1 And Job made answer and said,

1 וַיַּ֥עַן אִיֹּ֗וב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

2 How long will you make my life bitter, crushing me with words?

2 עַד־אָ֭נָה תֹּוגְי֣וּן נַפְשִׁ֑י וּֽתְדַכְּאוּנַ֥נִי בְמִלִּֽים׃

3 Ten times now you have made sport of me; it gives you no sense of shame to do me wrong.

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

4 And, truly, if I have been in error, the effect of my error is only on myself.

4 וְאַף־אָמְנָ֥ם שָׁגִ֑יתִי אִ֝תִּ֗י תָּלִ֥ין מְשׁוּגָתִֽי׃

5 If you make yourselves great against me, using my punishment as an argument against me,

5 אִם־אָ֭מְנָם עָלַ֣י תַּגְדִּ֑ילוּ וְתֹוכִ֥יחוּ עָ֝לַ֗י חֶרְפָּתִּֽי¹׃

6 Be certain that it is God who has done me wrong, and has taken me in his net.

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

7 Truly, I make an outcry against the violent man, but there is no answer: I give a cry for help, but no one takes up my cause.

7 הֵ֤ן אֶצְעַ֣ק חָ֭מָס וְלֹ֣א אֵעָנֶ֑ה אֲ֝שַׁוַּ֗ע וְאֵ֣ין מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

8 My way is walled up by him so that I may not go by: he has made my roads dark.

8 אָרְחִ֣י גָ֭דַר וְלֹ֣א אֶעֱבֹ֑ור וְעַ֥ל נְ֝תִיבֹותַ֗י חֹ֣שֶׁךְ יָשִֽׂים׃

9 He has put off my glory from me, and taken the crown from my head.

9 כְּ֭בֹודִי מֵעָלַ֣י הִפְשִׁ֑יט וַ֝יָּ֗סַר עֲטֶ֣רֶת רֹאשִֽׁי׃

10 I am broken down by him on every side, and I am gone; my hope is uprooted like a tree.

10 יִתְּצֵ֣נִי סָ֭בִיב וָאֵלַ֑ךְ וַיַּסַּ֥ע כָּ֝עֵ֗ץ תִּקְוָתִֽי׃

11 His wrath is burning against me, and I am to him as one of his haters.

11 וַיַּ֣חַר עָלַ֣י אַפֹּ֑ו וַיַּחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי לֹ֣ו כְצָרָֽיו׃

12 His armies come on together, they make their road high against me, and put up their tents round mine.

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

13 He has taken my brothers far away from me; they have seen my fate and have become strange to me.

13 אַ֭חַי מֵעָלַ֣י הִרְחִ֑יק וְ֝יֹדְעַ֗י אַךְ־זָ֥רוּ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

14 My relations and my near friends have given me up, and those living in my house have put me out of their minds.

14 חָדְל֥וּ קְרֹובָ֑י וּֽמְיֻדָּעַ֥י³ שְׁכֵחֽוּנִי׃

15 I am strange to my women-servants, and seem to them as one from another country.

15 גָּ֘רֵ֤י בֵיתִ֣י וְ֭אַמְהֹתַי לְזָ֣ר תַּחְשְׁבֻ֑נִי נָ֝כְרִ֗י הָיִ֥יתִי בְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃

16 At my cry my servant gives me no answer, and I have to make a prayer to him.

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

17 My breath is strange to my wife, and I am disgusting to the offspring of my mother's body.

17 ר֭וּחִֽי זָ֣רָה לְאִשְׁתִּ֑י וְ֝חַנֹּתִ֗י לִבְנֵ֥י בִטְנִֽי׃

18 Even young children have no respect for me; when I get up their backs are turned on me.

18 גַּם־עֲ֭וִילִים מָ֣אֲסוּ בִ֑י אָ֝ק֗וּמָה וַיְדַבְּרוּ־בִֽי׃

19 All the men of my circle keep away from me; and those dear to me are turned against me.

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

20 My bones are joined to my skin, and I have got away with my flesh in my teeth.

20 בְּעֹורִ֣י וּ֭בִבְשָׂרִי דָּבְקָ֣ה עַצְמִ֑י וָ֝אֶתְמַלְּטָ֗ה בְּעֹ֣ור שִׁנָּֽי׃

21 Have pity on me, have pity on me, O my friends! for the hand of God is on me.

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

22 Why are you cruel to me, like God, for ever saying evil against me?

22 לָ֭מָּה תִּרְדְּפֻ֣נִי כְמֹו־אֵ֑ל וּ֝מִבְּשָׂרִ֗י לֹ֣א תִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃

23 If only my words might be recorded! if they might be put in writing in a book!

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

24 And with an iron pen and lead be cut into the rock for ever!

24 בְּעֵט־בַּרְזֶ֥ל וְעֹפָ֑רֶת לָ֝עַ֗ד בַּצּ֥וּר יֵחָצְבֽוּן׃

25 But I am certain that he who will take up my cause is living, and that in time to come he will take his place on the dust;

25 וַאֲנִ֣י יָ֭דַעְתִּי גֹּ֣אֲלִי חָ֑י וְ֝אַחֲרֹ֗ון עַל־עָפָ֥ר יָקֽוּם׃

26 And ... without my flesh I will see God;

26 וְאַחַ֣ר עֹ֖ורִֽי נִקְּפוּ־זֹ֑את וּ֝מִבְּשָׂרִ֗י אֶֽחֱזֶ֥ה אֱלֹֽוהַּ׃

27 Whom I will see on my side, and not as one strange to me. My heart is broken with desire.

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

28 If you say, How cruel we will be to him! because the root of sin is clearly in him:

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

29 Be in fear of the sword, for the sword is the punishment for such things, so that you may be certain that there is a judge.

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