תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃

Withdraw Your hand from me, and do not let Your terror frighten me.

Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid.

וּ֭קְרָא וְאָנֹכִ֣י אֶֽעֱנֶ֑ה אֽוֹ־אֲ֝דַבֵּ֗ר וַהֲשִׁיבֵֽנִי׃

Then call me, and I will answer, or let me speak, and You can reply.

Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me.

כַּמָּ֣ה לִ֭י עֲוֺנ֣וֹת וְחַטָּא֑וֹת פִּֽשְׁעִ֥י וְ֝חַטָּאתִ֗י הֹדִיעֵֽנִי׃

How many are my iniquities and sins? Reveal to me my transgression and sin.

How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.

לָֽמָּה־פָנֶ֥יךָ תַסְתִּ֑יר וְתַחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי לְאוֹיֵ֣ב לָֽךְ׃

Why do You hide Your face and consider me as Your enemy?

Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?

הֶעָלֶ֣ה נִדָּ֣ף תַּעֲר֑וֹץ וְאֶת־קַ֖שׁ יָבֵ֣שׁ תִּרְדֹּֽף׃

Would You frighten a windblown leaf? Would You chase after dry chaff?

Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?

כִּֽי־תִכְתֹּ֣ב עָלַ֣י מְרֹר֑וֹת וְ֝תוֹרִישֵׁ֗נִי עֲוֺנ֥וֹת נְעוּרָֽי׃

For You record bitter accusations against me and bequeath to me the iniquities of my youth.

For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.

וְתָ֘שֵׂ֤ם בַּסַּ֨ד ׀ רַגְלַ֗י וְתִשְׁמ֥וֹר כָּל־אָרְחוֹתָ֑י עַל־שָׁרְשֵׁ֥י רַ֝גְלַ֗י תִּתְחַקֶּֽה׃

You put my feet in the stocks and stand watch over all my paths; You set a limit for the soles of my feet.

Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.

וְ֭הוּא כְּרָקָ֣ב יִבְלֶ֑ה כְּ֝בֶ֗גֶד אֲכָ֣לוֹ עָֽשׁ׃

So man wastes away like something rotten, like a moth-eaten garment.

And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.