TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
Chapter 19
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1Iyov said in reply:
אוַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַר׃
2How long will you grieve my spirit, And crush me with words?
בעַד־אָנָה תּוֹגְיוּן נַפְשִׁי וּתְדַכְּאוּנַנִי בְמִלִּים׃
3Time and again you humiliate me, And are not ashamed to abuse me.
גזֶה עֶשֶׂר פְּעָמִים תַּכְלִימוּנִי לֹא־תֵבֹשׁוּ תַּהְכְּרוּ־לִי׃
4If indeed I have erred, My error remains with me.
דוְאַף־אָמְנָם שָׁגִיתִי אִתִּי תָּלִין מְשׁוּגָתִי׃
5Though you are overbearing toward me, Reproaching me with my disgrace,
האִם־אָמְנָם עָלַי תַּגְדִּילוּ וְתוֹכִיחוּ עָלַי חֶרְפָּתִּי׃
6Yet know that Hashem has wronged me; He has thrown up siege works around me.
ודְּעוּ־אֵפוֹ כִּי־אֱלוֹהַּ עִוְּתָנִי וּמְצוּדוֹ עָלַי הִקִּיף׃
7I cry, “Violence!” but am not answered; I shout, but can get no justice.
HAYN etz-AK kha-MAS v'-LO ay-a-NEH a-sha-VA v'-AYN mish-PAT
זהֵן אֶצְעַק חָמָס וְלֹא אֵעָנֶה אֲשַׁוַּע וְאֵין מִשְׁפָּט׃
19:7 I cry, “Violence!”
Rabbi Samson R. Hirsch (1808-1888)
The word chamas (חמס), ‘violence,’ appears a number of times in the Bible. It is used as a general term for violence, and in particular is also used as a term for robbery. The Bible tells us that it was chamas that almost led to the destruction of the city of Nineveh in the time of Yona (Jonah 3:8), and that Hashem brought the flood in the time of Noach because of chamas (Genesis 6:11). In fact, it was the chamas of the generation of the flood that sealed their fate, even though they were also guilty of sexual immorality and idolatry. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch explains that this is because chamas refers to petty injustice and underhanded dealings which are not punishable in court. This is even worse than overt sin and immorality, as it corrodes the entire social framework of society.
8He has barred my way; I cannot pass; He has laid darkness upon my path.
חאָרְחִי גָדַר וְלֹא אֶעֱבוֹר וְעַל נְתִיבוֹתַי חֹשֶׁךְ יָשִׂים׃
9He has stripped me of my glory, Removed the crown from my head.
טכְּבוֹדִי מֵעָלַי הִפְשִׁיט וַיָּסַר עֲטֶרֶת רֹאשִׁי׃
10He tears down every part of me; I perish; He uproots my hope like a tree.
ייִתְּצֵנִי סָבִיב וָאֵלַךְ וַיַּסַּע כָּעֵץ תִּקְוָתִי׃
11He kindles His anger against me; He regards me as one of His foes.
יאוַיַּחַר עָלַי אַפּוֹ וַיַּחְשְׁבֵנִי לוֹ כְצָרָיו׃
12His troops advance together; They build their road toward me And encamp around my tent.
יביַחַד יָבֹאוּ גְדוּדָיו וַיָּסֹלּוּ עָלַי דַּרְכָּם וַיַּחֲנוּ סָבִיב לְאָהֳלִי׃
13He alienated my kin from me; My acquaintances disown me.
יגאַחַי מֵעָלַי הִרְחִיק וְיֹדְעַי אַךְ־זָרוּ מִמֶּנִּי׃
14My relatives are gone; My friends have forgotten me.
ידחָדְלוּ קְרוֹבָי וּמְיֻדָּעַי שְׁכֵחוּנִי׃
15My dependents and maidservants regard me as a stranger; I am an outsider to them.
טוגָּרֵי בֵיתִי וְאַמְהֹתַי לְזָר תַּחְשְׁבֻנִי נָכְרִי הָיִיתִי בְעֵינֵיהֶם׃
16I summon my servant but he does not respond; I must myself entreat him.
טזלְעַבְדִּי קָרָאתִי וְלֹא יַעֲנֶה בְּמוֹ־פִי אֶתְחַנֶּן־לוֹ׃
17My odor is repulsive to my wife; I am loathsome to my children.
יזרוּחִי זָרָה לְאִשְׁתִּי וְחַנֹּתִי לִבְנֵי בִטְנִי׃
18Even youngsters disdain me; When I rise, they speak against me.
יחגַּם־עֲוִילִים מָאֲסוּ בִי אָקוּמָה וַיְדַבְּרוּ־בִי׃
19All my bosom friends detest me; Those I love have turned against me.
יטתִּעֲבוּנִי כָּל־מְתֵי סוֹדִי וְזֶה־אָהַבְתִּי נֶהְפְּכוּ־בִי׃
20My bones stick to my skin and flesh; I escape with the skin of my teeth.
כבְּעוֹרִי וּבִבְשָׂרִי דָּבְקָה עַצְמִי וָאֶתְמַלְּטָה בְּעוֹר שִׁנָּי׃
21Pity me, pity me! You are my friends; For the hand of Hashem has struck me!
כאחָנֻּנִי חָנֻּנִי אַתֶּם רֵעָי כִּי יַד־אֱלוֹהַּ נָגְעָה בִּי׃
22Why do you pursue me like Hashem, Maligning me insatiably?
כבלָמָּה תִּרְדְּפֻנִי כְמוֹ־אֵל וּמִבְּשָׂרִי לֹא תִשְׂבָּעוּ׃
23O that my words were written down; Would they were inscribed in a record,
כגמִי־יִתֵּן אֵפוֹ וְיִכָּתְבוּן מִלָּי מִי־יִתֵּן בַּסֵּפֶר וְיֻחָקוּ׃
24Incised on a rock forever With iron stylus and lead!
כדבְּעֵט־בַּרְזֶל וְעֹפָרֶת לָעַד בַּצּוּר יֵחָצְבוּן׃
25But I know that my Vindicator lives; In the end He will testify on earth—
כהוַאֲנִי יָדַעְתִּי גֹּאֲלִי חָי וְאַחֲרוֹן עַל־עָפָר יָקוּם׃
26This, after my skin will have been peeled off. But I would behold Hashem while still in my flesh,
כווְאַחַר עוֹרִי נִקְּפוּ־זֹאת וּמִבְּשָׂרִי אֶחֱזֶה אֱלוֹהַּ׃
27I myself, not another, would behold Him; Would see with my own eyes: My heart pines within me.
כזאֲשֶׁר אֲנִי אֶחֱזֶה־לִּי וְעֵינַי רָאוּ וְלֹא־זָר כָּלוּ כִלְיֹתַי בְּחֵקִי׃
28You say, “How do we persecute him? The root of the matter is in him.”
כחכִּי תֹאמְרוּ מַה־נִּרְדָּף־לוֹ וְשֹׁרֶשׁ דָּבָר נִמְצָא־בִי׃
29Be in fear of the sword, For [your] fury is iniquity worthy of the sword; Know there is a judgment!
כטגּוּרוּ לָכֶם מִפְּנֵי־חֶרֶב כִּי־חֵמָה עֲוׂנוֹת חָרֶב לְמַעַן תֵּדְעוּן שדין [שַׁדּוּן׃]
