Job 9

וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then Job answered:

Then Job answered and said,

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

“Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God?

I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?

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

If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.

If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.

חֲכַ֣ם לֵ֭בָב וְאַמִּ֣יץ כֹּ֑חַ מִֽי־הִקְשָׁ֥ה אֵ֝לָ֗יו וַיִּשְׁלָֽם׃

God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted Him and prospered?

He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?

הַמַּעְתִּ֣יק הָ֭רִים וְלֹ֣א יָדָ֑עוּ אֲשֶׁ֖ר הֲפָכָ֣ם בְּאַפּֽוֹ׃

He moves mountains without their knowledge and overturns them in His anger.

Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.

הַמַּרְגִּ֣יז אֶ֭רֶץ מִמְּקוֹמָ֑הּ וְ֝עַמּוּדֶ֗יהָ יִתְפַלָּצֽוּן׃

He shakes the earth from its place, so that its foundations tremble.

Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.

הָאֹמֵ֣ר לַ֭חֶרֶס וְלֹ֣א יִזְרָ֑ח וּבְעַ֖ד כּוֹכָבִ֣ים יַחְתֹּֽם׃

He commands the sun not to shine; He seals off the stars.

Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.

נֹטֶ֣ה שָׁמַ֣יִם לְבַדּ֑וֹ וְ֝דוֹרֵ֗ךְ עַל־בָּ֥מֳתֵי יָֽם׃

He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.

Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

עֹֽשֶׂה־עָ֭שׁ כְּסִ֥יל וְכִימָ֗ה וְחַדְרֵ֥י תֵמָֽן׃

He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.

Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

עֹשֶׂ֣ה גְ֭דֹלוֹת עַד־אֵ֣ין חֵ֑קֶר וְנִפְלָא֗וֹת עַד־אֵ֥ין מִסְפָּֽר׃

He does great things beyond searching out, and wonders without number.

Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.

הֵ֤ן יַעֲבֹ֣ר עָ֭לַי וְלֹ֣א אֶרְאֶ֑ה וְ֝יַחֲלֹ֗ף וְֽלֹא־אָבִ֥ין לֽוֹ׃

Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.

Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.

הֵ֣ן יַ֭חְתֹּף מִ֣י יְשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ מִֽי־יֹאמַ֥ר אֵ֝לָ֗יו מַֽה־תַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃

If He takes away, who can stop Him? Who dares to ask Him, ‘What are You doing?’

Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?

אֱ֭לוֹהַּ לֹא־יָשִׁ֣יב אַפּ֑וֹ (תחתו) [תַּחְתָּ֥יו] שָׁ֝חֲח֗וּ עֹ֣זְרֵי רָֽהַב׃

God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him.

If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him.

אַ֭ף כִּֽי־אָנֹכִ֣י אֶֽעֱנֶ֑נּוּ אֶבְחֲרָ֖ה דְבָרַ֣י עִמּֽוֹ׃

How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?

How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?

אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִם־צָ֭דַקְתִּי לֹ֣א אֶעֱנֶ֑ה לִ֝מְשֹׁפְטִ֗י אֶתְחַנָּֽן׃

For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.

Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.

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

If I summoned Him and He answered me, I do not believe He would listen to my voice.

If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.

אֲשֶׁר־בִּשְׂעָרָ֥ה יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי וְהִרְבָּ֖ה פְצָעַ֣י חִנָּֽם׃

For He would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause.

For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

לֹֽא־יִ֭תְּנֵנִי הָשֵׁ֣ב רוּחִ֑י כִּ֥י יַ֝שְׂבִּעַ֗נִי מַמְּרֹרִֽים׃

He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness.

He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.

אִם־לְכֹ֣חַ אַמִּ֣יץ הִנֵּ֑ה וְאִם־לְ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט מִ֣י יוֹעִידֵֽנִי׃

If it is a matter of strength, He is indeed mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?

If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?

אִם־אֶ֭צְדָּק פִּ֣י יַרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי תָּֽם־אָ֝֗נִי וַֽיַּעְקְשֵֽׁנִי׃

Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.

If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.

תָּֽם־אָ֭נִי לֹֽא־אֵדַ֥ע נַפְשִׁ֗י אֶמְאַ֥ס חַיָּֽי׃

Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life.

Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

אַחַ֗ת הִ֥יא עַל־כֵּ֥ן אָמַ֑רְתִּי תָּ֥ם וְ֝רָשָׁ֗ע ה֣וּא מְכַלֶּֽה׃

It is all the same, and so I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’

This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

אִם־שׁ֭וֹט יָמִ֣ית פִּתְאֹ֑ם לְמַסַּ֖ת נְקִיִּ֣ם יִלְעָֽג׃

When the scourge brings sudden death, He mocks the despair of the innocent.

If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

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

The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He blindfolds its judges. If it is not He, then who is it?

The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?

וְיָמַ֣י קַ֭לּוּ מִנִּי־רָ֑ץ בָּֽ֝רְח֗וּ לֹא־רָא֥וּ טוֹבָֽה׃

My days are swifter than a runner; they flee without seeing good.

Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.

חָ֭לְפוּ עִם־אֳנִיּ֣וֹת אֵבֶ֑ה כְּ֝נֶ֗שֶׁר יָט֥וּשׂ עֲלֵי־אֹֽכֶל׃

They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.

They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.

אִם־אָ֭מְרִי אֶשְׁכְּחָ֣ה שִׂיחִ֑י אֶעֶזְבָ֖ה פָנַ֣י וְאַבְלִֽיגָה׃

If I were to say, ‘I will forget my complaint and change my expression and smile,’

If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:

יָגֹ֥רְתִּי כָל־עַצְּבֹתָ֑י יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּי־לֹ֥א תְנַקֵּֽנִי׃

I would still dread all my sufferings; I know that You will not acquit me.

I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

אָנֹכִ֥י אֶרְשָׁ֑ע לָמָּה־זֶּ֝֗ה הֶ֣בֶל אִיגָֽע׃

Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain?

If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?

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

If I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye,

If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;

אָ֭ז בַּשַּׁ֣חַת תִּטְבְּלֵ֑נִי וְ֝תִֽעֲב֗וּנִי שַׂלְמוֹתָֽי׃

then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me.

Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.

כִּי־לֹא־אִ֣ישׁ כָּמֹ֣נִי אֶֽעֱנֶ֑נּוּ נָב֥וֹא יַ֝חְדָּ֗ו בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

For He is not a man like me, that I can answer Him, that we can take each other to court.

For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.

לֹ֣א יֵשׁ־בֵּינֵ֣ינוּ מוֹכִ֑יחַ יָשֵׁ֖ת יָד֣וֹ עַל־שְׁנֵֽינוּ׃

Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.

Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.

יָסֵ֣ר מֵעָלַ֣י שִׁבְט֑וֹ וְ֝אֵמָת֗וֹ אַֽל־תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃

Let Him remove His rod from me, so that His terror will no longer frighten me.

Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:

אַֽ֭דַבְּרָה וְלֹ֣א אִירָאֶ֑נּוּ כִּ֥י לֹא־כֵ֥ן אָ֝נֹכִ֗י עִמָּדִֽי׃

Then I would speak without fear of Him. But as it is, I am on my own.

Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.