וְאוּלָם שְׁמַע־נָא אִיּוֹב מִלָּי וכָל־דְּבָרַי הַאֲזִינָה

However, Job, hear, please, my words, and listen to all my statements.

הִנֵּה־נָא פָּתַחְתִּי פִי דִּבְּרָה לְשׁוֹנִי בְחִכִּי

Behold, now I have opened my mouth; my tongue has spoken on my palate.

יֹשֶׁר־לִבִּי אֲמָרָי וְדַעַת שְׂפָתַי בָּרוּר מִלֵּלוּ

My sayings are from the uprightness of my heart; my lips speak clear knowledge. A clear opinion will issue forth from my mouth.

רוּחַ־אֵל עָשָׂתְנִי וְנִשְׁמַת שַׁדַּי תְּחַיֵּנִי

The spirit of God has formed me, and the spirit of the Almighty has given me life. I am only human. However, I will nevertheless present some arguments to you as one speaks to a friend who is an equal.

אִם־תּוּכַל הֲשִׁיבֵנִי עֶרְכָה לְפָנַי הִתְיַצָּבָה

If you can, answer me; formulate your claims, arrange your arguments, before me and stand to debate me. You said that you cannot contend with God because you are overwhelmingly in awe of Him (9:32–35). However, you can speak comfortably with me.

הֵן־אֲנִי כְפִיךָ לאֵל מֵחֹמֶר קֹרַצְתִּי גַם־אָנִי

Behold, I am like you to God. We are both equal before Him. I too was formed from clay.

הִנֵּה אֵימָתִי לֹא תְבַעֲתֶךָּ וְאַכְפִּי עָלֶיךָ לֹא־יִכְבָּד

Behold, fear of me will not terrify you. You have nothing to fear from me, and my coercion will not weigh upon you.

אַךְ אָמַרְתָּ בְאָזְנָי וְקוֹל מִלִּין אֶשְׁמָע

Indeed, what you have said in my ears, and the sound of the words I have heard. I will summarize what you said:

זַךְ אֲנִי בְּלִי פָשַׁע חַף אָנֹכִי וְלֹא עָוֹן לִי

I am pure, without transgression, I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me.

הֵן תְּנוּאוֹת עָלַי יִמְצָא יַחְשְׁבֵנִי לְאוֹיֵב לוֹ

Behold, He finds pretexts to spread libel against me, and although I am close to God and fear Him, He considers me His enemy.

יָשֵׂם בַּסַּד רַגְלָי יִשְׁמֹר כָּל־אָרְחֹתָי

He puts my feet in stocks. He binds me and restricts my movement. He watches all my paths. He tracks me and thereby limits the paths I may take.

הֶן־זֹאת לֹא־צָדַקְתָּ אֶעֱנֶךָּ כִּי־יִרְבֶּה אֱלוֹהַּ מֵאֱנוֹשׁ

Behold, in this, your claim that God is seeking an excuse to harm you, you are not right. I answer you, as the truth is that God is greater than man. He is far above man, and He would not act unjustly.

מַדּוּעַ אֵלָיו רִיבוֹתָ כִּי כָל־דְּבָרָיו לֹא־יַעֲנֶה

Why do you contend against Him that He does not reply to any statements? Why do you claim that He will certainly not answer any of your complaints? After all, sometimes people do receive a response from Heaven.

כִּי־בְאַחַת יְדַבֶּר־אֵל ובִשְׁתַּיִם לֹא יְשׁוּרֶנָּה

For God speaks to people once, or in one way, and also twice, or in two ways, to he who does not see. He speaks twice to one who does not see what God wishes to show him,

בַּחֲלוֹם חֶזְיוֹן לַיְלָה בִּנְפֹל תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל־אֲנָשִׁים בִּתְנוּמוֹת עֲלֵי מִשְׁכָּב

in a dream, in a night vision, when deep sleep falls upon men, in sleep upon a bed.

אָז יִגְלֶה אֹזֶן אֲנָשִׁים וּבְמֹסָרָם יַחְתֹּם

Then He uncovers the ears of men, God reveals His word to them, and likewise with their chastisement, the reproof and moral instruction He delivers to them or, alternatively, the suffering He brings upon them to teach them a lesson, He imprints, engraves, His message upon them,

לְהָסִיר אָדָם מַעֲשֶׂה וגֵוָה מִגֶּבֶר יְכַסֶּה

in order to turn a person away from an action that is wrong, from his usual bad conduct, and to conceal the body [geva] from man, or, alternatively, his pride [ga’ava], so that a person will not act according to the dictates of his bodily needs or pride.

יַחְשֹׂךְ נַפְשׁוֹ מִנִּי־שָׁחַת וְחַיָּתוֹ מעֲבֹר בַּשָּׁלַח

God brings suffering upon a person or issues a verbal reproof to him, and thereby He spares his soul from perdition, from death and the netherworld, and his life, or his soul, from perishing by the sword.

וְהוּכַח בְּמַכְאוֹב עַל־מִשְׁכָּבוֹ וְרוֹב עֲצָמָיו אֵתָן

He, man, is rebuked with pain on his bed, and it, the pain, is strong in his many bones. The suffering itself is God’s punitive response to man.

וְזִהֲמַתּוּ חַיָּתוֹ לָחֶם וְנַפְשׁוֹ מַאֲכַל תַּאֲוָה

Disgusted is his life, the sick man’s soul is nauseated, by bread, and his soul is disgusted even by desirable food.

יִכֶל בְּשָׂרוֹ מֵרֹאִי וְשֻׁפּוּ עַצְמֹתָיו לֹא רֻאּוּ

He becomes so weak that his flesh is consumed from sight. He is so thin that it is as though his flesh cannot be seen. And his bones are crushed, even to the extent that they are virtually invisible.

וַתִּקְרַב לַשַּׁחַת נַפְשׁוֹ וְחַיָּתוֹ לַמְמִתִים

He senses that his soul approaches perdition and that his life is given to the killers, angels of destruction.

אִם־יֵשׁ עָלָיו מַלְאָךְ מֵלִיץ אֶחָד מִנִּי אלֶף לְהַגִּיד לְאָדָם יָשְׁרוֹ

If there is for him an angel, an advocate, one out of a thousand angels who prosecute him, to relate a person’s uprightness,

וַיְחֻנֶּנּוּ וַיֹּאמֶר פְּדָעֵהוּ מרֶדֶת שַׁחַת מָצָאתִי כֹפֶר

He will be gracious to him, God will have mercy upon him, and He will say: Save him from descending to perdition, from dying; I have found ransom, an atonement for his sins.

רֻטֲפַשׁ בְּשָׂרוֹ מִנֹּעַר יָשׁוּב לִימֵי עֲלוּמָיו

Then his flesh will be fresher, moister and fatter, than in youth, more than it was even when he was young; let him return to the days of his boyhood.

יֶעְתַּר אֶל־אֱלוֹהַּ וַיִּרְצֵהוּ וַיַּרְא פָּנָיו בִּתְרוּעָה וַיָּשֶׁב לֶאֱנוֹשׁ צִדְקָתוֹ

When he recovers from his illness, he will entreat God, and He will accept him; he will see His face with joyous acclamation. And He will restore to man the reward for his righteousness.

יָשֹׁר עַל אֲנָשִׁים וַיֹּאמֶר חָטָאתִי וְיָשָׁר הֶעֱוֵיתִי וְלֹא־שָׁוָה לִי

He will gaze upon men, or he will march among men, rectify his past deeds, or surround himself with men, and say his confession to them: I sinned, I perverted what was straight, and it was not worth it for me.

פָּדָה נַפְשׁוֹ מֵעֲבֹר בַּשָּׁחַת וְחַיָּתוֹ בָּאוֹר תִּרְאֶה

He, God, redeems his soul, the soul of this man who returned to Him, from passing into perdition, from dying, and his life will see the light. No man’s fate is predetermined. Sometimes God allows a person to recover his health, in which case he can return to the condition of his earlier years.

הֶן־כָּל־אֵלֶּה יִפְעַל־אֵל פַּעֲמַיִם שָׁלוֹשׁ עִם־גָּבֶר

Behold, all these God does, twice, thrice, several times, with a man, by addressing him, either by means of rebuke in a dream or through suffering,

לְהָשִׁיב נַפְשׁוֹ מִנִּי־שָׁחַת לֵאוֹר בְּאוֹר הַחַיִּים

in order to restore his soul from perdition, to be enlightened with the light of life.

הַקְשֵׁב אִיּוֹב שְׁמַע־לִי הַחֲרֵשׁ וְאָנֹכִי אֲדַבֵּר

Listen, Job, hear me; be silent, and I will speak.

אִם־יֵשׁ־מִלִּין הֲשִׁיבֵנִי דַּבֵּר כִּי חָפַצְתִּי צַדְּקֶךָּ

If there are words in your mouth in response, answer me; speak, as I do not want to accuse you of wrongdoing. On the contrary, I wish to vindicate you.

אִם־אַיִן אַתָּה שְׁמַע־לִי הַחֲרֵשׁ וַאֲאַלֶּפְךָ חָכְמָה

If not, if you do not have anything to say, hear me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom, if you will allow me to do so.