וְֽאוּלָ֗ם שְׁמַֽע־נָ֣א אִיּ֣וֹב מִלָּ֑י וְֽכׇל־דְּבָרַ֥י הַאֲזִֽינָה׃ But now, Job, listen to my words,
Give ear to all that I say.
הִנֵּה־נָ֭א פָּתַ֣חְתִּי פִ֑י דִּבְּרָ֖ה לְשׁוֹנִ֣י בְחִכִּֽי׃ Now I open my lips;
My tongue forms words in my mouth.
יֹשֶׁר־לִבִּ֥י אֲמָרָ֑י וְדַ֥עַת שְׂ֝פָתַ֗י בָּר֥וּר מִלֵּֽלוּ׃ My words bespeak the uprightness of my heart;
My lips utter insight honestly.
רֽוּחַ־אֵ֥ל עָשָׂ֑תְנִי וְנִשְׁמַ֖ת שַׁדַּ֣י תְּחַיֵּֽנִי׃ The spirit of God formed me;
The breath of Shaddai sustains me.
אִם־תּוּכַ֥ל הֲשִׁיבֵ֑נִי עֶרְכָ֥הֿ לְ֝פָנַ֗י הִתְיַצָּֽבָה׃ If you can, answer me;
Argue against me, take your stand.
הֵן־אֲנִ֣י כְפִ֣יךָ לָאֵ֑ל מֵ֝חֹ֗מֶר קֹרַ֥צְתִּי גַם־אָֽנִי׃ You and I are the same before God;
I too was nipped from clay.
הִנֵּ֣ה אֵ֭מָתִי לֹ֣א תְבַעֲתֶ֑ךָּ וְ֝אַכְפִּ֗י עָלֶ֥יךָ לֹֽא־יִכְבָּֽד׃ You are not overwhelmed by fear of me;
My pressure does not weigh heavily on you.
אַ֭ךְ אָמַ֣רְתָּ בְאׇזְנָ֑י וְק֖וֹל מִלִּ֣ין אֶשְׁמָֽע׃ Indeed, you have stated in my hearing,
I heard the words spoken,
זַ֥ךְ אֲנִ֗י בְּֽלִ֫י־פָ֥שַׁע חַ֥ף אָנֹכִ֑י וְלֹ֖א עָוֺ֣ן לִֽי׃ “I am guiltless, free from transgression;
I am innocent, without iniquity.
הֵ֣ן תְּ֭נוּאוֹת עָלַ֣י יִמְצָ֑א יַחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי לְאוֹיֵ֣ב לֽוֹ׃ But He finds reasons to oppose me,
Considers me His enemy.
יָשֵׂ֣ם בַּסַּ֣ד רַגְלָ֑י יִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר כׇּל־אׇרְחֹתָֽי׃ He puts my feet in stocks,
Watches all my ways.”
הֶן־זֹ֣את לֹא־צָדַ֣קְתָּ אֶעֱנֶ֑ךָּ כִּי־יִרְבֶּ֥ה אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַּ מֵאֱנֽוֹשׁ׃ In this you are not right;
I will answer you: God is greater than any man.
מַ֭דּוּעַ אֵלָ֣יו רִיב֑וֹתָ כִּ֥י כׇל־דְּ֝בָרָ֗יו לֹ֣א יַעֲנֶֽה׃ Why do you complain against Him
That He does not reply to any of man’s charges?
כִּֽי־בְאַחַ֥ת יְדַבֶּר־אֵ֑ל וּ֝בִשְׁתַּ֗יִם לֹ֣א יְשׁוּרֶֽנָּה׃ For God speaks aLit. “once…twice.”time and again-a—
Though man does not perceive it—
בַּחֲל֤וֹם ׀ חֶזְי֬וֹן לַ֗יְלָה בִּנְפֹ֣ל תַּ֭רְדֵּמָה עַל־אֲנָשִׁ֑ים בִּ֝תְנוּמ֗וֹת עֲלֵ֣י מִשְׁכָּֽב׃ In a dream, a night vision,
When deep sleep falls on men,
While they slumber on their beds.
אָ֣ז יִ֭גְלֶה אֹ֣זֶן אֲנָשִׁ֑ים וּבְמֹ֖סָרָ֣ם יַחְתֹּֽם׃ Then He opens men’s understanding,
And by disciplining them leaves His signature
לְ֭הָסִיר אָדָ֣ם מַעֲשֶׂ֑ה וְגֵוָ֖ה מִגֶּ֣בֶר יְכַסֶּֽה׃ To turn man away from an action,
To suppress pride in man.
יַחְשֹׂ֣ךְ נַ֭פְשׁוֹ מִנִּי־שָׁ֑חַת וְ֝חַיָּת֗וֹ מֵעֲבֹ֥ר בַּשָּֽׁלַח׃ He spares him from the Pit,
His person, from perishing by the sword.
וְהוּכַ֣ח בְּ֭מַכְאוֹב עַל־מִשְׁכָּב֑וֹ (וריב) [וְר֖וֹב] עֲצָמָ֣יו אֵתָֽן׃ He is reproved by pains on his bed,
And the trembling in his bones is constant.
וְזִהֲמַ֣תּוּ חַיָּת֣וֹ לָ֑חֶם וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ מַאֲכַ֥ל תַּאֲוָֽה׃ He detests food;
Fine food [is repulsive] to him.
יִ֣כֶל בְּשָׂר֣וֹ מֵרֹ֑אִי (ושפי) [וְשֻׁפּ֥וּ] עַ֝צְמֹתָ֗יו לֹ֣א רֻאּֽוּ׃ His flesh wastes away till it cannot be seen,
And his bones are rubbed away till they are invisible.
וַתִּקְרַ֣ב לַשַּׁ֣חַת נַפְשׁ֑וֹ וְ֝חַיָּת֗וֹ לַֽמְמִתִֽים׃ He comes close to the Pit,
His life [verges] on death.
אִם־יֵ֤שׁ עָלָ֨יו ׀ מַלְאָ֗ךְ מֵלִ֗יץ אֶחָ֥ד מִנִּי־אָ֑לֶף לְהַגִּ֖יד לְאָדָ֣ם יׇשְׁרֽוֹ׃ If he has a representative,
One advocate against a thousand
To declare the man’s uprightness,
וַיְחֻנֶּ֗נּוּ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר פְּ֭דָעֵהוּ מֵרֶ֥דֶת שָׁ֗חַת מָצָ֥אתִי כֹֽפֶר׃ Then He has mercy on him and decrees,
“Redeem him from descending to the Pit,
For I have obtained his ransom;
רֻֽטְפַ֣שׁ בְּשָׂר֣וֹ מִנֹּ֑עַר יָ֝שׁ֗וּב לִימֵ֥י עֲלוּמָֽיו׃ Let his flesh be healthierbMeaning of Heb. uncertain. than in his youth;
Let him return to his younger days.”
יֶעְתַּ֤ר אֶל־אֱל֨וֹהַּ ׀ וַיִּרְצֵ֗הוּ וַיַּ֣רְא פָּ֭נָיו בִּתְרוּעָ֑ה וַיָּ֥שֶׁב לֶ֝אֱנ֗וֹשׁ צִדְקָתֽוֹ׃ He prays to God and is accepted by Him;
He enters His presence with shouts of joy,
For He requites a man for his righteousness.
יָשֹׁ֤ר ׀ עַל־אֲנָשִׁ֗ים וַיֹּ֗אמֶר חָ֭טָאתִי וְיָשָׁ֥ר הֶעֱוֵ֗יתִי וְלֹא־שָׁ֥וָה לִֽי׃ HecI.e., the contrite man. declaresbMeaning of Heb. uncertain. to men,
“I have sinned; I have perverted what was right;
But I was not paid back for it.”
פָּדָ֣ה (נפשי) [נַ֭פְשׁוֹ] מֵעֲבֹ֣ר בַּשָּׁ֑חַת (וחיתי) [וְ֝חַיָּת֗וֹ] בָּא֥וֹר תִּרְאֶֽה׃ He redeemed dOr with kethib, “me…I.”him from passing into the Pit;
He-d will enjoy the light.
הֶן־כׇּל־אֵ֭לֶּה יִפְעַל־אֵ֑ל פַּעֲמַ֖יִם שָׁל֣וֹשׁ עִם־גָּֽבֶר׃ Truly, God does all these things
Two or three times to a man,
לְהָשִׁ֣יב נַ֭פְשׁוֹ מִנִּי־שָׁ֑חַת לֵ֝א֗וֹר בְּא֣וֹר הַחַיִּֽים׃ To bring him back from the Pit,
That he may bask in the light of life.
הַקְשֵׁ֖ב אִיּ֥וֹב שְֽׁמַֽע־לִ֑י הַ֝חֲרֵ֗שׁ וְאָנֹכִ֥י אֲדַבֵּֽר׃ Pay heed, Job, and hear me;
Be still, and I will speak;
אִם־יֵשׁ־מִלִּ֥ין הֲשִׁיבֵ֑נִי דַּ֝בֵּ֗ר כִּֽי־חָפַ֥צְתִּי צַדְּקֶֽךָּ׃ If you have what to say, answer me;
Speak, for I am eager to vindicate you.
אִם־אַ֭יִן אַתָּ֥ה שְֽׁמַֽע־לִ֑י הַ֝חֲרֵ֗שׁ וַאֲאַלֶּפְךָ֥ חׇכְמָֽה׃ {פ}
But if not, you listen to me;
Be still, and I will teach you wisdom.