איוב ט׳:כ״ז
Job 9:27
Hebrew
וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ אׇ֭מְנָם יָדַ֣עְתִּי כִי־כֵ֑ן וּמַה־יִּצְדַּ֖ק אֱנ֣וֹשׁ עִם־אֵֽל׃ אִם־יַ֭חְפֹּץ לָרִ֣יב עִמּ֑וֹ לֹֽא־יַ֝עֲנֶ֗נּוּ אַחַ֥ת מִנִּי־אָֽלֶף׃ חֲכַ֣ם לֵ֭בָב וְאַמִּ֣יץ כֹּ֑חַ מִֽי־הִקְשָׁ֥ה אֵ֝לָ֗יו וַיִּשְׁלָֽם׃ הַמַּעְתִּ֣יק הָ֭רִים וְלֹ֣א יָדָ֑עוּ אֲשֶׁ֖ר הֲפָכָ֣ם בְּאַפּֽוֹ׃ הַמַּרְגִּ֣יז אֶ֭רֶץ מִמְּקוֹמָ֑הּ וְ֝עַמּוּדֶ֗יהָ יִתְפַּלָּצֽוּן׃ הָאֹמֵ֣ר לַ֭חֶרֶס וְלֹ֣א יִזְרָ֑ח וּבְעַ֖ד כּוֹכָבִ֣ים יַחְתֹּֽם׃ נֹטֶ֣ה שָׁמַ֣יִם לְבַדּ֑וֹ וְ֝דוֹרֵ֗ךְ עַל־בָּ֥מֳתֵי יָֽם׃ עֹֽשֶׂה־עָ֭שׁ כְּסִ֥יל וְכִימָ֗ה וְחַדְרֵ֥י תֵמָֽן׃ עֹשֶׂ֣ה גְ֭דֹלוֹת עַד־אֵ֣ין חֵ֑קֶר וְ֝נִפְלָא֗וֹת עַד־אֵ֥ין מִסְפָּֽר׃ הֵ֤ן יַעֲבֹ֣ר עָ֭לַי וְלֹ֣א אֶרְאֶ֑ה וְ֝יַחֲלֹ֗ף וְֽלֹא־אָבִ֥ין לֽוֹ׃ הֵ֣ן יַ֭חְתֹּף מִ֣י יְשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ מִי־יֹאמַ֥ר אֵ֝לָ֗יו מַֽה־תַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃ אֱ֭לוֹהַּ לֹא־יָשִׁ֣יב אַפּ֑וֹ תַּחְתָּ֥ו שָׁ֝חֲח֗וּ עֹ֣זְרֵי רָֽהַב׃ אַ֭ף כִּֽי־אָנֹכִ֣י אֶעֱנֶ֑נּוּ אֶבְחֲרָ֖ה דְבָרַ֣י עִמּֽוֹ׃ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִם־צָ֭דַקְתִּי לֹ֣א אֶעֱנֶ֑ה לִ֝מְשֹׁפְטִ֗י אֶתְחַנָּֽן׃ אִם־קָרָ֥אתִי וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑נִי לֹֽא־אַ֝אֲמִ֗ין כִּֽי־יַאֲזִ֥ין קוֹלִֽי׃ אֲשֶׁר־בִּשְׂעָרָ֥ה יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי וְהִרְבָּ֖ה פְצָעַ֣י חִנָּֽם׃ לֹֽא־יִ֭תְּנֵנִי הָשֵׁ֣ב רוּחִ֑י כִּ֥י יַ֝שְׂבִּעַ֗נִי מַמְּרֹרִֽים׃ אִם־לְכֹ֣חַ אַמִּ֣יץ הִנֵּ֑ה וְאִם־לְ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט מִ֣י יוֹעִידֵֽנִי׃ אִם־אֶ֭צְדָּק פִּ֣י יַרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי תׇּֽם־אָ֝֗נִי וַֽיַּעְקְשֵֽׁנִי׃ תׇּֽם־אָ֭נִי לֹֽא־אֵדַ֥ע נַפְשִׁ֗י אֶמְאַ֥ס חַיָּֽי׃ אַחַ֗ת הִ֥֫יא עַל־כֵּ֥ן אָמַ֑רְתִּי תָּ֥ם וְ֝רָשָׁ֗ע ה֣וּא מְכַלֶּֽה׃ אִם־שׁ֭וֹט יָמִ֣ית פִּתְאֹ֑ם לְמַסַּ֖ת נְקִיִּ֣ם יִלְעָֽג׃ אֶ֤רֶץ ׀ נִתְּנָ֬ה בְֽיַד־רָשָׁ֗ע פְּנֵֽי־שֹׁפְטֶ֥יהָ יְכַסֶּ֑ה אִם־לֹ֖א אֵפ֣וֹא מִי־הֽוּא׃ וְיָמַ֣י קַ֭לּוּ מִנִּי־רָ֑ץ בָּ֝רְח֗וּ לֹא־רָא֥וּ טוֹבָֽה׃ חָ֭לְפוּ עִם־אֳנִיּ֣וֹת אֵבֶ֑ה כְּ֝נֶ֗שֶׁר יָט֥וּשׂ עֲלֵי־אֹֽכֶל׃ אִם־אׇ֭מְרִי אֶשְׁכְּחָ֣ה שִׂיחִ֑י אֶעֶזְבָ֖ה פָנַ֣י וְאַבְלִֽיגָה׃ יָגֹ֥רְתִּי כׇל־עַצְּבֹתָ֑י יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּי־לֹ֥א תְנַקֵּֽנִי׃ אָנֹכִ֥י אֶרְשָׁ֑ע לָמָּה־זֶּ֝֗ה הֶ֣בֶל אִיגָֽע׃ אִם־הִתְרָחַ֥צְתִּי (במו) [בְמֵי־]שָׁ֑לֶג וַ֝הֲזִכּ֗וֹתִי בְּבֹ֣ר כַּפָּֽי׃ אָ֭ז בַּשַּׁ֣חַת תִּטְבְּלֵ֑נִי וְ֝תִעֲב֗וּנִי שַׂלְמוֹתָֽי׃ כִּֽי־לֹא־אִ֣ישׁ כָּמ֣וֹנִי אֶעֱנֶ֑נּוּ נָב֥וֹא יַ֝חְדָּ֗ו בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃ לֹ֣א יֵשׁ־בֵּינֵ֣ינוּ מוֹכִ֑יחַ יָשֵׁ֖ת יָד֣וֹ עַל־שְׁנֵֽינוּ׃ יָסֵ֣ר מֵעָלַ֣י שִׁבְט֑וֹ וְ֝אֵמָת֗וֹ אַֽל־תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃ אֲֽ֭דַבְּרָה וְלֹ֣א אִירָאֶ֑נּוּ כִּ֥י לֹא־כֵ֥ן אָ֝נֹכִ֗י עִמָּדִֽי׃
English Translation
Job said in reply: Indeed I know that it is so:
A mortal cannot win a suit against God. If someone insisted on such a trial,
Not one charge in a thousand would be answered. Wise of heart and mighty in power—
Who ever challenged divine decree and came out whole?— The One who moves mountains without their knowing it,
Who overturns them in anger; Who shakes the earth from its place,
Till its pillars quake; Who commands the sun not to shine;
Who seals up the stars; Who alone spread out the heavens,
And trod on the back of the sea; Who made the BearaBear Meaning of Heb. uncertain. and Orion,
Pleiades, and the chambers of the south wind; Who performs great deeds that cannot be fathomed,
And wondrous things without number. [God] passes me by—I am oblivious;
[God] goes by me, but I do not notice. [God] snatches away—who can put a stop to it?
Who can say, “What are You doing?” Rahab’sbRahab A primeval monster. helpers sink down under God
Who does not refrain from anger. How then can I answer,
Or choose what arguments to make? Though I were in the right, I could not speak out,
But I would plead for mercy with my judge. If I issued a summons and were answered,
I do not believe my voice would be heard. For [God] crushes me for a hair,cfor a hair With Targum and Peshitta; or “with a storm.”
And wounds me much for no cause— Not letting me catch my breath,
But sating me with bitterness. If a trial of strength—[God] is the strong one;
If a trial in court—who will make the arrangements for me? Though I were innocent,
My mouth would condemn me;
Though I were blameless, [God] would prove me crooked. I am blameless—I am distraught;
I am sick of life. It is all one; therefore I say,
“The blameless are destroyed along with the guilty.” When suddenly a scourge brings death,
[God] mocks as the innocent fail. The earth is handed over to the wicked one;
The eyes of its judges are covered.
If it is not [God], then who? My days fly swifter than a runner;
They flee without seeing happiness; They pass like reed-boats,
Like an eagle swooping onto its prey. If I say, “I will forget my complaint;
Abandon my sorrowdsorrow Lit. “face.” and be diverted,” I remain in dread of all my suffering;
I know that You will not acquit me. It will be I who am in the wrong;
Why then should I waste effort? If I washed with soap,
Cleansed my hands with lye, You would dip me in muck
Till my clothes would abhor me. [God] is not someone like me whom I can answer,
That we can go to law together. No arbiter is between us
To lay his hand on us both. If [God] would only take the rod away from me
And call off the terror that frightens, Then I would speak out without fear;
For I know myself not to be so.
A mortal cannot win a suit against God. If someone insisted on such a trial,
Not one charge in a thousand would be answered. Wise of heart and mighty in power—
Who ever challenged divine decree and came out whole?— The One who moves mountains without their knowing it,
Who overturns them in anger; Who shakes the earth from its place,
Till its pillars quake; Who commands the sun not to shine;
Who seals up the stars; Who alone spread out the heavens,
And trod on the back of the sea; Who made the BearaBear Meaning of Heb. uncertain. and Orion,
Pleiades, and the chambers of the south wind; Who performs great deeds that cannot be fathomed,
And wondrous things without number. [God] passes me by—I am oblivious;
[God] goes by me, but I do not notice. [God] snatches away—who can put a stop to it?
Who can say, “What are You doing?” Rahab’sbRahab A primeval monster. helpers sink down under God
Who does not refrain from anger. How then can I answer,
Or choose what arguments to make? Though I were in the right, I could not speak out,
But I would plead for mercy with my judge. If I issued a summons and were answered,
I do not believe my voice would be heard. For [God] crushes me for a hair,cfor a hair With Targum and Peshitta; or “with a storm.”
And wounds me much for no cause— Not letting me catch my breath,
But sating me with bitterness. If a trial of strength—[God] is the strong one;
If a trial in court—who will make the arrangements for me? Though I were innocent,
My mouth would condemn me;
Though I were blameless, [God] would prove me crooked. I am blameless—I am distraught;
I am sick of life. It is all one; therefore I say,
“The blameless are destroyed along with the guilty.” When suddenly a scourge brings death,
[God] mocks as the innocent fail. The earth is handed over to the wicked one;
The eyes of its judges are covered.
If it is not [God], then who? My days fly swifter than a runner;
They flee without seeing happiness; They pass like reed-boats,
Like an eagle swooping onto its prey. If I say, “I will forget my complaint;
Abandon my sorrowdsorrow Lit. “face.” and be diverted,” I remain in dread of all my suffering;
I know that You will not acquit me. It will be I who am in the wrong;
Why then should I waste effort? If I washed with soap,
Cleansed my hands with lye, You would dip me in muck
Till my clothes would abhor me. [God] is not someone like me whom I can answer,
That we can go to law together. No arbiter is between us
To lay his hand on us both. If [God] would only take the rod away from me
And call off the terror that frightens, Then I would speak out without fear;
For I know myself not to be so.
About This Text
Source
Job
Category
Tanach
Reference
Job 9:27
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