1 "Behold, my eye has seen all this, My ear has heard and understood it.

1 הֶן־כֹּ֖ל רָאֲתָ֣ה עֵינִ֑י שָֽׁמְעָ֥ה אָ֝זְנִ֗י וַתָּ֥בֶן לָֽהּ׃

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

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

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

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

4 But you are forgers of lies. You are all physicians of no value.

4 וְֽאוּלָ֗ם אַתֶּ֥ם טֹֽפְלֵי־שָׁ֑קֶר רֹפְאֵ֖י אֱלִ֣ל כֻּלְּכֶֽם׃

5 Oh that you would be completely silent! Then you would be wise.

5 מִֽי־יִ֭תֵּן הַחֲרֵ֣שׁ תַּחֲרִישׁ֑וּן וּתְהִ֖י לָכֶ֣ם לְחָכְמָֽה׃

6 Hear now my reasoning. Listen to the pleadings of my lips.

6 שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֥א תֹוכַחְתִּ֑י וְרִבֹ֖ות שְׂפָתַ֣י הַקְשִֽׁיבוּ׃

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

7 הַ֭לְאֵל תְּדַבְּר֣וּ עַוְלָ֑ה וְ֝לֹ֗ו תְּֽדַבְּר֥וּ רְמִיָּֽה׃

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

8 הֲפָנָ֥יו תִּשָּׂא֑וּן אִם־לָאֵ֥ל תְּרִיבֽוּן׃

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

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

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

10 הֹוכֵ֣חַ יֹוכִ֣יחַ אֶתְכֶ֑ם אִם־בַּ֝סֵּ֗תֶר פָּנִ֥ים תִּשָּׂאֽוּן׃

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

11 הֲלֹ֣א אֵתֹו תְּבַעֵ֣ת אֶתְכֶ֑ם וּ֝פַחְדֹּ֗ו יִפֹּ֥ל עֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

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

12 זִֽ֭כְרֹנֵיכֶם מִשְׁלֵי־אֵ֑פֶר לְגַבֵּי־חֹ֝֗מֶר גַּבֵּיכֶֽם׃

13 "Be silent, leave me alone, that I may speak. Let come on me what will.

13 הַחֲרִ֣ישׁוּ מִ֭מֶּנִּי וַאֲדַבְּרָה־אָ֑נִי וְיַעֲבֹ֖ר עָלַ֣י מָֽה׃

14 Why 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 kill 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. Let my declaration be in your ears.

17 שִׁמְע֣וּ מֹועַ מִלָּתִ֑י וְ֝אַֽחֲוָתִ֗י בְּאָזְנֵיכֶֽם׃

18 See 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 who will contend with me? For then would I hold my peace and give up the spirit.

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

20 "Only don't do two things to me; Then I will not hide myself from your face:

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

21 Withdraw your hand far from me; And don't let your terror make me afraid.

21 כַּ֭פְּךָ מֵעָלַ֣י הַרְחַ֑ק וְ֝אֵ֥מָתְךָ֗³ אַֽל־תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃

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

22 וּ֭קְרָא וְאָנֹכִ֣י אֶֽעֱנֶ֑ה אֹֽו־אֲ֝דַבֵּ֗ר וַהֲשִׁיבֵֽנִי׃

23 How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my disobedience and my sin.

23 כַּמָּ֣ה לִ֭י עֲוֹנֹ֣ות וְחַטָּאֹ֑ות פִּֽשְׁעִ֥י וְ֝חַטָּאתִ֗י הֹדִיעֵֽנִי³׃

24 Why hide you your face, And hold me for your enemy?

24 לָֽמָּה־פָנֶ֥יךָ תַסְתִּ֑יר וְתַחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי לְאֹויֵ֣ב לָֽךְ׃

25 Will you harass a driven leaf? Will you pursue the dry stubble?

25 הֶעָלֶ֣ה נִדָּ֣ף תַּעֲרֹ֑וץ וְאֶת־קַ֖שׁ יָבֵ֣שׁ תִּרְדֹּֽף׃

26 For you write bitter things against me, And make me inherit the iniquities of my youth:

26 כִּֽי־תִכְתֹּ֣ב עָלַ֣י מְרֹרֹ֑ות וְ֝תֹורִישֵׁ֗נִי עֲוֹנֹ֥ות נְעוּרָֽי׃

27 You also put my feet in the stocks, And mark all my paths. You set a bound to the soles of my feet:

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

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

28 וְ֭הוּא כְּרָקָ֣ב יִבְלֶ֑ה כְּ֝בֶ֗גֶד אֲכָ֣לֹו עָֽשׁ׃