1 Lo, mine eye hath seen all `this', Mine ear hath heard and understood it.

1 הֶן־כֹּ֖ל רָאֲתָ֣ה עֵינִ֑י שָֽׁמְעָ֥ה אָ֝זְנִ֗י וַתָּ֥בֶן לָֽהּ׃

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

2 כְּֽ֭דַעְתְּכֶם יָדַ֣עְתִּי גַם־אָ֑נִי לֹא־נֹפֵ֖ל אָנֹכִ֣י מִכֶּֽם׃

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

3 אוּלָ֗ם אֲ֭נִי אֶל־שַׁדַּ֣י אֲדַבֵּ֑ר וְהֹוכֵ֖חַ אֶל־אֵ֣ל אֶחְפָּֽץ׃

4 But ye are forgers of lies; Ye are all physicians of no value.

4 וְֽאוּלָ֗ם אַתֶּ֥ם טֹֽפְלֵי־שָׁ֑קֶר רֹפְאֵ֖י אֱלִ֣ל כֻּלְּכֶֽם׃

5 Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace! And it would be your wisdom.

5 מִֽי־יִ֭תֵּן הַחֲרֵ֣שׁ תַּחֲרִישׁ֑וּן וּתְהִ֖י לָכֶ֣ם לְחָכְמָֽה׃

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

6 שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֥א תֹוכַחְתִּ֑י וְרִבֹ֖ות שְׂפָתַ֣י הַקְשִֽׁיבוּ׃

7 Will ye speak unrighteously for God, And talk deceitfully for him?

7 הַ֭לְאֵל תְּדַבְּר֣וּ עַוְלָ֑ה וְ֝לֹ֗ו תְּֽדַבְּר֥וּ רְמִיָּֽה׃

8 Will ye show partiality to him? Will ye contend for God?

8 הֲפָנָ֥יו תִּשָּׂא֑וּן אִם־לָאֵ֥ל תְּרִיבֽוּן׃

9 Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceiveth a man, will ye deceive him?

9 הֲ֭טֹוב כִּֽי־יַחְקֹ֣ר אֶתְכֶ֑ם אִם־כְּהָתֵ֥ל בֶּ֝אֱנֹ֗ושׁ תְּהָתֵ֥לּוּ בֹֽו׃

10 He will surely reprove you If ye do secretly show partiality.

10 הֹוכֵ֣חַ יֹוכִ֣יחַ אֶתְכֶ֑ם אִם־בַּ֝סֵּ֗תֶר פָּנִ֥ים תִּשָּׂאֽוּן׃

11 Shall not his majesty make you afraid, And his dread fall upon you?

11 הֲלֹ֣א אֵתֹו תְּבַעֵ֣ת אֶתְכֶ֑ם וּ֝פַחְדֹּ֗ו יִפֹּ֥ל עֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

12 Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, Your defences are defences of clay.

12 זִֽ֭כְרֹנֵיכֶם מִשְׁלֵי־אֵ֑פֶר לְגַבֵּי־חֹ֝֗מֶר גַּבֵּיכֶֽם׃

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

13 הַחֲרִ֣ישׁוּ מִ֭מֶּנִּי וַאֲדַבְּרָה־אָ֑נִי וְיַעֲבֹ֖ר עָלַ֣י מָֽה׃

14 Wherefore should I take my flesh in my teeth, And put my life in my hand?

14 עַל־מָ֤ה׀ אֶשָּׂ֣א בְשָׂרִ֣י בְשִׁנָּ֑י וְ֝נַפְשִׁ֗י אָשִׂ֥ים בְּכַפִּֽי׃

15 Behold, he will slay me; I have no hope: Nevertheless I will maintain my ways before him.

15 הֵ֣ן יִ֭קְטְלֵנִי לֹא לֹ֣ו אֲיַחֵ֑ל אַךְ־דְּ֝רָכַ֗י אֶל־פָּנָ֥יו אֹוכִֽיחַ׃

16 This also shall be my salvation, That a godless man shall not come before him.

16 גַּם־הוּא־לִ֥י לִֽישׁוּעָ֑ה כִּי־לֹ֥א לְ֝פָנָ֗יו חָנֵ֥ף יָבֹֽוא׃

17 Hear diligently my speech, And let my declaration be in your ears.

17 שִׁמְע֣וּ מֹועַ מִלָּתִ֑י וְ֝אַֽחֲוָתִ֗י בְּאָזְנֵיכֶֽם׃

18 Behold now, I have set my cause in order; I know that I am righteous.

18 הִנֵּה־נָ֭א עָרַ֣כְתִּי מִשְׁפָּ֑ט יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּֽי־אֲנִ֥י אֶצְדָּֽק׃

19 Who is he that will contend with me? For then would I hold my peace and give up the ghost.

19 מִי־ה֭וּא יָרִ֣יב עִמָּדִ֑י כִּֽי־עַתָּ֖ה אַחֲרִ֣ישׁ וְאֶגְוָֽע׃

20 Only do not two things unto me; Then will I not hide myself from thy face:

20 אַךשְְ֭־תַּיִם אַל־תַּ֣עַשׂ עִמָּדִ֑י אָ֥ז מִ֝פָּנֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א אֶסָּתֵֽר׃

21 Withdraw thy hand far from me; And let not thy terror make me afraid.

21 כַּ֭פְּךָ מֵעָלַ֣י הַרְחַ֑ק וְ֝אֵ֥מָתְךָ֗³ אַֽל־תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃

22 Then call thou, and I will answer; Or let me speak, and answer thou me.

22 וּ֭קְרָא וְאָנֹכִ֣י אֶֽעֱנֶ֑ה אֹֽו־אֲ֝דַבֵּ֗ר וַהֲשִׁיבֵֽנִי׃

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

23 כַּמָּ֣ה לִ֭י עֲוֹנֹ֣ות וְחַטָּאֹ֑ות פִּֽשְׁעִ֥י וְ֝חַטָּאתִ֗י הֹדִיעֵֽנִי³׃

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

24 לָֽמָּה־פָנֶ֥יךָ תַסְתִּ֑יר וְתַחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי לְאֹויֵ֣ב לָֽךְ׃

25 Wilt thou harass a driven leaf? And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?

25 הֶעָלֶ֣ה נִדָּ֣ף תַּעֲרֹ֑וץ וְאֶת־קַ֖שׁ יָבֵ֣שׁ תִּרְדֹּֽף׃

26 For thou writest bitter things against me, And makest me to inherit the iniquities of my youth:

26 כִּֽי־תִכְתֹּ֣ב עָלַ֣י מְרֹרֹ֑ות וְ֝תֹורִישֵׁ֗נִי עֲוֹנֹ֥ות נְעוּרָֽי׃

27 Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, And markest all my paths; Thou settest a bound to the soles of my feet:

27 וְתָ֘שֵׂ֤ם בַּסַּ֨ד׀ רַגְלַ֗י וְתִשְׁמֹ֥ור כָּל־אָרְחֹותָ֑י עַל־שָׁרְשֵׁ֥י רַ֝גְלַ֗י תִּתְחַקֶּֽה׃

28 Though I am like a rotten thing that consumeth, Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

28 וְ֭הוּא כְּרָקָ֣ב יִבְלֶ֑ה כְּ֝בֶ֗גֶד אֲכָ֣לֹו עָֽשׁ׃