וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ Job said in reply:
עַד־אָ֭נָה תּוֹגְי֣וּן נַפְשִׁ֑י וּֽתְדַכּאוּנַ֥נִי בְמִלִּֽים׃ How long will you grieve my spirit,
And crush me with words?
זֶ֤ה עֶ֣שֶׂר פְּ֭עָמִים תַּכְלִימ֑וּנִי לֹֽא־תֵ֝בֹ֗שׁוּ תַּהְכְּרוּ־לִֽי׃ aLit. “Ten times.”Time and again-a you humiliate me,
And are not ashamed to abuse me.
וְאַף־אׇמְנָ֥ם שָׁגִ֑יתִי אִ֝תִּ֗י תָּלִ֥ין מְשׁוּגָתִֽי׃ If indeed I have erred,
My error remains with me.
אִם־אׇ֭מְנָם עָלַ֣י תַּגְדִּ֑ילוּ וְתוֹכִ֥יחוּ עָ֝לַ֗י חֶרְפָּתִֽי׃ Though you are overbearing toward me,
Reproaching me with my disgrace,
דְּֽעוּ־אֵ֭פוֹ כִּֽי־אֱל֣וֹהַּ עִוְּתָ֑נִי וּ֝מְצוּד֗וֹ עָלַ֥י הִקִּֽיף׃ Yet know that God has wronged me;
He has thrown up siege works around me.
הֵ֤ן אֶצְעַ֣ק חָ֭מָס וְלֹ֣א אֵעָנֶ֑ה אֲ֝שַׁוַּ֗ע וְאֵ֣ין מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ I cry, “Violence!” but am not answered;
I shout, but can get no justice.
אׇרְחִ֣י גָ֭דַר וְלֹ֣א אֶעֱב֑וֹר וְעַ֥ל נְ֝תִיבוֹתַ֗י חֹ֣שֶׁךְ יָשִֽׂים׃ He has barred my way; I cannot pass;
He has laid darkness upon my path.
כְּ֭בוֹדִי מֵעָלַ֣י הִפְשִׁ֑יט וַ֝יָּ֗סַר עֲטֶ֣רֶת רֹאשִֽׁי׃ He has stripped me of my glory,
Removed the crown from my head.
יִתְּצֵ֣נִי סָ֭בִיב וָאֵלַ֑ךְ וַיַּסַּ֥ע כָּ֝עֵ֗ץ תִּקְוָתִֽי׃ He tears down every part of me; I perish;
He uproots my hope like a tree.
וַיַּ֣חַר עָלַ֣י אַפּ֑וֹ וַיַּחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי ל֣וֹ כְצָרָֽיו׃ He kindles His anger against me;
He regards me as one of His foes.
יַ֤חַד ׀ יָ֘בֹ֤אוּ גְדוּדָ֗יו וַיָּסֹ֣לּוּ עָלַ֣י דַּרְכָּ֑ם וַיַּחֲנ֖וּ סָבִ֣יב לְאׇהֳלִֽי׃ His troops advance together;
They build their road toward me
And encamp around my tent.
אַ֭חַי מֵעָלַ֣י הִרְחִ֑יק וְ֝יֹדְעַ֗י אַךְ־זָ֥רוּ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ He alienated my kin from me;
My acquaintances disown me.
חָדְל֥וּ קְרוֹבָ֑י וּֽמְיֻדָּעַ֥י שְׁכֵחֽוּנִי׃ My relatives are gone;
My friends have forgotten me.
גָּ֘רֵ֤י בֵיתִ֣י וְ֭אַמְהֹתַי לְזָ֣ר תַּחְשְׁבֻ֑נִי נׇ֝כְרִ֗י הָיִ֥יתִי בְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃ My dependents and maidservants regard me as a stranger;
I am an outsider to them.
לְעַבְדִּ֣י קָ֭רָאתִי וְלֹ֣א יַעֲנֶ֑ה בְּמוֹ־פִ֝֗י אֶתְחַנֶּן־לֽוֹ׃ I summon my servant but he does not respond;
I must myself entreat him.
ר֭וּחִי זָ֣רָה לְאִשְׁתִּ֑י וְ֝חַנֹּתִ֗י לִבְנֵ֥י בִטְנִֽי׃ My odor is repulsive to my wife;
I am loathsome to my children.
גַּם־עֲ֭וִילִים מָ֣אֲסוּ בִ֑י אָ֝ק֗וּמָה וַיְדַבְּרוּ־בִֽי׃ Even youngsters disdain me;
When I rise, they speak against me.
תִּ֭עֲבוּנִי כׇּל־מְתֵ֣י סוֹדִ֑י וְזֶה־אָ֝הַ֗בְתִּי נֶהְפְּכוּ־בִֽי׃ All my bosom friends detest me;
Those I love have turned against me.
בְּעוֹרִ֣י וּ֭בִבְשָׂרִי דָּבְקָ֣ה עַצְמִ֑י וָ֝אֶתְמַלְּטָ֗ה בְּע֣וֹר שִׁנָּֽי׃ My bones stick to my skin and flesh;
I escape with the skin of my teeth.
חׇנֻּ֬נִי חׇנֻּ֣נִי אַתֶּ֣ם רֵעָ֑י כִּ֥י יַד־אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַּ נָ֣גְעָה בִּֽי׃ Pity me, pity me! You are my friends;
For the hand of God has struck me!
לָ֭מָּה תִּרְדְּפֻ֣נִי כְמוֹ־אֵ֑ל וּ֝מִבְּשָׂרִ֗י לֹ֣א תִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃ Why do you pursue me like God,
bLit. “You are not satisfied with my flesh.”Maligning me insatiably?-b
מִי־יִתֵּ֣ן אֵ֭פוֹ וְיִכָּתְב֣וּן מִלָּ֑י מִי־יִתֵּ֖ן בַּסֵּ֣פֶר וְיֻחָֽקוּ׃ O that my words were written down;
Would they were inscribed in a record,
בְּעֵט־בַּרְזֶ֥ל וְעֹפָ֑רֶת לָ֝עַ֗ד בַּצּ֥וּר יֵחָצְבֽוּן׃ Incised on a rock forever
With iron stylus and lead!
וַאֲנִ֣י יָ֭דַעְתִּי גֹּ֣אֲלִי חָ֑י וְ֝אַחֲר֗וֹן עַל־עָפָ֥ר יָקֽוּם׃ But I know that my Vindicator lives;
In the end He will testify on earth—
וְאַחַ֣ר ע֭וֹרִי נִקְּפוּ־זֹ֑את וּ֝מִבְּשָׂרִ֗י אֶחֱזֶ֥ה אֱלֽוֹהַּ׃ This, after my skin will have been peeled off.
But I would behold God while still in my flesh,
אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲנִ֨י ׀ אֶחֱזֶה־לִּ֗י וְעֵינַ֣י רָא֣וּ וְלֹא־זָ֑ר כָּל֖וּ כִלְיֹתַ֣י בְּחֵקִֽי׃ I myself, not another, would behold Him;
Would see with my own eyes:
My heartcLit. “kidneys.” pines within me.
כִּ֣י תֹ֭אמְרוּ מַה־נִּרְדׇּף־ל֑וֹ וְשֹׁ֥רֶשׁ דָּ֝בָ֗ר נִמְצָא־בִֽי׃ You say, “How do we persecute him?
The root of the matter is in him.”dWith many mss. and versions; printed editions, “me.”
גּ֤וּרוּ לָכֶ֨ם ׀ מִפְּנֵי־חֶ֗רֶב כִּֽי־חֵ֭מָה עֲוֺנ֣וֹת חָ֑רֶב לְמַ֖עַן תֵּדְע֣וּן (שדין) [שַׁדּֽוּן]׃ {פ}
Be in fear of the sword,
For [your] fury is iniquity worthy of the sword;
Know there is a judgment!