The Loneliest Man in the Room.

וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then Job answered and said:

שָׁמַ֣עְתִּי כְאֵ֣לֶּה רַבּ֑וֹת מְנַחֲמֵ֖י עָמָ֣ל כֻּלְּכֶֽם׃

[2] “I have heard many such things; miserable comforters are you all.

הֲקֵ֥ץ לְדִבְרֵי־ר֑וּחַ א֥וֹ מַה־יַּ֝מְרִֽיצְךָ֗ כִּ֣י תַעֲנֶֽה׃

[3] Shall windy words have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?

גַּ֤ם׀ אָנֹכִי֮ כָּכֶ֪ם אֲדַ֫בֵּ֥רָה ל֤וּ־יֵ֪שׁ נַפְשְׁכֶ֡ם תַּ֤חַת נַפְשִׁ֗י אַחְבִּ֣ירָה עֲלֵיכֶ֣ם בְּמִלִּ֑ים וְאָנִ֥יעָה עֲ֝לֵיכֶ֗ם בְּמ֣וֹ רֹאשִֽׁי׃

[4] I also could speak as you do, if you were in my place; I could join words together against you and shake my head at you.

אֲאַמִּצְכֶ֥ם בְּמוֹ־פִ֑י וְנִ֖יד שְׂפָתַ֣י יַחְשֹֽׂךְ׃

[5] I could strengthen you with my mouth, and the solace of my lips would assuage your pain.

אִֽם־אֲ֭דַבְּרָה לֹא־יֵחָשֵׂ֣ךְ כְּאֵבִ֑י וְ֝אַחְדְּלָ֗ה מַה־מִנִּ֥י יַהֲלֹֽךְ׃

[6] “If I speak, my pain is not assuaged, and if I forbear, how much of it leaves me?

אַךְ־עַתָּ֥ה הֶלְאָ֑נִי הֲ֝שִׁמּ֗וֹתָ כָּל־עֲדָתִֽי׃

[7] Surely now God has worn me out; he has made desolate all my company.

וַֽ֭תִּקְמְטֵנִי לְעֵ֣ד הָיָ֑ה וַיָּ֥קָם בִּ֥י כַ֝חֲשִׁ֗י בְּפָנַ֥י יַעֲנֶֽה׃

[8] And he has shriveled me up, which is a witness against me, and my leanness has risen up against me; it testifies to my face.

אַפּ֤וֹ טָרַ֨ף׀ וַֽיִּשְׂטְמֵ֗נִי חָרַ֣ק עָלַ֣י בְּשִׁנָּ֑יו צָרִ֓י׀ יִלְט֖וֹשׁ עֵינָ֣יו לִֽי׃

[9] He has torn me in his wrath and hated me; he has gnashed his teeth at me; my adversary sharpens his eyes against me.

פָּעֲר֬וּ עָלַ֨י׀ בְּפִיהֶ֗ם בְּ֭חֶרְפָּה הִכּ֣וּ לְחָיָ֑י יַ֝֗חַד עָלַ֥י יִתְמַלָּאֽוּן׃

[10] Men have gaped at me with their mouth; they have struck me insolently on the cheek; they mass themselves together against me.

יַסְגִּירֵ֣נִי אֵ֭ל אֶ֣ל עֲוִ֑יל וְעַל־יְדֵ֖י רְשָׁעִ֣ים יִרְטֵֽנִי׃

[11] God gives me up to the ungodly and casts me into the hands of the wicked.

שָׁ֘לֵ֤ו הָיִ֨יתִי׀ וַֽיְפַרְפְּרֵ֗נִי וְאָחַ֣ז בְּ֭עָרְפִּי וַֽיְפַצְפְּצֵ֑נִי וַיְקִימֵ֥נִי ל֝֗וֹ לְמַטָּרָֽה׃

[12] I was at ease, and he broke me apart; he seized me by the neck and dashed me to pieces; he set me up as his target;

יָ֘סֹ֤בּוּ עָלַ֨י׀ רַבָּ֗יו יְפַלַּ֣ח כִּ֭לְיוֹתַי וְלֹ֣א יַחְמ֑וֹל יִשְׁפֹּ֥ךְ לָ֝אָ֗רֶץ מְרֵרָֽתִי׃

[13] his archers surround me. He slashes open my kidneys and does not spare; he pours out my gall on the ground.

יִפְרְצֵ֣נִי פֶ֭רֶץ עַל־פְּנֵי־פָ֑רֶץ יָרֻ֖ץ עָלַ֣י כְּגִבּֽוֹר׃

[14] He breaks me with breach upon breach; he runs upon me like a warrior.

שַׂ֣ק תָּ֭פַרְתִּי עֲלֵ֣י גִלְדִּ֑י וְעֹלַ֖לְתִּי בֶעָפָ֣ר קַרְנִֽי׃

[15] I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin and have laid my strength in the dust.

פָּנַ֣י ׳חֳמַרְמְרָה׳ ״חֳ֭מַרְמְרוּ״ מִנִּי־בֶ֑כִי וְעַ֖ל עַפְעַפַּ֣י צַלְמָֽוֶת׃

[16] My face is red with weeping, and on my eyelids is deep darkness,

עַ֭ל לֹא־חָמָ֣ס בְּכַפָּ֑י וּֽתְפִלָּתִ֥י זַכָּֽה׃

[17] although there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure.

אֶ֭רֶץ אַל־תְּכַסִּ֣י דָמִ֑י וְֽאַל־יְהִ֥י מָ֝ק֗וֹם לְזַעֲקָתִֽי׃

[18] “O earth, cover not my blood, and let my cry find no resting place.

גַּם־עַ֭תָּה הִנֵּה־בַשָּׁמַ֣יִם עֵדִ֑י וְ֝שָׂהֲדִ֗י בַּמְּרוֹמִֽים׃

[19] Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and he who testifies for me is on high.

מְלִיצַ֥י רֵעָ֑י אֶל־אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַ דָּלְפָ֥ה עֵינִֽי׃

[20] My friends scorn me; my eye pours out tears to God,

וְיוֹכַ֣ח לְגֶ֣בֶר עִם־אֱל֑וֹהַּ וּֽבֶן־אָדָ֥ם לְרֵעֵֽהוּ׃

[21] that he would argue the case of a man with God, as a son of man does with his neighbor.

כִּֽי־שְׁנ֣וֹת מִסְפָּ֣ר יֶאֱתָ֑יוּ וְאֹ֖רַח לֹא־אָשׁ֣וּב אֶהֱלֹֽךְ׃

[22] For when a few years have come I shall go the way from which I shall not return.