Job Affirms His Integrity
חַי־אֵ֭ל הֵסִ֣יר מִשְׁפָּטִ֑י וְ֝שַׁדַּ֗י הֵמַ֥ר נַפְשִֽׁי׃
“As surely as God lives, who has deprived me of justice—the Almighty, who has embittered my soul—
כִּֽי־כָל־ע֣וֹד נִשְׁמָתִ֣י בִ֑י וְר֖וּחַ אֱל֣וֹהַּ בְּאַפִּֽי׃
as long as my breath is still within me and the breath of God remains in my nostrils,
אִם־תְּדַבֵּ֣רְנָה שְׂפָתַ֣י עַוְלָ֑ה וּ֝לְשׁוֹנִ֗י אִם־יֶהְגֶּ֥ה רְמִיָּֽה׃
my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will not utter deceit.
חָלִ֣ילָה לִּי֮ אִם־אַצְדִּ֪יק אֶ֫תְכֶ֥ם עַד־אֶגְוָ֑ע לֹא־אָסִ֖יר תֻּמָּתִ֣י מִמֶּֽנִּי׃
I will never say that you are right; I will maintain my integrity until I die.
בְּצִדְקָתִ֣י הֶ֭חֱזַקְתִּי וְלֹ֣א אַרְפֶּ֑הָ לֹֽא־יֶחֱרַ֥ף לְ֝בָבִ֗י מִיָּמָֽי׃
I will cling to my righteousness and never let go. As long as I live, my conscience will not accuse me.
The Wicked Man’s Portion
יְהִ֣י כְ֭רָשָׁע אֹ֣יְבִ֑י וּמִתְקוֹמְמִ֥י כְעַוָּֽל׃
May my enemy be like the wicked and my opponent like the unjust.
כִּ֤י מַה־תִּקְוַ֣ת חָ֭נֵף כִּ֣י יִבְצָ֑ע כִּ֤י יֵ֖שֶׁל אֱל֣וֹהַּ נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃
For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?
הַֽ֭צַעֲקָתוֹ יִשְׁמַ֥ע׀ אֵ֑ל כִּֽי־תָב֖וֹא עָלָ֣יו צָרָֽה׃
Will God hear his cry when distress comes upon him?
אִם־עַל־שַׁדַּ֥י יִתְעַנָּ֑ג יִקְרָ֖א אֱל֣וֹהַּ בְּכָל־עֵֽת׃
Will he delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times?
אוֹרֶ֣ה אֶתְכֶ֣ם בְּיַד־אֵ֑ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר עִם־שַׁ֝דַּ֗י לֹ֣א אֲכַחֵֽד׃
I will instruct you in the power of God. I will not conceal the ways of the Almighty.
הֵן־אַתֶּ֣ם כֻּלְּכֶ֣ם חֲזִיתֶ֑ם וְלָמָּה־זֶּ֝֗ה הֶ֣בֶל תֶּהְבָּֽלוּ׃
Surely all of you have seen it for yourselves. Why then do you keep up this empty talk?
זֶ֤ה׀ חֵֽלֶק־אָדָ֖ם רָשָׁ֥ע׀ עִם־אֵ֑ל וְֽנַחֲלַ֥ת עָ֝רִיצִ֗ים מִשַּׁדַּ֥י יִקָּֽחוּ׃
This is the wicked man’s portion from God—the heritage the ruthless receive from the Almighty.
אִם־יִרְבּ֣וּ בָנָ֣יו לְמוֹ־חָ֑רֶב וְ֝צֶאֱצָאָ֗יו לֹ֣א יִשְׂבְּעוּ־לָֽחֶם׃
Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword; and his offspring will never have enough food.
שְׂ֭רִידָיו בַּמָּ֣וֶת יִקָּבֵ֑רוּ וְ֝אַלְמְנֹתָ֗יו לֹ֣א תִבְכֶּֽינָה׃
His survivors will be buried by the plague, and their widows will not weep for them.
אִם־יִצְבֹּ֣ר כֶּעָפָ֣ר כָּ֑סֶף וְ֝כַחֹ֗מֶר יָכִ֥ין מַלְבּֽוּשׁ׃
Though he heaps up silver like dust and piles up a wardrobe like clay,
יָ֭כִין וְצַדִּ֣יק יִלְבָּ֑שׁ וְ֝כֶ֗סֶף נָקִ֥י יַחֲלֹֽק׃
what he lays up, the righteous will wear, and his silver will be divided by the innocent.
בָּנָ֣ה כָעָ֣שׁ בֵּית֑וֹ וּ֝כְסֻכָּ֗ה עָשָׂ֥ה נֹצֵֽר׃
The house he built is like a moth’s cocoon, like a hut set up by a watchman.
עָשִׁ֣יר יִ֭שְׁכַּב וְלֹ֣א יֵאָסֵ֑ף עֵינָ֖יו פָּקַ֣ח וְאֵינֶֽנּוּ׃
He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more; when he opens his eyes, all is gone.
תַּשִּׂיגֵ֣הוּ כַ֭מַּיִם בַּלָּה֑וֹת לַ֝֗יְלָה גְּנָבַ֥תּוּ סוּפָֽה׃
Terrors overtake him like a flood; a tempest sweeps him away in the night.
יִשָּׂאֵ֣הוּ קָדִ֣ים וְיֵלַ֑ךְ וִֽ֝ישָׂעֲרֵ֗הוּ מִמְּקֹמֽוֹ׃
The east wind carries him away, and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place.
וְיַשְׁלֵ֣ךְ עָ֭לָיו וְלֹ֣א יַחְמֹ֑ל מִ֝יָּד֗וֹ בָּר֥וֹחַ יִבְרָֽח׃
It hurls itself against him without mercy as he flees headlong from its power.
יִשְׂפֹּ֣ק עָלֵ֣ימוֹ כַפֵּ֑ימוֹ וְיִשְׁרֹ֥ק עָ֝לָ֗יו מִמְּקֹמֽוֹ׃
It claps its hands at him and hisses him out of his place.