When the Whole World Turned Its Back.

וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then Job answered and said:

עַד־אָ֭נָה תּוֹגְי֣וּן נַפְשִׁ֑י וּֽתְדַכְּאוּנַ֥נִי בְמִלִּֽים׃

[2] “How long will you torment me and break me in pieces with words?

זֶ֤ה עֶ֣שֶׂר פְּ֭עָמִים תַּכְלִימ֑וּנִי לֹֽא־תֵ֝בֹ֗שׁוּ תַּהְכְּרוּ־לִֽי׃

[3] These ten times you have cast reproach upon me; are you not ashamed to wrong me?

וְאַף־אָמְנָ֥ם שָׁגִ֑יתִי אִ֝תִּ֗י תָּלִ֥ין מְשׁוּגָתִֽי׃

[4] And even if it be true that I have erred, my error remains with myself.

אִם־אָ֭מְנָם עָלַ֣י תַּגְדִּ֑ילוּ וְתוֹכִ֥יחוּ עָ֝לַ֗י חֶרְפָּתִּֽי׃

[5] If indeed you magnify yourselves against me and make my disgrace an argument against me,

דְּֽעוּ־אֵ֭פוֹ כִּי־אֱל֣וֹהַּ עִוְּתָ֑נִי וּ֝מְצוּד֗וֹ עָלַ֥י הִקִּֽיף׃

[6] know then that God has put me in the wrong and closed his net about me.

הֵ֤ן אֶצְעַ֣ק חָ֭מָס וְלֹ֣א אֵעָנֶ֑ה אֲ֝שַׁוַּ֗ע וְאֵ֣ין מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

[7] Behold, I cry out, ‘Violence!’ but I am not answered; I call for help, but there is no justice.

אָרְחִ֣י גָ֭דַר וְלֹ֣א אֶעֱב֑וֹר וְעַ֥ל נְ֝תִיבוֹתַ֗י חֹ֣שֶׁךְ יָשִֽׂים׃

[8] He has walled up my way, so that I cannot pass, and he has set darkness upon my paths.

כְּ֭בוֹדִי מֵעָלַ֣י הִפְשִׁ֑יט וַ֝יָּ֗סַר עֲטֶ֣רֶת רֹאשִֽׁי׃

[9] He has stripped from me my glory and taken the crown from my head.

יִתְּצֵ֣נִי סָ֭בִיב וָאֵלַ֑ךְ וַיַּסַּ֥ע כָּ֝עֵ֗ץ תִּקְוָתִֽי׃

[10] He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone, and my hope has he pulled up like a tree.

וַיַּ֣חַר עָלַ֣י אַפּ֑וֹ וַיַּחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי ל֣וֹ כְצָרָֽיו׃

[11] He has kindled his wrath against me and counts me as his adversary.

יַ֤חַד׀ יָ֘בֹ֤אוּ גְדוּדָ֗יו וַיָּסֹ֣לּוּ עָלַ֣י דַּרְכָּ֑ם וַיַּחֲנ֖וּ סָבִ֣יב לְאָהֳלִֽי׃

[12] His troops come on together; they have cast up their siege ramp against me and encamp around my tent.

אַ֭חַי מֵעָלַ֣י הִרְחִ֑יק וְ֝יֹדְעַ֗י אַךְ־זָ֥רוּ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

[13] “He has put my brothers far from me, and those who knew me are wholly estranged from me.

חָדְל֥וּ קְרוֹבָ֑י וּֽמְיֻדָּעַ֥י שְׁכֵחֽוּנִי׃

[14] My relatives have failed me, my close friends have forgotten me.

גָּ֘רֵ֤י בֵיתִ֣י וְ֭אַמְהֹתַי לְזָ֣ר תַּחְשְׁבֻ֑נִי נָ֝כְרִ֗י הָיִ֥יתִי בְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃

[15] The guests in my house and my maidservants count me as a stranger; I have become a foreigner in their eyes.

לְעַבְדִּ֣י קָ֭רָאתִי וְלֹ֣א יַעֲנֶ֑ה בְּמוֹ־פִ֝֗י אֶתְחַנֶּן־לֽוֹ׃

[16] I call to my servant, but he gives me no answer; I must plead with him with my mouth for mercy.

ר֭וּחִֽי זָ֣רָה לְאִשְׁתִּ֑י וְ֝חַנֹּתִ֗י לִבְנֵ֥י בִטְנִֽי׃

[17] My breath is strange to my wife, and I am a stench to the children of my own mother.

גַּם־עֲ֭וִילִים מָ֣אֲסוּ בִ֑י אָ֝ק֗וּמָה וַיְדַבְּרוּ־בִֽי׃

[18] Even young children despise me; when I rise they talk against me.

תִּֽ֭עֲבוּנִי כָּל־מְתֵ֣י סוֹדִ֑י וְזֶֽה־אָ֝הַ֗בְתִּי נֶהְפְּכוּ־בִֽי׃

[19] All my intimate friends abhor me, and those whom I loved have turned against me.

בְּעוֹרִ֣י וּ֭בִבְשָׂרִי דָּבְקָ֣ה עַצְמִ֑י וָ֝אֶתְמַלְּטָ֗ה בְּע֣וֹר שִׁנָּֽי׃

[20] My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.

חָנֻּ֬נִי חָנֻּ֣נִי אַתֶּ֣ם רֵעָ֑י כִּ֥י יַד־אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַּ נָ֣גְעָה בִּֽי׃

[21] Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, O you my friends, for the hand of God has touched me!

לָ֭מָּה תִּרְדְּפֻ֣נִי כְמוֹ־אֵ֑ל וּ֝מִבְּשָׂרִ֗י לֹ֣א תִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃

[22] Why do you, like God, pursue me? Why are you not satisfied with my flesh?

מִֽי־יִתֵּ֣ן אֵ֭פוֹ וְיִכָּתְב֣וּן מִלָּ֑י מִֽי־יִתֵּ֖ן בַּסֵּ֣פֶר וְיֻחָֽקוּ׃

[23] “Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!

בְּעֵט־בַּרְזֶ֥ל וְעֹפָ֑רֶת לָ֝עַ֗ד בַּצּ֥וּר יֵחָצְבֽוּן׃

[24] Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever!

וַאֲנִ֣י יָ֭דַעְתִּי גֹּ֣אֲלִי חָ֑י וְ֝אַחֲר֗וֹן עַל־עָפָ֥ר יָקֽוּם׃

[25] For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.

וְאַחַ֣ר ע֭וֹרִֽי נִקְּפוּ־זֹ֑את וּ֝מִבְּשָׂרִ֗י אֶֽחֱזֶ֥ה אֱלֽוֹהַּ׃

[26] And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God,

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

[27] whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!

כִּ֣י תֹ֭אמְרוּ מַה־נִּרְדָּף־ל֑וֹ וְשֹׁ֥רֶשׁ דָּ֝בָ֗ר נִמְצָא־בִֽי׃

[28] If you say, ‘How we will pursue him!’ and, ‘The root of the matter is found in him,’

גּ֤וּרוּ לָכֶ֨ם׀ מִפְּנֵי־חֶ֗רֶב כִּֽי־חֵ֭מָה עֲוֺנ֣וֹת חָ֑רֶב לְמַ֖עַן תֵּדְע֣וּן ׳שַׁדִּין׳ ״שַׁדּֽוּן׃״ ס

[29] be afraid of the sword, for wrath brings the punishment of the sword, that you may know there is a judgment.”