The Case Nobody Can Win.

וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then Job answered and said:

אָ֭מְנָם יָדַ֣עְתִּי כִי־כֵ֑ן וּמַה־יִּצְדַּ֖ק אֱנ֣וֹשׁ עִם־אֵֽל׃

[2] “Truly I know that it is so: But how can a man be in the right before God?

אִם־יַ֭חְפֹּץ לָרִ֣יב עִמּ֑וֹ לֹֽא־יַ֝עֲנֶ֗נּוּ אַחַ֥ת מִנִּי־אָֽלֶף׃

[3] If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times.

חֲכַ֣ם לֵ֭בָב וְאַמִּ֣יץ כֹּ֑חַ מִֽי־הִקְשָׁ֥ה אֵ֝לָ֗יו וַיִּשְׁלָֽם׃

[4] He is wise in heart and mighty in strength— who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded?—

הַמַּעְתִּ֣יק הָ֭רִים וְלֹ֣א יָדָ֑עוּ אֲשֶׁ֖ר הֲפָכָ֣ם בְּאַפּֽוֹ׃

[5] he who removes mountains, and they know it not, when he overturns them in his anger,

הַמַּרְגִּ֣יז אֶ֭רֶץ מִמְּקוֹמָ֑הּ וְ֝עַמּוּדֶ֗יהָ יִתְפַלָּצֽוּן׃

[6] who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble;

הָאֹמֵ֣ר לַ֭חֶרֶס וְלֹ֣א יִזְרָ֑ח וּבְעַ֖ד כּוֹכָבִ֣ים יַחְתֹּֽם׃

[7] who commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars;

נֹטֶ֣ה שָׁמַ֣יִם לְבַדּ֑וֹ וְ֝דוֹרֵ֗ךְ עַל־בָּ֥מֳתֵי יָֽם׃

[8] who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea;

עֹֽשֶׂה־עָ֭שׁ כְּסִ֥יל וְכִימָ֗ה וְחַדְרֵ֥י תֵמָֽן׃

[9] who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south;

עֹשֶׂ֣ה גְ֭דֹלוֹת עַד־אֵ֣ין חֵ֑קֶר וְנִפְלָא֗וֹת עַד־אֵ֥ין מִסְפָּֽר׃

[10] who does great things beyond searching out, and marvelous things beyond number.

הֵ֤ן יַעֲבֹ֣ר עָ֭לַי וְלֹ֣א אֶרְאֶ֑ה וְ֝יַחֲלֹ֗ף וְֽלֹא־אָבִ֥ין לֽוֹ׃

[11] Behold, he passes by me, and I see him not; he moves on, but I do not perceive him.

הֵ֣ן יַ֭חְתֹּף מִ֣י יְשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ מִֽי־יֹאמַ֥ר אֵ֝לָ֗יו מַֽה־תַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃

[12] Behold, he snatches away; who can turn him back? Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’

אֱ֭לוֹהַּ לֹא־יָשִׁ֣יב אַפּ֑וֹ ׳תַּחְתּוֹ׳ ״תַּחְתָּ֥יו״ שָׁ֝חֲח֗וּ עֹ֣זְרֵי רָֽהַב׃

[13] “God will not turn back his anger; beneath him bowed the helpers of Rahab.

אַ֭ף כִּֽי־אָנֹכִ֣י אֶֽעֱנֶ֑נּוּ אֶבְחֲרָ֖ה דְבָרַ֣י עִמּֽוֹ׃

[14] How then can I answer him, choosing my words with him?

אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִם־צָ֭דַקְתִּי לֹ֣א אֶעֱנֶ֑ה לִ֝מְשֹׁפְטִ֗י אֶתְחַנָּֽן׃

[15] Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him; I must appeal for mercy to my accuser.

אִם־קָרָ֥אתִי וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑נִי לֹֽא־אַ֝אֲמִ֗ין כִּֽי־יַאֲזִ֥ין קוֹלִֽי׃

[16] If I summoned him and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice.

אֲשֶׁר־בִּשְׂעָרָ֥ה יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי וְהִרְבָּ֖ה פְצָעַ֣י חִנָּֽם׃

[17] For he crushes me with a tempest and multiplies my wounds without cause;

לֹֽא־יִ֭תְּנֵנִי הָשֵׁ֣ב רוּחִ֑י כִּ֥י יַ֝שְׂבִּעַ֗נִי מַמְּרֹרִֽים׃

[18] he will not let me get my breath, but fills me with bitterness.

אִם־לְכֹ֣חַ אַמִּ֣יץ הִנֵּ֑ה וְאִם־לְ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט מִ֣י יוֹעִידֵֽנִי׃

[19] If it is a contest of strength, behold, he is mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him?

אִם־אֶ֭צְדָּק פִּ֣י יַרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי תָּֽם־אָ֝֗נִי וַֽיַּעְקְשֵֽׁנִי׃

[20] Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.

תָּֽם־אָ֭נִי לֹֽא־אֵדַ֥ע נַפְשִׁ֗י אֶמְאַ֥ס חַיָּֽי׃

[21] I am blameless; I regard not myself; I loathe my life.

אַחַ֗ת הִ֥יא עַל־כֵּ֥ן אָמַ֑רְתִּי תָּ֥ם וְ֝רָשָׁ֗ע ה֣וּא מְכַלֶּֽה׃

[22] It is all one; therefore I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’

אִם־שׁ֭וֹט יָמִ֣ית פִּתְאֹ֑ם לְמַסַּ֖ת נְקִיִּ֣ם יִלְעָֽג׃

[23] When disaster brings sudden death, he mocks at the calamity of the innocent.

אֶ֤רֶץ׀ נִתְּנָ֬ה בְֽיַד־רָשָׁ֗ע פְּנֵֽי־שֹׁפְטֶ֥יהָ יְכַסֶּ֑ה אִם־לֹ֖א אֵפ֣וֹא מִי־הֽוּא׃

[24] The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; he covers the faces of its judges— if it is not he, who then is it?

וְיָמַ֣י קַ֭לּוּ מִנִּי־רָ֑ץ בָּֽ֝רְח֗וּ לֹא־רָא֥וּ טוֹבָֽה׃

[25] “My days are swifter than a runner; they flee away; they see no good.

חָ֭לְפוּ עִם־אֳנִיּ֣וֹת אֵבֶ֑ה כְּ֝נֶ֗שֶׁר יָט֥וּשׂ עֲלֵי־אֹֽכֶל׃

[26] They go by like skiffs of reed, like an eagle swooping on the prey.

אִם־אָ֭מְרִי אֶשְׁכְּחָ֣ה שִׂיחִ֑י אֶעֶזְבָ֖ה פָנַ֣י וְאַבְלִֽיגָה׃

[27] If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face, and be of good cheer,’

יָגֹ֥רְתִּי כָל־עַצְּבֹתָ֑י יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּי־לֹ֥א תְנַקֵּֽנִי׃

[28] I become afraid of all my suffering, for I know you will not hold me innocent.

אָנֹכִ֥י אֶרְשָׁ֑ע לָמָּה־זֶּ֝֗ה הֶ֣בֶל אִיגָֽע׃

[29] I shall be condemned; why then do I labor in vain?

אִם־הִתְרָחַ֥צְתִּי ׳בְמוֹ־בְמֵי־שָׁ֑לֶג׳ וַ֝הֲזִכּ֗וֹתִי בְּבֹ֣ר כַּפָּֽי׃

[30] If I wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye,

אָ֭ז בַּשַּׁ֣חַת תִּטְבְּלֵ֑נִי וְ֝תִֽעֲב֗וּנִי שַׂלְמוֹתָֽי׃

[31] yet you will plunge me into a pit, and my own clothes will abhor me.

כִּי־לֹא־אִ֣ישׁ כָּמֹ֣נִי אֶֽעֱנֶ֑נּוּ נָב֥וֹא יַ֝חְדָּ֗ו בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

[32] For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him, that we should come to trial together.

לֹ֣א יֵשׁ־בֵּינֵ֣ינוּ מוֹכִ֑יחַ יָשֵׁ֖ת יָד֣וֹ עַל־שְׁנֵֽינוּ׃

[33] There is no arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both.

יָסֵ֣ר מֵעָלַ֣י שִׁבְט֑וֹ וְ֝אֵמָת֗וֹ אַֽל־תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃

[34] Let him take his rod away from me, and let not dread of him terrify me.

אַֽ֭דַבְּרָה וְלֹ֣א אִירָאֶ֑נּוּ כִּ֥י לֹא־כֵ֥ן אָ֝נֹכִ֗י עִמָּדִֽי׃

[35] Then I would speak without fear of him, for I am not so in myself.