Job 13

 

הֶן־כֹּל רָאֲתָה עֵינִי שָׁמְעָה אָזְנִי וַתָּבֶן לָהּ׃   13:1

Job 13:1   “Behold, my eye has seen all.

                             My ear has heard and discerned regarding it.”

Job seems to be gaining self-confidence as he speaks.  He is now finally really asserting himself.

כְּדַעְתְּכֶם יָדַעְתִּי גַם־אָנִי לֹא־נֹפֵל אָנֹכִי מִכֶּם׃   13:2

Job 13:2   “I also know as you know.

                             I am no more inferior than you.”

אוּלָם אֲנִי אֶל־שַׁדַּי אֲדַבֵּר וְהוֹכֵחַ אֶל־אֵל אֶחְפָּץ׃   13:3

Job 13:3   “Indeed I would speak to the Almighty,

                             as I would desire to show to be right to God.”

Job appears willing to declare his righteousness to God.

וְאוּלָם אַתֶּם טֹפְלֵי־שָׁקֶר רֹפְאֵי אֱלִל כֻּלְּכֶם׃   13:4

Job 13:4   “But indeed you are spreaders of deception.

                             Healers of nothing, all of you!”

And he calls out against the false words of his ”friends.”

מִי־יִתֵּן הַחֲרֵשׁ תַּחֲרִישׁוּן וּתְהִי לָכֶם לְחָכְמָה׃   13:5

Job 13:5   “Would that He would lend speechlessness,

                             you would be silent,

                    and that would be as wisdom for you!”

And he insults them.

שִׁמְעוּ־נָא תוֹכַחְתִּי וְרִבוֹת שְׂפָתַי הַקְשִׁיבוּ׃   13:6

Job 13:6   “Now hear my argument,

                             and heed the pleadings of my lips.”

הַלְאֵל תְּדַבְּרוּ עַוְלָה וְלוֹ תְּדַבְּרוּ רְמִיָּה׃   13:7

Job 13:7   “Would you speak injustice for God,

                             and declare deceit for Him?”

הֲפָנָיו תִּשָּׂאוּן אִם־לָאֵל תְּרִיבוּן׃   13:8

Job 13:8   “Can you raise up before Him?

                             Would you contend for God?”

הֲטוֹב כִּי־יַחְקֹר אֶתְכֶם אִם־כְּהָתֵל בֶּאֱנוֹשׁ תְּהָתֵלּוּ בוֹ׃   13:9

Job 13:9   “How much better that He should examine you?

                             Should you mimic Him as if mimicking a person?”

הוֹכֵחַ יוֹכִיחַ אֶתְכֶם אִם־בַּסֵּתֶר פָּנִים תִּשָּׂאוּן׃   13:10

Job 13:10   “He should severely rebuke you

                             if you would show such favor behind the back.”

הֲלֹא שְׂאֵתוֹ תְּבַעֵת אֶתְכֶם וּפַחְדּוֹ יִפֹּל עֲלֵיכֶם׃   13:11

Job 13:11   “Should not His loftiness terrify you

                             and dread of Him fall upon you?”

זִכְרֹנֵיכֶם מִשְׁלֵי־אֵפֶר לְגַבֵּי־חֹמֶר גַּבֵּיכֶם׃   13:12

Job 13:12   “Your memorials shall be the likenesses of ashes,

                             your elevations as mounds of clay.”

הַחֲרִישׁוּ מִמֶּנִּי וַאֲדַבְּרָה־אָנִי וְיַעֲבֹר עָלַי מָה׃   13:13

Job 13:13   “Be silent on my account that I myself may speak,

                             and let Him bring upon me what He may.”

עַל־מָה אֶשָּׂא בְשָׂרִי בְשִׁנָּי וְנַפְשִׁי אָשִׂים בְּכַפִּי׃   13:14

Job 13:14   “Why?  I must take my flesh in my teeth

                             and my life in my hands”

הֵן יִקְטְלֵנִי (לֹא) [לֹו] אֲיַחֵל אַךְ־דְּרָכַי אֶל־פָּנָיו אֹוכִיחַ׃   13:15

Job 13:15   “Though He might slay me, for Him I must wait.

                             Surely I would argue my ways to His 'face.'”

The word in the parentheses should have a yad in place of the aleph.  The correction is in the brackets.

גַּם־הוּא־לִי לִישׁוּעָה כִּי־לֹא לְפָנָיו חָנֵף יָבוֹא׃   13:16

Job 13:16   “Indeed, this may be my deliverance:

                             That a godless one could not come before Him.”

שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ מִלָּתִי וְאַחֲוָתִי בְּאָזְנֵיכֶם׃   13:17

Job 13:17   “Carefully hear my words,

                             that my declaration be in your ears.”

הִנֵּה־נָא עָרַכְתִּי מִשְׁפָּט יָדַעְתִּי כִּי־אֲנִי אֶצְדָּק׃   13:18

Job 13:18   “Behold now, I set forth a case;

                             I know that I will be justified.”

מִי־הוּא יָרִיב עִמָּדִי כִּי־עַתָּה אַחֲרִישׁ וְאֶגְוָע׃   13:19

Job 13:19   “Who is it could contend with me?

                             For then I would have to be silent, and perish.”

אַךְ־שְׁתַּיִם אַל־תַּעַשׂ עִמָּדִי אָז מִפָּנֶיךָ לֹא אֶסָּתֵר׃   13:20

Job 13:20   “But two things You must not do with me;

                             then I will not hide from Your presence.”

Now Job addresses God directly until the end of the chapter.

כַּפְּךָ מֵעָלַי הַרְחַק וְאֵמָתְךָ אַל־תְּבַעֲתַנִּי׃   13:21

Job 13:21   “Remove Your 'hand' from me,

                             and Your terror must not overwhelm me.”

וּקְרָא וְאָנֹכִי אֶעֱנֶה אוֹ־אֲדַבֵּר וַהֲשִׁיבֵנִי׃   13:22

Job 13:22   “Then call, and I will respond.

                             Or I can speak, and You answer me.”

At this point Job seems so angry that he is willing to question God’s judgment.  He now appears sure of his innocence.

כַּמָּה לִי עֲוֹנֹות וְחַטָּאֹות פִּשְׁעִי וְחַטָּאתִי הֹדִיעֵנִי ׃   13:23

Job 13:23   “What kind of iniquities and sins are mine?

                             Make me know my transgression and my sinfulness.”

לָמָּה־פָנֶיךָ תַסְתִּיר וְתַחְשְׁבֵנִי לְאוֹיֵב לָךְ׃   13:24

Job 13:24   “How long will You hide Your 'face'

                             and regard me as an enemy of Yours?”

הֶעָלֶה נִדָּף תַּעֲרוֹץ וְאֶת־קַשׁ יָבֵשׁ תִּרְדֹּף׃   13:25

Job 13:25   “Would You oppress a driven leaf,

                             or persecute dry stubble,

כִּי־תִכְתֹּב עָלַי מְרֹרוֹת וְתוֹרִישֵׁנִי עֲוֺנוֹת נְעוּרָי׃   13:26

Job 13:26   that You would record against me bitter things,

                             and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth,

וְתָשֵׂם בַּסַּד רַגְלַי וְתִשְׁמוֹר כָּל־אָרְחוֹתָי עַל־שָׁרְשֵׁי רַגְלַי תִּתְחַקֶּה׃   13:27

Job 13:27   and put my feet in stocks,

                             and observe all my ways,

                      to draw a line against the bottoms of my feet,

וְהוּא כְּרָקָב יִבְלֶה כְּבֶגֶד אֲכָלוֹ עָשׁ׃   13:28

Job 13:28   that it would wear out as if decayed,

                             like a moth-eaten garment?”

 

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