1 Then Job answered and said,

1 וַיַּ֥עַן אִיֹּ֗וב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

2 How long will ye vex my soul, And break me in pieces with words?

2 עַד־אָ֭נָה תֹּוגְי֣וּן נַפְשִׁ֑י וּֽתְדַכְּאוּנַ֥נִי בְמִלִּֽים׃

3 These ten times have ye reproached me: Ye are not ashamed that ye deal hardly with me.

3 זֶ֤ה עֶ֣שֶׂר פְּ֭עָמִים תַּכְלִימ֑וּנִי לֹֽא־תֵ֝בֹ֗שׁוּ תַּהְכְּרוּ־לִֽי׃

4 And be it indeed that I have erred, Mine error remaineth with myself.

4 וְאַף־אָמְנָ֥ם שָׁגִ֑יתִי אִ֝תִּ֗י תָּלִ֥ין מְשׁוּגָתִֽי׃

5 If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, And plead against me my reproach;

5 אִם־אָ֭מְנָם עָלַ֣י תַּגְדִּ֑ילוּ וְתֹוכִ֥יחוּ עָ֝לַ֗י חֶרְפָּתִּֽי¹׃

6 Know now that God hath subverted me `in my cause', And hath compassed me with his net.

6 דְּֽעוּ־אֵ֭פֹו כִּי־אֱלֹ֣והַּ עִוְּתָ֑נִי וּ֝מְצוּדֹ֗ו עָלַ֥י הִקִּֽיף׃

7 Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry for help, but there is no justice.

7 הֵ֤ן אֶצְעַ֣ק חָ֭מָס וְלֹ֣א אֵעָנֶ֑ה אֲ֝שַׁוַּ֗ע וְאֵ֣ין מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

8 He hath walled up my way that I cannot pass, And hath set darkness in my paths.

8 אָרְחִ֣י גָ֭דַר וְלֹ֣א אֶעֱבֹ֑ור וְעַ֥ל נְ֝תִיבֹותַ֗י חֹ֣שֶׁךְ יָשִֽׂים׃

9 He hath stripped me of my glory, And taken the crown from my head.

9 כְּ֭בֹודִי מֵעָלַ֣י הִפְשִׁ֑יט וַ֝יָּ֗סַר עֲטֶ֣רֶת רֹאשִֽׁי׃

10 He hath broken me down on every side, and I am gone; And my hope hath he plucked up like a tree.

10 יִתְּצֵ֣נִי סָ֭בִיב וָאֵלַ֑ךְ וַיַּסַּ֥ע כָּ֝עֵ֗ץ תִּקְוָתִֽי׃

11 He hath also kindled his wrath against me, And he counteth me unto him as `one of' his adversaries.

11 וַיַּ֣חַר עָלַ֣י אַפֹּ֑ו וַיַּחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי לֹ֣ו כְצָרָֽיו׃

12 His troops come on together, And cast up their way against me, And encamp round about my tent.

12 יַ֤חַד׀ יָ֘בֹ֤אוּ גְדוּדָ֗יו וַיָּסֹ֣לּוּ עָלַ֣י דַּרְכָּ֑ם וַיַּחֲנ֖וּ סָבִ֣יב לְאָהֳלִֽי׃

13 He hath put my brethren far from me, And mine acquaintance are wholly estranged from me.

13 אַ֭חַי מֵעָלַ֣י הִרְחִ֑יק וְ֝יֹדְעַ֗י אַךְ־זָ֥רוּ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

14 My kinsfolk have failed, And my familiar friends have forgotten me.

14 חָדְל֥וּ קְרֹובָ֑י וּֽמְיֻדָּעַ֥י³ שְׁכֵחֽוּנִי׃

15 They that dwell in my house, and my maids, count me for a stranger; I am an alien in their sight.

15 גָּ֘רֵ֤י בֵיתִ֣י וְ֭אַמְהֹתַי לְזָ֣ר תַּחְשְׁבֻ֑נִי נָ֝כְרִ֗י הָיִ֥יתִי בְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃

16 I call unto my servant, and he giveth me no answer, `Though' I entreat him with my mouth.

16 לְעַבְדִּ֣י קָ֭רָאתִי וְלֹ֣א יַעֲנֶ֑ה בְּמֹו־פִ֝֗י אֶתְחַנֶּן־לֹֽו׃

17 My breath is strange to my wife, And my supplication to the children of mine own mother.

17 ר֭וּחִֽי זָ֣רָה לְאִשְׁתִּ֑י וְ֝חַנֹּתִ֗י לִבְנֵ֥י בִטְנִֽי׃

18 Even young children despise me; If I arise, they speak against me.

18 גַּם־עֲ֭וִילִים מָ֣אֲסוּ בִ֑י אָ֝ק֗וּמָה וַיְדַבְּרוּ־בִֽי׃

19 All my familiar friends abhor me, And they whom I loved are turned against me.

19 תִּֽ֭עֲבוּנִי כָּל־מְתֵ֣י סֹודִ֑י וְזֶֽה־אָ֝הַ֗בְתִּי נֶהְפְּכוּ־בִֽי׃

20 My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, And I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.

20 בְּעֹורִ֣י וּ֭בִבְשָׂרִי דָּבְקָ֣ה עַצְמִ֑י וָ֝אֶתְמַלְּטָ֗ה בְּעֹ֣ור שִׁנָּֽי׃

21 Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; For the hand of God hath touched me.

21 חָנֻּ֬נִי חָנֻּ֣נִי אַתֶּ֣ם רֵעָ֑י כִּ֥י יַד־אֱ֝לֹ֗והַּ נָ֣גְעָה בִּֽי׃

22 Why do ye persecute me as God, And are not satisfied with my flesh?

22 לָ֭מָּה תִּרְדְּפֻ֣נִי כְמֹו־אֵ֑ל וּ֝מִבְּשָׂרִ֗י לֹ֣א תִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃

23 Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!

23 מִֽי־יִתֵּ֣ן אֵ֭פֹו וְיִכָּתְב֣וּן מִלָּ֑י מִֽי־יִתֵּ֖ן בַּסֵּ֣פֶר וְיֻחָֽקוּ׃

24 That with an iron pen and lead They were graven in the rock for ever!

24 בְּעֵט־בַּרְזֶ֥ל וְעֹפָ֑רֶת לָ֝עַ֗ד בַּצּ֥וּר יֵחָצְבֽוּן׃

25 But as for me I know that my Redeemer liveth, And at last he will stand up upon the earth:

25 וַאֲנִ֣י יָ֭דַעְתִּי גֹּ֣אֲלִי חָ֑י וְ֝אַחֲרֹ֗ון עַל־עָפָ֥ר יָקֽוּם׃

26 And after my skin, `even' this `body', is destroyed, Then without my flesh shall I see God;

26 וְאַחַ֣ר עֹ֖ורִֽי נִקְּפוּ־זֹ֑את וּ֝מִבְּשָׂרִ֗י אֶֽחֱזֶ֥ה אֱלֹֽוהַּ׃

27 Whom I, even I, shall see, on my side, And mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger. My heart is consumed within me.

27 אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲנִ֨י׀ אֶֽחֱזֶה־לִּ֗י וְעֵינַ֣י רָא֣וּ וְלֹא־זָ֑ר כָּל֖וּ כִלְיֹתַ֣י בְּחֵקִֽי׃

28 If ye say, How we will persecute him! And that the root of the matter is found in me;

28 כִּ֣י תֹ֖אמְרוּ מַה־נִּרְדָּף־לֹ֑ו וְשֹׁ֥רֶשׁ דָּ֝בָ֗ר נִמְצָא־בִֽי׃

29 Be ye afraid of the sword: For wrath `bringeth' the punishments of the sword, That ye may know there is a judgment.

29 גּ֤וּרוּ לָכֶ֨ם׀ מִפְּנֵי־חֶ֗רֶב כִּֽי־חֵ֭מָה עֲוֹנֹ֣ות חָ֑רֶב לְמַ֖עַן תֵּדְע֣וּן שַׁדִּין שַׁדּֽוּן׃