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Hebrew Study Bible

1Then Job answered:

1וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

2"Truly, I know that this is so. But how can a human be just before God?

2אָ֭מְנָם יָדַ֣עְתִּי כִי־ כֵ֑ן וּמַה־ יִּצְדַּ֖ק אֱנ֣וֹשׁ עִם־ אֵֽל׃

3If someone wishes to contend with him, he cannot answer him one time in a thousand.

3אִם־ יַ֭חְפֹּץ לָרִ֣יב עִמּ֑וֹ לֹֽא־ יַ֝עֲנֶ֗נּוּ אַחַ֥ת מִנִּי־ אָֽלֶף׃

4He is wise in heart and mighty in strength--who has resisted him and remained safe?

4חֲכַ֣ם לֵ֭בָב וְאַמִּ֣יץ כֹּ֑חַ מִֽי־ הִקְשָׁ֥ה אֵ֝לָ֗יו וַיִּשְׁלָֽם׃

5He who removes mountains suddenly, who overturns them in his anger;

5הַמַּעְתִּ֣יק הָ֭רִים וְלֹ֣א יָדָ֑עוּ אֲשֶׁ֖ר הֲפָכָ֣ם בְּאַפּֽוֹ׃

6he who shakes the earth out of its place so that its pillars tremble;

6הַמַּרְגִּ֣יז אֶ֭רֶץ מִמְּקוֹמָ֑הּ וְ֝עַמּוּדֶ֗יהָ יִתְפַלָּצֽוּן׃‪‬

7he who commands the sun and it does not shine and seals up the stars;

7הָאֹמֵ֣ר לַ֭חֶרֶס וְלֹ֣א יִזְרָ֑ח וּבְעַ֖ד כּוֹכָבִ֣ים יַחְתֹּֽם׃

8he alone spreads out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea;

8נֹטֶ֣ה שָׁמַ֣יִם לְבַדּ֑וֹ וְ֝דוֹרֵ֗ךְ עַל־ בָּ֥מֳתֵי יָֽם׃

9he makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the constellations of the southern sky;

9עֹֽשֶׂה־ עָ֭שׁ כְּסִ֥יל וְכִימָ֗ה וְחַדְרֵ֥י תֵמָֽן׃

10he does great and unsearchable things, and wonderful things without number.

10עֹשֶׂ֣ה גְ֭דֹלוֹת עַד־ אֵ֣ין חֵ֑קֶר וְנִפְלָא֗וֹת עַד־ אֵ֥ין מִסְפָּֽר׃

11If he passes by me, I cannot see him, if he goes by, I cannot perceive him.

11הֵ֤ן יַעֲבֹ֣ר עָ֭לַי וְלֹ֣א אֶרְאֶ֑ה וְ֝יַחֲלֹ֗ף וְֽלֹא־ אָבִ֥ין לֽוֹ׃

12If he snatches away, who can turn him back? Who dares to say to him, 'What are you doing?'

12הֵ֣ן יַ֭חְתֹּף מִ֣י יְשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ מִֽי־ יֹאמַ֥ר אֵ֝לָ֗יו מַֽה־ תַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃

13God does not restrain his anger; under him the helpers of Rahab lie crushed.

13אֱ֭לוֹהַּ לֹא־ יָשִׁ֣יב אַפּ֑וֹ [תחתו] (תַּחְתָּ֥יו) שָׁ֝חֲח֗וּ עֹ֣זְרֵי רָֽהַב׃

14"How much less, then, can I answer him and choose my words to argue with him!

14אַ֭ף כִּֽי־ אָנֹכִ֣י אֶֽעֱנֶ֑נּוּ אֶבְחֲרָ֖ה דְבָרַ֣י עִמּֽוֹ׃

15Although I am innocent, I could not answer him; I could only plead with my judge for mercy.

15אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִם־ צָ֭דַקְתִּי לֹ֣א אֶעֱנֶ֑ה לִ֝מְשֹׁפְטִ֗י אֶתְחַנָּֽן׃

16If I summoned him, and he answered me, I would not believe that he would be listening to my voice--

16אִם־ קָרָ֥אתִי וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑נִי לֹֽא־ אַ֝אֲמִ֗ין כִּֽי־ יַאֲזִ֥ין קוֹלִֽי׃

17he who crushes me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds for no reason.

17אֲשֶׁר־ בִּשְׂעָרָ֥ה יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי וְהִרְבָּ֖ה פְצָעַ֣י חִנָּֽם׃

18He does not allow me to recover my breath, for he fills me with bitterness.

18לֹֽא־ יִ֭תְּנֵנִי הָשֵׁ֣ב רוּחִ֑י כִּ֥י יַ֝שְׂבִּעַ֗נִי מַמְּרֹרִֽים׃

19If it is a matter of strength, most certainly he is the strong one! And if it is a matter of justice, he will say, 'Who will summon me?'

19אִם־ לְכֹ֣חַ אַמִּ֣יץ הִנֵּ֑ה וְאִם־ לְ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט מִ֣י יוֹעִידֵֽנִי׃

20Although I am innocent, my mouth would condemn me; although I am blameless, it would declare me perverse.

20אִם־ אֶ֭צְדָּק פִּ֣י יַרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי תָּֽם־ אָ֝֗נִי וַֽיַּעְקְשֵֽׁנִי׃

21I am blameless. I do not know myself. I despise my life.

21תָּֽם־ אָ֭נִי לֹֽא־ אֵדַ֥ע נַפְשִׁ֗י אֶמְאַ֥ס חַיָּֽי׃

22"It is all one! That is why I say, 'He destroys the blameless and the guilty.'

22אַחַ֗ת הִ֥יא עַל־ כֵּ֥ן אָמַ֑רְתִּי תָּ֥ם וְ֝רָשָׁ֗ע ה֣וּא מְכַלֶּֽה׃

23If a scourge brings sudden death, he mocks at the despair of the innocent.

23אִם־ שׁ֭וֹט יָמִ֣ית פִּתְאֹ֑ם לְמַסַּ֖ת נְקִיִּ֣ם יִלְעָֽג׃

24If a land has been given into the hand of a wicked man, he covers the faces of its judges; if it is not he, then who is it?

24אֶ֤רֶץ ׀ נִתְּנָ֬ה בְֽיַד־ רָשָׁ֗ע פְּנֵֽי־ שֹׁפְטֶ֥יהָ יְכַסֶּ֑ה אִם־ לֹ֖א אֵפ֣וֹא מִי־ הֽוּא׃

25"My days are swifter than a runner, they speed by without seeing happiness.

25וְיָמַ֣י קַ֭לּוּ מִנִּי־ רָ֑ץ בָּֽ֝רְח֗וּ לֹא־ רָא֥וּ טוֹבָֽה׃

26They glide by like reed boats, like an eagle that swoops down on its prey.

26חָ֭לְפוּ עִם־ אֳנִיּ֣וֹת אֵבֶ֑ה כְּ֝נֶ֗שֶׁר יָט֥וּשׂ עֲלֵי־ אֹֽכֶל׃

27If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression and be cheerful,'

27אִם־ אָ֭מְרִי אֶשְׁכְּחָ֣ה שִׂיחִ֑י אֶעֶזְבָ֖ה פָנַ֣י וְאַבְלִֽיגָה׃

28I dread all my sufferings, for I know that you do not hold me blameless.

28יָגֹ֥רְתִּי כָל־ עַצְּבֹתָ֑י יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּי־ לֹ֥א תְנַקֵּֽנִי׃

29If I am guilty, why then weary myself in vain?

29אָנֹכִ֥י אֶרְשָׁ֑ע לָמָּה־ זֶּ֝֗ה הֶ֣בֶל אִיגָֽע׃

30If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands clean with lye,

30אִם־ הִתְרָחַ֥צְתִּי [במו־] (בְמֵי־) שָׁ֑לֶג וַ֝הֲזִכּ֗וֹתִי בְּבֹ֣ר כַּפָּֽי׃

31then you plunge me into a slimy pit and my own clothes abhor me.

31אָ֭ז בַּשַּׁ֣חַת תִּטְבְּלֵ֑נִי וְ֝תִֽעֲב֗וּנִי שַׂלְמוֹתָֽי׃

32For he is not a human being like I am, that I might answer him, that we might come together in judgment.

32כִּי־ לֹא־ אִ֣ישׁ כָּמֹ֣נִי אֶֽעֱנֶ֑נּוּ נָב֥וֹא יַ֝חְדָּ֗ו בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

33Nor is there an arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both,

33לֹ֣א יֵשׁ־ בֵּינֵ֣ינוּ מוֹכִ֑יחַ יָשֵׁ֖ת יָד֣וֹ עַל־ שְׁנֵֽינוּ׃

34who would take his rod away from me so that his terror would not make me afraid.

34יָסֵ֣ר מֵעָלַ֣י שִׁבְט֑וֹ וְ֝אֵמָת֗וֹ אַֽל־ תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃

35Then would I speak and not fear him, but it is not so with me.

35אַֽ֭דַבְּרָה וְלֹ֣א אִירָאֶ֑נּוּ כִּ֥י לֹא־ כֵ֥ן אָ֝נֹכִ֗י עִמָּדִֽי׃

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