Chapter 23
Job Longs for God
1
Then Job… answered:
𐤀𐤉𐤅𐤁 𐤅𐤉𐤀𐤌𐤓 𐤅𐤉𐤏𐤍
אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ וַיַּ֥עַן ’î·yō·wḇ way·yō·mar way·ya·‘an — WLC · 1
2
“Even today my complaint is bitter. His hand is heavy despite my groaning.
𐤂𐤌 𐤄𐤉𐤅𐤌 𐤔𐤇𐤉 𐤌𐤓𐤉 𐤉𐤃𐤉 𐤊𐤁𐤃𐤄 𐤏𐤋 𐤀𐤍𐤇𐤕𐤉
גַּם־ הַ֭יּוֹם שִׂחִ֑י מְרִ֣י יָ֝דִ֗י כָּבְדָ֥ה עַל־ אַנְחָתִֽי׃ gam- hay·yō·wm śi·ḥî mə·rî yā·ḏî kā·ḇə·ḏāh ‘al- ’an·ḥā·ṯî — WLC · 2
3
If only… I knew where to find Him, so that I could go to His seat.
𐤌𐤉 𐤉𐤕𐤍 𐤉𐤃𐤏𐤕𐤉 𐤅𐤀𐤌𐤑𐤀𐤄𐤅 𐤀𐤁𐤅𐤀 𐤏𐤃 𐤕𐤊𐤅𐤍𐤕𐤅
מִֽי־ יִתֵּ֣ן יָ֭דַעְתִּי וְאֶמְצָאֵ֑הוּ אָ֝ב֗וֹא עַד־ תְּכוּנָתֽוֹ׃ mî- yit·tên yā·ḏa‘·tî wə·’em·ṣā·’ê·hū ’ā·ḇō·w ‘aḏ- tə·ḵū·nā·ṯōw — WLC · 3
4
I would plead my case before Him and fill my mouth with arguments.
𐤀𐤏𐤓𐤊𐤄 𐤌𐤔𐤐𐤈 𐤋𐤐𐤍𐤉𐤅 𐤅𐤐𐤉 𐤀𐤌𐤋𐤀 𐤕𐤅𐤊𐤇𐤅𐤕
אֶעֶרְכָ֣ה מִשְׁפָּ֑ט לְפָנָ֣יו וּ֝פִ֗י אֲמַלֵּ֥א תוֹכָחֽוֹת׃ ’e·‘er·ḵāh miš·pāṭ lə·p̄ā·nāw ū·p̄î ’ă·mal·lê ṯō·w·ḵā·ḥō·wṯ — WLC · 4
5
I would learn how He would answer, and consider what He would say.
𐤀𐤃𐤏𐤄 𐤌𐤋𐤉𐤌 𐤉𐤏𐤍𐤍𐤉 𐤅𐤀𐤁𐤉𐤍𐤄 𐤌𐤄 𐤉𐤀𐤌𐤓 𐤋𐤉
אֵ֭דְעָה מִלִּ֣ים יַעֲנֵ֑נִי וְ֝אָבִ֗ינָה מַה־ יֹּ֥אמַר לִֽי׃ ’ê·ḏə·‘āh mil·lîm ya·‘ă·nê·nî wə·’ā·ḇî·nāh mah- yō·mar lî — WLC · 5
6
Would He contend with me in His great power? No, He would certainly take [note] of me.
𐤉𐤓𐤉𐤁 𐤏𐤌𐤃𐤉 𐤄𐤁𐤓𐤁 𐤊𐤇 𐤋𐤀 𐤄𐤅𐤀 𐤀𐤊 𐤉𐤔𐤌 𐤁𐤉
יָרִ֣יב עִמָּדִ֑י הַבְּרָב־ כֹּ֭חַ לֹ֥א ה֝֗וּא אַךְ־ יָשִׂ֥ם בִּֽי׃ yā·rîḇ ‘im·mā·ḏî hab·bə·rāḇ- kō·aḥ lō hū ’aḵ- yā·śim bî — WLC · 6
7
Then an upright man could reason with Him, and I would be delivered forever from my Judge.
𐤔𐤌 𐤉𐤔𐤓 𐤍𐤅𐤊𐤇 𐤏𐤌𐤅 𐤅𐤀𐤐𐤋𐤈𐤄 𐤋𐤍𐤑𐤇 𐤌𐤔𐤐𐤈𐤉
שָׁ֗ם יָ֭שָׁר נוֹכָ֣ח עִמּ֑וֹ וַאֲפַלְּטָ֥ה לָ֝נֶ֗צַח מִשֹּׁפְטִֽי׃ šām yā·šār nō·w·ḵāḥ ‘im·mōw wa·’ă·p̄al·lə·ṭāh lā·ne·ṣaḥ miš·šō·p̄ə·ṭî — WLC · 7
8
If I go east, He is not there, and if I go west, I cannot find Him.
𐤄𐤍 𐤀𐤄𐤋𐤊 𐤒𐤃𐤌 𐤅𐤀𐤉𐤍𐤍𐤅 𐤅𐤀𐤇𐤅𐤓 𐤅𐤋𐤀 𐤀𐤁𐤉𐤍 𐤋𐤅
הֵ֤ן אֶהֱלֹ֣ךְ קֶ֣דֶם וְאֵינֶ֑נּוּ וְ֝אָח֗וֹר וְֽלֹא־ אָבִ֥ין לֽוֹ׃ hên ’e·hĕ·lōḵ qe·ḏem wə·’ê·nen·nū wə·’ā·ḥō·wr wə·lō- ’ā·ḇîn lōw — WLC · 8
9
When He is at work in the north, I cannot behold [Him]; when He turns to the south, I cannot see [Him].
𐤁𐤏𐤔𐤕𐤅 𐤔𐤌𐤀𐤅𐤋 𐤅𐤋𐤀 𐤀𐤇𐤆 𐤉𐤏𐤈𐤐 𐤉𐤌𐤉𐤍 𐤅𐤋𐤀 𐤀𐤓𐤀𐤄
בַּעֲשֹׂת֣וֹ שְׂמֹ֣אול וְלֹא־ אָ֑חַז יַעְטֹ֥ף יָ֝מִ֗ין וְלֹ֣א אֶרְאֶֽה׃ ba·‘ă·śō·ṯōw śə·mō·wl wə·lō- ’ā·ḥaz ya‘·ṭōp̄ yā·mîn wə·lō ’er·’eh — WLC · 9
10
Yet He knows the way I have taken…; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
𐤊𐤉 𐤉𐤃𐤏 𐤃𐤓𐤊 𐤏𐤌𐤃𐤉 𐤁𐤇𐤍𐤍𐤉 𐤀𐤑𐤀 𐤊𐤆𐤄𐤁
כִּֽי־ יָ֭דַע דֶּ֣רֶךְ עִמָּדִ֑י בְּ֝חָנַ֗נִי אֵצֵֽא׃ כַּזָּהָ֥ב kî- yā·ḏa‘ de·reḵ ‘im·mā·ḏî bə·ḥā·na·nî ’ê·ṣê kaz·zā·hāḇ — WLC · 10
11
My feet have followed in His tracks; I have kept His way without turning aside.
𐤓𐤂𐤋𐤉 𐤀𐤇𐤆𐤄 𐤁𐤀𐤔𐤓𐤅 𐤔𐤌𐤓𐤕𐤉 𐤃𐤓𐤊𐤅 𐤅𐤋𐤀 𐤀𐤈
רַגְלִ֑י אָחֲזָ֣ה בַּ֭אֲשֻׁרוֹ שָׁמַ֣רְתִּי דַּרְכּ֖וֹ וְלֹא־ אָֽט׃ raḡ·lî ’ā·ḥă·zāh ba·’ă·šu·rōw šā·mar·tî dar·kōw wə·lō- ’āṭ — WLC · 11
12
I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread.
𐤅𐤋𐤀 𐤀𐤌𐤉𐤔 𐤌𐤑𐤅𐤕 𐤔𐤐𐤕𐤉𐤅 𐤑𐤐𐤍𐤕𐤉 𐤀𐤌𐤓𐤉 𐤐𐤉𐤅 𐤌𐤇𐤒𐤉
וְלֹ֣א אָמִ֑ישׁ מִצְוַ֣ת שְׂ֭פָתָיו צָפַ֥נְתִּי אִמְרֵי־ פִֽיו׃ מֵ֝חֻקִּ֗י wə·lō ’ā·mîš miṣ·waṯ śə·p̲ā·t̲āyw ṣā·p̄an·tî ’im·rê- p̄îw mê·ḥuq·qî — WLC · 12
13
But He is unchangeable…, and who can oppose Him? He does what He desires.
𐤅𐤄𐤅𐤀 𐤁𐤀𐤇𐤃 𐤅𐤌𐤉 𐤉𐤔𐤉𐤁𐤍𐤅 𐤅𐤉𐤏𐤔 𐤅𐤍𐤐𐤔𐤅 𐤀𐤅𐤕𐤄
וְה֣וּא בְ֭אֶחָד וּמִ֣י יְשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ וַיָּֽעַשׂ׃ וְנַפְשׁ֖וֹ אִוְּתָ֣ה wə·hū ḇə·’e·ḥāḏ ū·mî yə·šî·ḇen·nū way·yā·‘aś wə·nap̄·šōw ’iw·wə·ṯāh — WLC · 13
14
For He carries out His decree against me, and He has many such plans.
𐤊𐤉 𐤉𐤔𐤋𐤉𐤌 𐤇𐤒𐤉 𐤏𐤌𐤅 𐤓𐤁𐤅𐤕 𐤅𐤊𐤄𐤍𐤄
כִּ֭י יַשְׁלִ֣ים חֻקִּ֑י עִמּֽוֹ׃ רַבּ֣וֹת וְכָהֵ֖נָּה kî yaš·lîm ḥuq·qî ‘im·mōw rab·bō·wṯ wə·ḵā·hên·nāh — WLC · 14
15
Therefore… I am terrified in His presence; when I consider this, I fear Him.
𐤏𐤋 𐤊𐤍 𐤀𐤁𐤄𐤋 𐤌𐤐𐤍𐤉𐤅 𐤀𐤕𐤁𐤅𐤍𐤍 𐤅𐤀𐤐𐤇𐤃 𐤌𐤌𐤍𐤅
עַל־ כֵּ֭ן אֶבָּהֵ֑ל מִפָּנָ֣יו אֶ֝תְבּוֹנֵ֗ן וְאֶפְחַ֥ד מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ ‘al- kên ’eb·bā·hêl mip·pā·nāw ’eṯ·bō·w·nên wə·’ep̄·ḥaḏ mim·men·nū — WLC · 15
16
God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me.
𐤅𐤀𐤋 𐤋𐤁𐤉 𐤄𐤓𐤊 𐤅𐤔𐤃𐤉 𐤄𐤁𐤄𐤉𐤋𐤍𐤉
וְ֭אֵל לִבִּ֑י הֵרַ֣ךְ וְ֝שַׁדַּ֗י הִבְהִילָֽנִי׃ wə·’êl lib·bî hê·raḵ wə·šad·day hiḇ·hî·lā·nî — WLC · 16
17
Yet I am not silenced by the darkness, by the thick darkness that covers my face.
𐤊𐤉 𐤋𐤀 𐤍𐤑𐤌𐤕𐤉 𐤌𐤐𐤍𐤉 𐤇𐤔𐤊 𐤀𐤐𐤋 𐤊𐤎𐤄 𐤅𐤌𐤐𐤍𐤉
כִּֽי־ לֹ֣א נִ֭צְמַתִּי מִפְּנֵי־ חֹ֑שֶׁךְ אֹֽפֶל׃ כִּסָּה־ וּ֝מִפָּנַ֗י kî- lō niṣ·mat·tî mip·pə·nê- ḥō·šeḵ ’ō·p̄el kis·sāh- ū·mip·pā·nay — WLC · 17