וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַר׃

Job answered and said:

גַּם־הַיּוֹם מְרִי שִׂחִי יָדִי כָּבְדָה עַל אַנְחָתִי

Today too, after hearing your speech, my discourse is bitter; the hand against me is heavier than my groaning. My afflictions are heavier than my groaning. I cannot adequately express the extent of my suffering.

מִי־יִתֵּן יָדַעְתִּי וְאֶמְצָאֵהוּ אָבוֹא עַד־תְּכוּנָתוֹ

If only I could know God and find Him, I would come up to His seat, the place where He resides.

אֶעֶרְכָה לְפָנָיו מִשְׁפָּט וּפִי אֲמַלֵּא תוֹכָחוֹת

I would organize my case before Him and fill my mouth with arguments pertaining to my current condition. I am not afraid to enter a trial with God, but currently I cannot present my arguments before Him.

אֵדְעָה מִלִּים יַעֲנֵנִי וְאָבִינָה מַה יֹּאמַר לִי

I would know, comprehend, the words that He would answer me, and I would understand what He would say to me.

הַבְּרָב־כֹּחַ יָרִיב עִמָּדִי לֹא אַךְ־הוּא יָשִׂם בִּי

Would He quarrel with me in His great power, in a power struggle whose outcome is a foregone conclusion? No; rather, He would invigorate me. He would grant me the strength to stand before Him in judgment.

שָׁם יָשָׁר נוֹכָח עִמּוֹ וַאֲפַלְּטָה לָנֶצַח מִשֹּׁפְטִי

There, in the court of justice, I would argue with Him uprightly, or directly, and I would escape from my judgment forever.

הֵן קֶדֶם אֶהֱלֹךְ וְאֵינֶנּוּ וְאָחוֹר וְלֹא־אָבִין לוֹ

Behold, I go forward, or eastward, but He is not there, I cannot find Him, and I go backward, or westward, but I do not perceive Him, or His location;

שְׂמֹאול בַּעֲשֹׂתוֹ וְלֹא־אָחַז יַעְטֹף יָמִין וְלֹא אֶרְאֶה

to the left, the north, when He acts, but I do not behold Him, I cannot perceive His works: He hides on the right, the south, and I do not see Him.

כִּי־יָדַע דֶּרֶךְ עִמָּדִי בְּחָנַנִי כַּזָּהָב אֵצֵא

Whichever direction I turn I cannot reach Him. He hides, for He knows the way that was with me, that the path I was on was good; when He tries me, even by inflicting great suffering upon me, I will emerge pure like gold.

בַּאֲשֻׁרוֹ אָחֲזָה רַגְלִי דַּרְכּוֹ שָׁמַרְתִּי וְלֹא־אָט

My foot held fast to His steps. I have followed God’s path. I kept His way, and I did not diverge from it.

מִצְוַת שְׂפָתָיו וְלֹא אָמִישׁ מֵחֻקִּי צָפַנְתִּי אִמְרֵי־פִיו

From the commandment of His lips I would not move. I have loyally observed His commandments. It was my practice to treasure the sayings of His mouth. I have habitually guarded the words of His mouth.

וְהוּא בְאֶחָד וּמִי יְשִׁיבֶנּוּ וְנַפְשׁוֹ אִוְּתָה וַיָּעַשׂ

He is of one mind, or He follows His one path, His own path, and who can respond to Him and dispute with Him? His soul desires and He does. Anything that God wants He can make happen.

כִּי יַשְׁלִים חֻקִּי וכָהֵנָּה רַבּוֹת עִמּוֹ

For He will complete my portion, the suffering He has decreed for me; there are many like that, the retributions that He desires, with Him.

עַל־כֵּן מִפָּנָיו אֶבָּהֵל אֶתְבּוֹנֵן וְאֶפְחַד מִמֶּנּוּ

Therefore, I am panic-stricken at His presence; I consider, and I fear Him.

וְאֵל הֵרַךְ לִבִּי וְשַׁדַּי הִבְהִילָנִי

God has made my heart faint, and the Almighty has caused me to panic,

כִּי לֹא נִצְמַתִּי מִפְּנֵי חֹשֶׁךְ ומִפָּנַי כִּסָּה־אֹפֶל

for I was not utterly annihilated before the darkness and suffering that befell me, nor did blackness conceal the horrors of retribution from my face. He kept me alive to experience all this pain.