What If Pain Is a Message?.

וְֽאוּלָ֗ם שְׁמַֽע־נָ֣א אִיּ֣וֹב מִלָּ֑י וְֽכָל־דְּבָרַ֥י הַאֲזִֽינָה׃

“But now, hear my speech, O Job, and listen to all my words.

הִנֵּה־נָ֭א פָּתַ֣חְתִּי פִ֑י דִּבְּרָ֖ה לְשׁוֹנִ֣י בְחִכִּֽי׃

[2] Behold, I open my mouth; the tongue in my mouth speaks.

יֹֽשֶׁר־לִבִּ֥י אֲמָרָ֑י וְדַ֥עַת שְׂ֝פָתַ֗י בָּר֥וּר מִלֵּֽלוּ׃

[3] My words declare the uprightness of my heart, and what my lips know they speak sincerely.

רֽוּחַ־אֵ֥ל עָשָׂ֑תְנִי וְנִשְׁמַ֖ת שַׁדַּ֣י תְּחַיֵּֽנִי׃

[4] The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

אִם־תּוּכַ֥ל הֲשִׁיבֵ֑נִי עֶרְכָ֥ה לְ֝פָנַ֗י הִתְיַצָּֽבָה׃

[5] Answer me, if you can; set your words in order before me; take your stand.

הֵן־אֲנִ֣י כְפִ֣יךָ לָאֵ֑ל מֵ֝חֹ֗מֶר קֹרַ֥צְתִּי גַם־אָֽנִי׃

[6] Behold, I am toward God as you are; I too was pinched off from a piece of clay.

הִנֵּ֣ה אֵ֭מָתִי לֹ֣א תְבַעֲתֶ֑ךָּ וְ֝אַכְפִּ֗י עָלֶ֥יךָ לֹא־יִכְבָּֽד׃

[7] Behold, no fear of me need terrify you; my pressure will not be heavy upon you.

אַ֭ךְ אָמַ֣רְתָּ בְאָזְנָ֑י וְק֖וֹל מִלִּ֣ין אֶשְׁמָֽע׃

[8] “Surely you have spoken in my ears, and I have heard the sound of your words.

זַ֥ךְ אֲנִ֗י בְּֽלִ֫י פָ֥שַׁע חַ֥ף אָנֹכִ֑י וְלֹ֖א עָוֺ֣ן לִֽי׃

[9] You say, ‘I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me.

הֵ֣ן תְּ֭נוּאוֹת עָלַ֣י יִמְצָ֑א יַחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי לְאוֹיֵ֣ב לֽוֹ׃

[10] Behold, he finds occasions against me, he counts me as his enemy,

יָשֵׂ֣ם בַּסַּ֣ד רַגְלָ֑י יִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר כָּל־אָרְחֹתָֽי׃

[11] he puts my feet in the stocks and watches all my paths.’

הֶן־זֹ֣את לֹא־צָדַ֣קְתָּ אֶעֱנֶ֑ךָּ כִּֽי־יִרְבֶּ֥ה אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַ מֵאֱנֽוֹשׁ׃

[12] “Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you, for God is greater than man.

מַ֭דּוּעַ אֵלָ֣יו רִיב֑וֹתָ כִּ֥י כָל־דְּ֝בָרָ֗יו לֹ֣א־יַעֲנֶֽה׃

[13] Why do you contend against him, saying, ‘He will answer none of man's words’?

כִּֽי־בְאַחַ֥ת יְדַבֶּר־אֵ֑ל וּ֝בִשְׁתַּ֗יִם לֹ֣א יְשׁוּרֶֽנָּה׃

[14] For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it.

בַּחֲל֤וֹם׀ חֶזְי֬וֹן לַ֗יְלָה בִּנְפֹ֣ל תַּ֭רְדֵּמָה עַל־אֲנָשִׁ֑ים בִּ֝תְנוּמ֗וֹת עֲלֵ֣י מִשְׁכָּֽב׃

[15] In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds,

אָ֣ז יִ֭גְלֶה אֹ֣זֶן אֲנָשִׁ֑ים וּבְמֹ֖סָרָ֣ם יַחְתֹּֽם׃

[16] then he opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings,

לְ֭הָסִיר אָדָ֣ם מַעֲשֶׂ֑ה וְגֵוָ֖ה מִגֶּ֣בֶר יְכַסֶּֽה׃

[17] that he may turn man aside from his deed and conceal pride from a man;

יַחְשֹׂ֣ךְ נַ֭פְשׁוֹ מִנִּי־שָׁ֑חַת וְ֝חַיָּת֗וֹ מֵעֲבֹ֥ר בַּשָּֽׁלַח׃

[18] he keeps back his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword.

וְהוּכַ֣ח בְּ֭מַכְאוֹב עַל־מִשְׁכָּב֑וֹ ׳וְרִיב׳ ״וְר֖וֹב״ עֲצָמָ֣יו אֵתָֽן׃

[19] “Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed and with continual strife in his bones,

וְזִֽהֲמַ֣תּוּ חַיָּת֣וֹ לָ֑חֶם וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ מַאֲכַ֥ל תַּאֲוָֽה׃

[20] so that his life loathes bread, and his appetite the choicest food.

יִ֣כֶל בְּשָׂר֣וֹ מֵרֹ֑אִי ׳וּשְׁפִי׳ ״וְשֻׁפּ֥וּ״ עַ֝צְמוֹתָ֗יו לֹ֣א רֻאּֽוּ׃

[21] His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out.

וַתִּקְרַ֣ב לַשַּׁ֣חַת נַפְשׁ֑וֹ וְ֝חַיָּת֗וֹ לַֽמְמִתִֽים׃

[22] His soul draws near the pit, and his life to those who bring death.

אִם־יֵ֤שׁ עָלָ֨יו׀ מַלְאָ֗ךְ מֵלִ֗יץ אֶחָ֥ד מִנִּי־אָ֑לֶף לְהַגִּ֖יד לְאָדָ֣ם יָשְׁרֽוֹ׃

[23] If there be for him an angel, a mediator, one of the thousand, to declare to man what is right for him,

וַיְחֻנֶּ֗נּוּ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר פְּ֭דָעֵהוּ מֵרֶ֥דֶת שָׁ֗חַת מָצָ֥אתִי כֹֽפֶר׃

[24] and he is merciful to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down into the pit; I have found a ransom;

רֻֽטֲפַ֣שׁ בְּשָׂר֣וֹ מִנֹּ֑עַר יָ֝שׁ֗וּב לִימֵ֥י עֲלוּמָֽיו׃

[25] let his flesh become fresh with youth; let him return to the days of his youthful vigor’;

יֶעְתַּ֤ר אֶל־אֱל֨וֹהַּ׀ וַיִּרְצֵ֗הוּ וַיַּ֣רְא פָּ֭נָיו בִּתְרוּעָ֑ה וַיָּ֥שֶׁב לֶ֝אֱנ֗וֹשׁ צִדְקָתֽוֹ׃

[26] then man prays to God, and he accepts him; he sees his face with a shout of joy, and he restores to man his righteousness.

יָשֹׁ֤ר׀ עַל־אֲנָשִׁ֗ים וַיֹּ֗אמֶר חָ֭טָאתִי וְיָשָׁ֥ר הֶעֱוֵ֗יתִי וְלֹא־שָׁ֥וָה לִֽי׃

[27] He sings before men and says: ‘I sinned and perverted what was right, and it was not repaid to me.

פָּדָ֣ה ׳נַפְשִׁי׳ ״נַ֭פְשׁוֹ״ מֵעֲבֹ֣ר בַּשָּׁ֑חַת ׳וְחַיָּתִי׳ ״וְ֝חַיָּתוֹ״ בָּא֥וֹר תִּרְאֶֽה׃

[28] He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light.’

הֶן־כָּל־אֵ֭לֶּה יִפְעַל־אֵ֑ל פַּעֲמַ֖יִם שָׁל֣וֹשׁ עִם־גָּֽבֶר׃

[29] “Behold, God does all these things, twice, three times, with a man,

לְהָשִׁ֣יב נַ֭פְשׁוֹ מִנִּי־שָׁ֑חַת לֵ֝א֗וֹר בְּא֣וֹר הַֽחַיִּים׃

[30] to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be lighted with the light of life.

הַקְשֵׁ֖ב אִיּ֥וֹב שְֽׁמַֽע־לִ֑י הַ֝חֲרֵ֗שׁ וְאָנֹכִ֥י אֲדַבֵּֽר׃

[31] Pay attention, O Job, listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.

אִם־יֵשׁ־מִלִּ֥ין הֲשִׁיבֵ֑נִי דַּ֝בֵּ֗ר כִּֽי־חָפַ֥צְתִּי צַדְּקֶֽךָּ׃

[32] If you have any words, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify you.

אִם־אַ֭יִן אַתָּ֥ה שְֽׁמַֽע־לִ֑י הַ֝חֲרֵ֗שׁ וַאֲאַלֶּפְךָ֥ חָכְמָֽה׃ ס

[33] If not, listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”