1 And Job answereth and saith: --

1 וַיַּ֥עַן אִיֹּ֗וב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

2 Till when do ye afflict my soul, And bruise me with words?

2 עַד־אָ֭נָה תֹּוגְי֣וּן נַפְשִׁ֑י וּֽתְדַכְּאוּנַ֥נִי בְמִלִּֽים׃

3 These ten times ye put me to shame, ye blush not. Ye make yourselves strange to me --

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

4 And also -- truly, I have erred, With me doth my error remain.

4 וְאַף־אָמְנָ֥ם שָׁגִ֑יתִי אִ֝תִּ֗י תָּלִ֥ין מְשׁוּגָתִֽי׃

5 If, truly, over me ye magnify yourselves, And decide against me my reproach;

5 אִם־אָ֭מְנָם עָלַ֣י תַּגְדִּ֑ילוּ וְתֹוכִ֥יחוּ עָ֝לַ֗י חֶרְפָּתִּֽי¹׃

6 Know now, that God turned me upside down, And His net against me hath set round,

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

7 Lo, I cry out -- violence, and am not answered, I cry aloud, and there is no judgment.

7 הֵ֤ן אֶצְעַ֣ק חָ֭מָס וְלֹ֣א אֵעָנֶ֑ה אֲ֝שַׁוַּ֗ע וְאֵ֣ין מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

8 My way He hedged up, and I pass not over, And on my paths darkness He placeth.

8 אָרְחִ֣י גָ֭דַר וְלֹ֣א אֶעֱבֹ֑ור וְעַ֥ל נְ֝תִיבֹותַ֗י חֹ֣שֶׁךְ יָשִֽׂים׃

9 Mine honour from off me He hath stripped, And He turneth the crown from my head.

9 כְּ֭בֹודִי מֵעָלַ֣י הִפְשִׁ֑יט וַ֝יָּ֗סַר עֲטֶ֣רֶת רֹאשִֽׁי׃

10 He breaketh me down round about, and I go, And removeth like a tree my hope.

10 יִתְּצֵ֣נִי סָ֭בִיב וָאֵלַ֑ךְ וַיַּסַּ֥ע כָּ֝עֵ֗ץ תִּקְוָתִֽי׃

11 And He kindleth against me His anger, And reckoneth me to Him as His adversaries.

11 וַיַּ֣חַר עָלַ֣י אַפֹּ֑ו וַיַּחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי לֹ֣ו כְצָרָֽיו׃

12 Come in do His troops together, And they raise up against me their way, And encamp round about my tent.

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

13 My brethren from me He hath put far off, And mine acquaintances surely Have been estranged from me.

13 אַ֭חַי מֵעָלַ֣י הִרְחִ֑יק וְ֝יֹדְעַ֗י אַךְ־זָ֥רוּ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

14 Ceased have my neighbours And my familiar friends have forgotten me,

14 חָדְל֥וּ קְרֹובָ֑י וּֽמְיֻדָּעַ֥י³ שְׁכֵחֽוּנִי׃

15 Sojourners of my house and my maids, For a stranger reckon me: An alien I have been in their eyes.

15 גָּ֘רֵ֤י בֵיתִ֣י וְ֭אַמְהֹתַי לְזָ֣ר תַּחְשְׁבֻ֑נִי נָ֝כְרִ֗י הָיִ֥יתִי בְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃

16 To my servant I have called, And he doth not answer, With my mouth I make supplication to him.

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

17 My spirit is strange to my wife, And my favours to the sons of my `mother's' womb.

17 ר֭וּחִֽי זָ֣רָה לְאִשְׁתִּ֑י וְ֝חַנֹּתִ֗י לִבְנֵ֥י בִטְנִֽי׃

18 Also sucklings have despised me, I rise, and they speak against me.

18 גַּם־עֲ֭וִילִים מָ֣אֲסוּ בִ֑י אָ֝ק֗וּמָה וַיְדַבְּרוּ־בִֽי׃

19 Abominate me do all the men of my counsel, And those I have loved, Have been turned against me.

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

20 To my skin and to my flesh Cleaved hath my bone, And I deliver myself with the skin of my teeth.

20 בְּעֹורִ֣י וּ֭בִבְשָׂרִי דָּבְקָ֣ה עַצְמִ֑י וָ֝אֶתְמַלְּטָ֗ה בְּעֹ֣ור שִׁנָּֽי׃

21 Pity me, pity me, ye my friends, For the hand of God hath stricken against me.

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

22 Why do you pursue me as God? And with my flesh are not satisfied?

22 לָ֭מָּה תִּרְדְּפֻ֣נִי כְמֹו־אֵ֑ל וּ֝מִבְּשָׂרִ֗י לֹ֣א תִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃

23 Who doth grant now, That my words may be written? Who doth grant that in a book they may be graven?

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

24 With a pen of iron and lead -- For ever in a rock they may be hewn.

24 בְּעֵט־בַּרְזֶ֥ל וְעֹפָ֑רֶת לָ֝עַ֗ד בַּצּ֥וּר יֵחָצְבֽוּן׃

25 That -- I have known my Redeemer, The Living and the Last, For the dust he doth rise.

25 וַאֲנִ֣י יָ֭דַעְתִּי גֹּ֣אֲלִי חָ֑י וְ֝אַחֲרֹ֗ון עַל־עָפָ֥ר יָקֽוּם׃

26 And after my skin hath compassed this `body', Then from my flesh I see God:

26 וְאַחַ֣ר עֹ֖ורִֽי נִקְּפוּ־זֹ֑את וּ֝מִבְּשָׂרִ֗י אֶֽחֱזֶ֥ה אֱלֹֽוהַּ׃

27 Whom I -- I see on my side, And mine eyes have beheld, and not a stranger, Consumed have been my reins in my bosom.

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

28 But ye say, `Why do we pursue after him?' And the root of the matter hath been found in me.

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

29 Be ye afraid because of the sword, For furious `are' the punishments of the sword, That ye may know that `there is' a judgment.

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