Job Decries His Comforters

1  וַיַּ֥עַן (And answered) אִיּ֗וֹב (Job) וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ (and said):

2  שָׁמַ֣עְתִּי (I have heard) כְאֵ֣לֶּה (such things) רַבּ֑וֹת (many),

מְנַחֲמֵ֖י (comforters) עָמָ֣ל (of trouble) כֻּלְּכֶֽם׃ (all of you⁺).

3  הֲקֵ֥ץ (Is an end) לְדִבְרֵי־ (to words) ר֑וּחַ (of wind)?

א֥וֹ (Or) מַה־ (what) יַּ֝מְרִֽיצְךָ֗ (compels you) כִּ֣י (that) תַעֲנֶֽה׃ (you answer)?

4  גַּ֤ם׀ (Also) אָנֹכִי֮ (I) כָּכֶ֪ם (as you⁺) אֲדַ֫בֵּ֥רָה (could speak)

ל֤וּ־ (if) יֵ֪שׁ (were) נַפְשְׁכֶ֡ם (your⁺ soul) תַּ֤חַת (in place) נַפְשִׁ֗י (of my soul).

אַחְבִּ֣ירָה (I could join together) עֲלֵיכֶ֣ם (against you⁺) בְּמִלִּ֑ים (words)

וְאָנִ֥יעָה (and shake) עֲ֝לֵיכֶ֗ם (at you⁺) בְּמ֣וֹ (with) רֹאשִֽׁי׃ (my head).

5  אֲאַמִּצְכֶ֥ם (I could strengthen you⁺) בְּמוֹ־ (with) פִ֑י (my mouth),

וְנִ֖יד (and the moving) שְׂפָתַ֣י (of my lips) יַחְשֹֽׂךְ׃ (would bring relief).

6  אִֽם־ (If) אֲ֭דַבְּרָה (I speak), לֹא־ (not) יֵחָשֵׂ֣ךְ (relieved) כְּאֵבִ֑י (my sorrow),

וְ֝אַחְדְּלָ֗ה (and if I cease) מַה־ (how) מִנִּ֥י (from me) יַהֲלֹֽךְ׃ (will it go)?

7  אַךְ־ (Surely) עַתָּ֥ה (now) הֶלְאָ֑נִי (He has worn me out);

הֲ֝שִׁמּ֗וֹתָ (You have devastated) כָּל־ (all) עֲדָתִֽי׃ (my company).

8  וַֽ֭תִּקְמְטֵנִי (You have bound me), לְעֵ֣ד (a witness) הָיָ֑ה (it is),

וַיָּ֥קָם (and it rises up) בִּ֥י (against me) כַ֝חֲשִׁ֗י (my leanness), בְּפָנַ֥י (against my face) יַעֲנֶֽה׃ (it testifies).

9  אַפּ֤וֹ (His anger) טָרַ֨ף׀ (He tears me) וַֽיִּשְׂטְמֵ֗נִי (and hates me),

חָרַ֣ק (He gnashes) עָלַ֣י (at me) בְּשִׁנָּ֑יו (with His teeth);

צָרִ֓י׀ (My adversary) יִלְט֖וֹשׁ (sharpens) עֵינָ֣יו (His eyes) לִֽי׃ (against me).

10  פָּעֲר֬וּ (They gape) עָלַ֨י׀ (at me) בְּפִיהֶ֗ם (with their mouth),

בְּ֭חֶרְפָּה (with reproach) הִכּ֣וּ (they strike) לְחָיָ֑י (my cheeks);

יַ֝֗חַד (as one) עָלַ֥י (against me) יִתְמַלָּאֽוּן׃ (they mass themselves).

11  יַסְגִּירֵ֣נִי (Shuts me up) אֵ֭ל (God) אֶ֣ל (to) עֲוִ֑יל (the ungodly),

וְעַל־ (and upon) יְדֵ֖י (the hands) רְשָׁעִ֣ים (of the wicked) יִרְטֵֽנִי׃ (He wrings me out).

12  שָׁ֘לֵ֤ו (At ease) הָיִ֨יתִי׀ (I was), וַֽיְפַרְפְּרֵ֗נִי (and He broke me);

וְאָחַ֣ז (and He seized me) בְּ֭עָרְפִּי (by my neck) וַֽיְפַצְפְּצֵ֑נִי (and shattered me),

וַיְקִימֵ֥נִי (and has stood me up) ל֝֗וֹ (for Him) לְמַטָּרָֽה׃ (as a target).

13  יָ֘סֹ֤בּוּ (Circle round) עָלַ֨י׀ (against me) רַבָּ֗יו (His archers);

יְפַלַּ֣ח (He splits) כִּ֭לְיוֹתַי (my kidneys) וְלֹ֣א (and not) יַחְמ֑וֹל (does He spare);

יִשְׁפֹּ֥ךְ (He pours out) לָ֝אָ֗רֶץ (on the ground) מְרֵרָֽתִי׃ (my gall).

14  יִפְרְצֵ֣נִי (He breaches me) פֶ֭רֶץ (breach) עַל־ (upon) פְּנֵי־ (face) פָ֑רֶץ (of the breach),

יָרֻ֖ץ (He runs) עָלַ֣י (upon me) כְּגִבּֽוֹר׃ (like a warrior).

15  שַׂ֣ק (Sackcloth) תָּ֭פַרְתִּי (I have sewn) עֲלֵ֣י (over) גִלְדִּ֑י (my skin),

וְעֹלַ֖לְתִּי (and I have thrust) בֶעָפָ֣ר (into the dust) קַרְנִֽי׃ (my horn).

16  פָּנַ֣י (My face) חֳמַרְמְרָה (is red) מִנִּי־ (from) בֶ֑כִי (weeping),

וְעַ֖ל (and on) עַפְעַפַּ֣י (my eyelids is) צַלְמָֽוֶת׃ (the shadow of death),

17  עַ֭ל (although) לֹא־ (is not) חָמָ֣ס (violence) בְּכַפָּ֑י (in my palms),

וּֽתְפִלָּתִ֥י (and my prayer) זַכָּֽה׃ (is pure).

18  אֶ֭רֶץ (O earth), אַל־ (not) תְּכַסִּ֣י (should you cover) דָמִ֑י (my blood),

וְֽאַל־ (and do not) יְהִ֥י (let there be) מָ֝ק֗וֹם (a place) לְזַעֲקָתִֽי׃ (for my cry).

19  גַּם־ (Even) עַ֭תָּה (now) הִנֵּה־ (behold) בַשָּׁמַ֣יִם (in the heavens) עֵדִ֑י (is my testimony),

וְ֝שָׂהֲדִ֗י (and my witness) בַּמְּרוֹמִֽים׃ (is in the heights).

20  מְלִיצַ֥י (Are mocking me) רֵעָ֑י (my friends);

אֶל־ (to) אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַ (God) דָּלְפָ֥ה (pours out) עֵינִֽי׃ (my eye).

21  וְיוֹכַ֣ח (And he reasons) לְגֶ֣בֶר (a man) עִם־ (with) אֱל֑וֹהַּ (God)

וּֽבֶן־ (and a son) אָדָ֥ם (of man) לְרֵעֵֽהוּ׃ (for his friend).

22  כִּֽי־ (For) שְׁנ֣וֹת (the years) מִסְפָּ֣ר (of my number) יֶאֱתָ֑יוּ (have come),

וְאֹ֖רַח (and the path from which) לֹא־ (not) אָשׁ֣וּב (shall I return) אֶהֱלֹֽךְ׃ (I shall walk).