1
וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַר
Then Job answered and said:
Ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Ἰὼβ, λέγει,
But Job answered and said,
2
שָׁמַעְתִּי כְאֵלֶּה רַבּוֹת מְנַחֲמֵי עָמָל כֻּלְּכֶם
I have heard many such things; sorry comforters are ye all.
Ἀκήκοα τοιαῦτα πολλὰ, παρακλήτορες κακῶν πάντες.
I have heard many such things: Poor comforters are ye all.
3
הֲקֵץ לְדִבְרֵי־רוּחַ אוֹ מַה־יַּמְרִיצְךָ כִּי תַעֲנֶה
Shall windy words have an end? Or what provoketh thee that thou answerest?
Τί γάρ; μὴ τάξις ἐστὶ ῥήμασι πνεύματος; ἢ τί παρενοχλήσει σοι ὅτι ἀποκρίνῃ;
What! is there any reason in vain words? Or what will hinder thee from answering?
4
גַּם אָנֹכִי כָּכֶם אֲדַבֵּרָה לוּ־יֵשׁ נַפְשְׁכֶם תַּחַת נַפְשִׁי אַחְבִּירָה עֲלֵיכֶם בְּמִלִּים וְאָנִיעָה עֲלֵיכֶם בְּמוֹ רֹאשִׁי
I also could speak as ye do; if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could join words together against you, and shake my head at you.
Κᾀγὼ καθʼ ὑμᾶς λαλήσω· εἰ ὑπέκειτό γε ἡ ψυχὴ ὑμῶν ἀντὶ τῆς ἐμῆς, εἶτʼ ἐναλοῦμαι ὑμῖν ῥήμασι· κινήσω δὲ καθʼ ὑμῶν κεφαλήν.
I also will speak as ye [do]: If indeed your soul were in my [soul’s] stead, Then would I insult you with words, And I would shake my head at you.
5
אֲאַמִּצְכֶם בְּמוֹ־פִי וְנִיד שְׂפָתַי יַחְשֹׂךְ
I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips would assuage your grief.
Εἴη δὲ ἰσχὺς ἐν τῷ στόματί μου, κίνησιν δὲ χειλέων οὐ φείσομαι.
And would there were strength in my mouth, And I would not spare the movement of my lips.
6
אִם־אֲדַבְּרָה לֹא־יֵחָשֵׂךְ כְּאֵבִי וְאַחְדְּלָה מַה־מִנִּי יַהֲלֹךְ
Though I speak, my pain is not assuaged; and though I forbear, what am I eased?
Ἐὰν γὰρ λαλήσω, οὐκ ἀλγήσω τὸ τραῦμα· ἐὰν δὲ καὶ σιωπήσω, τί ἔλαττον τρωθήσομαι;
For if I should speak, I shall not feel the pain of my wound: And if I should be silent, how shall I be wounded the less?
7
אַךְ־עַתָּה הֶלְאָנִי הֲשִׁמּוֹתָ כָּל־עֲדָתִי
But now He hath made me weary; Thou hast made desolate all my company.
Νῦν δὲ κατάκοπόν με πεποίηκε μωρὸν σεσηπότα, καὶ ἐπελάβου μου.
But now he has made me weary, and a worn-out fool; And thou hast laid hold of me.
8
וַתִּקְמְטֵנִי לְעֵד הָיָה וַיָּקָם בִּי כַחֲשִׁי בְּפָנַי יַעֲנֶה
And Thou hast shrivelled me up, which is a witness against me; and my leanness riseth up against me, it testifieth to my face.
Εἰς μαρτύριον ἐγενήθη, καὶ ἀνέστη ἐν ἐμοὶ τὸ ψεῦδός μου, κατὰ πρόσωπόν μου ἀνταπεκρίθη.
My falsehood has become a testimony, And has risen up against me: It has confronted me to my face.
9
אַפּוֹ טָרַף וַיִּשְׂטְמֵנִי חָרַק עָלַי בְּשִׁנָּיו צָרִי יִלְטוֹשׁ עֵינָיו לִי
He hath torn me in His wrath, and hated me; He hath gnashed upon me with His teeth; mine adversary sharpeneth his eyes upon me.
Ὀργῇ χρησάμενος κατέβαλέ με, ἔβρυξεν ἐπʼ ἐμὲ τοὺς ὀδόντας, βέλη πειρατῶν αὐτοῦ ἐπʼ ἐμοὶ ἔπεσαν.
In his anger he has cast me down; He has gnashed his teeth upon me: The weapons of his robbers have fallen upon me.
10
פָּעֲרוּ עָלַי בְּפִיהֶם בְּחֶרְפָּה הִכּוּ לְחָיָי יַחַד עָלַי יִתְמַלָּאוּן
They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek scornfully; they gather themselves together against me.
Ἀκίσιν ὀφθαλμῶν ἐνήλατο, ὀξεῖ ἔπαισέ με εἰς τὰ γόνατα, ὁμοθυμαδὸν δὲ κατέδραμον ἐπʼ ἐμοί.
He has attacked me with the keen glances of his eyes; With his sharp [spear] he has smitten me [down] upon my knees; And they have run upon me with one accord.
11
יַסְגִּירֵנִי אֵל אֶל עֲוִיל וְעַל־יְדֵי רְשָׁעִים יִרְטֵנִי
G-d delivereth me to the ungodly, and casteth me into the hands of the wicked.
Παρέδωκε γάρ με ὁ Κύριος εἰς χείρας ἀδίκων, ἐπὶ δὲ ἀσεβέσιν ἔῤῥιψέ με.
For the Lord has delivered me into the hands of unrighteous men, And thrown me upon the ungodly.
12
שָׁלֵו הָיִיתִי וַיְפַרְפְּרֵנִי וְאָחַז בְּעָרְפִּי וַיְפַצְפְּצֵנִי וַיְקִימֵנִי לוֹ לְמַטָּרָה
I was at ease, and He broke me asunder; yea, He hath taken me by the neck, and dashed me to pieces; He hath also set me up for His mark.
Εἰρηνεύοντα διεσκέδασέ με· λαβών με τῆς κόμης διέτιλε, κατέστησέ με ὥσπερ σκοπόν.
When I was at peace he distracted me: He took me by the hair of the head, and plucked it out: He set me up as a mark.
13
יָסֹבּוּ עָלַי רַבָּיו יְפַלַּח כִּלְיוֹתַי וְלֹא יַחְמוֹל יִשְׁפֹּךְ לָאָרֶץ מְרֵרָתִי
His archers compass me round about, He cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; He poureth out my gall upon the ground.
Ἐκύκλωσάν με λόγχαις βάλλοντες εἰς νεφρούς μου, οὐ φειδόμενοι ἐξέχεαν εἰς τὴν γῆν τὴν χολήν μου·
They surrounded me with spears, Aiming at my reins: Without sparing [me] they poured out my gall upon the ground.
14
יִפְרְצֵנִי פֶרֶץ עַל־פְּנֵי־פָרֶץ יָרֻץ עָלַי כְּגִבּוֹר
He breaketh me with breach upon breach; He runneth upon me like a giant.
Κατέβαλόν με πτῶμα ἐπὶ πτώματι, ἔδραμον πρὸς μὲ δυνάμενοι.
They overthrew me with fall upon fall: They ran upon me in [their] might.
15
שַׂק תָּפַרְתִּי עֲלֵי גִלְדִּי וְעֹלַלְתִּי בֶעָפָר קַרְנִי
I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and have laid my horn in the dust.
Σάκκον ἔῤῥαψαν ἐπὶ βύρσης μου, τὸ δὲ σθένος μου ἐν γῇ ἐσβέσθη.
They sewed sackcloth upon my skin, And my strength has been spent on the ground.
16
פָּנַי חמרמרה חֳמַרְמְרוּ מִנִּי־בֶכִי וְעַל עַפְעַפַּי צַלְמָוֶת
My face is reddened with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
Ἡ γαστήρ μου συγκέκαυται ἀπὸ κλαυθμοῦ, ἐπὶ δὲ βλεφάροις μου σκιά.
My belly has been parched with wailing, And darkness is on my eyelids.
17
עַל לֹא־חָמָס בְּכַפָּי וּתְפִלָּתִי זַכָּה
Although there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure.
Ἄδικον δὲ οὐδὲν ἦν ἐν χερσί μου, εὐχὴ δέ μου καθαρά.
Yet there was no injustice in my hands, And my prayer is pure.
18
אֶרֶץ אַל־תְּכַסִּי דָמִי וְאַל־יְהִי מָקוֹם לְזַעֲקָתִי
O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no resting-place.
Γῆ μὴ ἐπικαλύψῃς ἐφʼ αἵματι τῆς σαρκός μου, μηδὲ εἴη τόπος τῇ κραυγῇ μου.
Earth, cover not over the blood of my flesh, And let my cry have no place.
19
גַּם־עַתָּה הִנֵּה־בַשָּׁמַיִם עֵדִי וְשָׂהֲדִי בַּמְּרוֹמִים
Even now, behold, my Witness is in heaven, and He that testifieth of me is on high.
Καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὁ μάρτυς μου, ὁ δὲ συνίστωρ μου ἐν ὑψίστοις.
And now, behold, my witness is in heaven, And my advocate is on high.
20
מְלִיצַי רֵעָי אֶל־אֱלוֹהַ דָּלְפָה עֵינִי
Mine inward thoughts are my intercessors, mine eye poureth out tears unto G-d;
Ἀφίκοιτό μου ἡ δέησις πρὸς Κύριον, ἔναντι δὲ αὐτοῦ στάζοι μου ὁ ὀφθαλμός.
Let my supplication come to the Lord, And let mine eye weep before him.
21
וְיוֹכַח לְגֶבֶר עִם־אֱלוֹהַּ וּבֶן־אָדָם לְרֵעֵהוּ
That He would set aright a man contending with G-d, as a son of man setteth aright his neighbour!
Εἴη δὲ ἔλεγχος ἀνδρὶ ἔναντι Κυρίου, καὶ υἱῷ ἀνθρώπου τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ.
Oh that a man might plead before the Lord, Even [as] the son of man with his neighbor!
22
כִּי־שְׁנוֹת מִסְפָּר יֶאֱתָיוּ וְאֹרַח לֹא־אָשׁוּב אֶהֱלֹךְ
For the years that are few are coming on, and I shall go the way whence I shall not return.
Ἔτη δὲ ἀριθμητὰ ἥκασιν, ὁδῷ δὲ ᾗ οὐκ ἐπαναστραφήσομαι, πορεύσομαι.
But my years are numbered and [their end] come, And I shall go by the way by which I shall not return.