הֶן כּל רָאֲתָה עֵינִי שָׁמְעָה אָזְנִי וַתָּבֶן לָהּ

After Job has acknowledged that he is aware of God’s might, he returns to the point he made at the beginning of the speech: Behold, my eye has seen all that you have described of the greatness of God and His unlimited power. My ear has also heard and understood.

כְּדַעְתְּכֶם יָדַעְתִּי גַם־אָנִי לֹא־נֹפֵל אָנֹכִי מִכֶּם

What you know about God’s greatness, I too know; I am no less than you.

אוּלָם אֲנִי אֶל־שַׁדַּי אֲדַבֵּר וְהוֹכֵחַ אֶל אֵל אֶחְפָּץ

But unlike you, whose awareness of God’s might leads you to submission and silence toward Him, I would prefer to speak to the Almighty, and to argue with God I desire, even to contend with Him.

וְאוּלָם אַתֶּם טֹפְלֵי שָׁקֶר רֹפְאֵי אֱלִל כֻּלְּכֶם

But you are spreaders of falsehood, physicians of folly, all of you. Your statements provide no form of healing.

מִי־יִתֵּן הַחֲרֵשׁ תַּחֲרִישׁוּן וּתְהִי לָכֶם לְחָכְמָה

Would that you were silent, and it, your silence, would be wisdom for you.

שִׁמְעוּ־נָא תוֹכַחְתִּי ורִבוֹת שְׂפָתַי הַקְשִׁיבוּ

Hear now my argument, and listen to the contentions of my lips.

הַלְאֵל תְּדַבְּרוּ עַוְלָה ולוֹ תְּדַבְּרוּ רְמִיָּה

Furthermore, will you speak injustice, falsely, on behalf of God, and for Him will you speak deceit? You know that you do not speak the truth. You merely talk in this manner because you think that this is what one is supposed to say, either because it is written in the holy books or because it is your tradition. Your justification of God in our dispute is nothing more than hypocritical bias toward Him.

הֲפָנָיו תִּשָּׂאוּן אִם־ל אֵל תְּרִיבוּן

Will you favor Him? Will you contend on behalf of God, to justify and defend Him?

הטוֹב כִּי יַחְקֹר אֶתְכֶם אִם כְּהָתֵל בֶּאֱנוֹשׁ תְּהָתֵלּוּ בוֹ

Will it be good if He examines you? Do you think it would be to your benefit if He were to examine you? In doing so, He would expose your hypocrisy and insincere flattery. Will you fool Him as one fools a man?

הוֹכֵחַ יוֹכִיחַ אֶתְכֶם אִם־בַּסֵּתֶר פָּנִים תִּשָּׂאוּן

No, He will rebuke and punish you if you secretly favor Him.

הֲלֹא שְׂאֵתוֹ תְּבַעֵת אֶתְכֶם וּפַחְדּוֹ יִפֹּל עֲלֵיכֶם

Won’t dread of Him terrify you, and His fear fall upon you?

זִכְרֹנֵיכֶם מִשְׁלֵי אֵפֶר לְגַבֵּי חֹמֶר גַּבֵּיכֶם

Your slogans, the matters you keep mentioning and repeating, are comparable to ashes, as they will not last; your bodies are comparable to bodies of clay. You are not solid creatures; rather, you are fashioned from pliable material that turns into any shape that is imprinted on it. You speak with self-assurance, but your statements are no more stable or resilient than your bodies are.

הַחֲרִישׁוּ מִמֶּנִּי וַאֲדַבְּרָה־אָנִי וְיַעֲבֹר עָלַי מָה

Be silent to me, and I will speak, and let happen to me what may.

עַל־מָה אֶשָּׂא בְשָׂרִי בְשִׁנָּי וְנַפְשִׁי אָשִׂים בְּכַפִּי

For what should I take my flesh in my teeth? Why should I bite my skin in order to refrain from talking, and why should I place my life, my breath, in my hand, in order to hold my peace? Alternatively, this phrase may be understood as saying: I will put my life in my hand. That is, I am even willing to risk my life to say what is on my mind.

הֵן יִקְטְלֵנִי לוֹ אֲיַחֵל אַךְ דְּרָכַי אֶל־פָּנָיו אוֹכִיחַ

Though He kills me, I will yearn for Him. Even then, my love for God and devotion to Him will not cease. But nevertheless, I will still argue my ways. There is no rebellion in my words. I will lay out my claims before Him in the hope that He will accept them.

גַּם הוּא־לִי לִישׁוּעָה כִּי־לֹא לְפָנָיו חָנֵף יָבוֹא

Moreover, He is my salvation. I, not you, will merit salvation, as the hypocrite will not come before Him. Therefore, God will not accept your flattery.

שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ מִלָּתִי וְאַחְוָתִי בְּאָזְנֵיכֶם

Hear my word, and let my articulation be in your ears.

הִנֵּה־נָא עָרַכְתִּי מִשְׁפָּט יָדַעְתִּי כִּי־אֲנִי אֶצְדָּק

Behold now, I have arranged my case before God; I know that I will be vindicated.

מִי־הוּא יָרִיב עִמָּדִי כִּי־עַתָּה אַחֲרִישׁ וְאֶגְוָע

Who is it who will contend with me? For then, if I could find someone who could argue against me, I would be silent and expire. However, in reality, there is no one who can prevent me from staking my claim for justice.

אַךְ־שְׁתַּיִם אַל־תַּעַשׂ עִמָּדִי אָז מִפָּנֶיךָ לֹא אֶסָּתֵר

Now Job addresses God directly. But two things do not do to me, and then I will not hide from You. I will reveal all that is in my heart if you do not do the following two things:

כַּפְּךָ מֵעָלַי הַרְחַק וְאֵמָתְךָ אַל־תְּבַעֲתַנִּי

First, distance Your heavy hand that strikes me with these blows from me, and second, may Your dread not terrify me. Do not scare me. As long as I am reduced by the suffering I am experiencing and by my dread of You, I am unable to express the musings of my heart. I require a certain measure of freedom in order to speak my piece.

וּקְרָא וְאָנֹכִי אֶעֱנֶה אוֹ־אֲדַבֵּר וַהֲשִׁיבֵנִי

If these two conditions are fulfilled, then call, and I will answer; or I will speak, and You answer me. We will be able to engage in a conversation.

כַּמָּה לִי עֲוֹנוֹת וְחַטָּאוֹת פִּשְׁעִי וְחַטָּאתִי הֹדִיעֵנִי

I am requesting that You clarify for me: How many iniquities and sins do I have? Inform me of the nature of my transgression and my sin.

לָמָּה־פָנֶיךָ תַסְתִּיר וְתַחְשְׁבֵנִי לְאוֹיֵב לָךְ

Why do You hide Your face and consider me as Your enemy? I do not know how many and what kinds of sins might justify such an antagonistic attitude toward me.

העָלֶה נִדָּף תַּעֲרוֹץ וְאֶת קַשׁ יָבֵשׁ תִּרְדֹּף

Will You break a driven leaf, which has already fallen from the tree, and will You pursue dry straw,

כִּי־תִכְתֹּב עָלַי מְרֹרוֹת וְתוֹרִישֵׁנִי עֲוֹנוֹת נְעוּרָי

such that You write noxious matters, issue such bitter decrees, about me and bequeath me the iniquities of my youth, those sins for which I have already atoned and made amends, or those transgressions I committed before I matured?

וְתָשֵׂם בַּסַּד רַגְלַי וְתִשְׁמוֹר כָּל־אָרְחֹתָי עַל־שָׁרְשֵׁי רַגְלַי תִּתְחַקֶּה

You place my feet in the stocks, a type of wooden shackle used to hold the feet of prisoners, and You watch all my paths; You constrict the soles of my feet, so that I cannot move or do anything.

והוּא כְּרָקָב יִבְלֶה כְּבֶגֶד אֲכָלוֹ עָשׁ

Why do You treat my body so harshly? As he, man in general, decays like carrion and wastes away like a garment eaten by a moth, full of holes, ruined, and rendered useless.