TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
Chapter 30
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1But now those younger than I deride me, [Men] whose fathers I would have disdained to put among my sheep dogs.
אוְעַתָּה שָׂחֲקוּ עָלַי צְעִירִים מִמֶּנִּי לְיָמִים אֲשֶׁר־מָאַסְתִּי אֲבוֹתָם לָשִׁית עִם־כַּלְבֵי צֹאנִי׃
2Of what use to me is the strength of their hands? All their vigor is gone.
בגַּם־כֹּחַ יְדֵיהֶם לָמָּה לִּי עָלֵימוֹ אָבַד כָּלַח׃
3Wasted from want and starvation, They flee to a parched land, To the gloom of desolate wasteland.
גבְּחֶסֶר וּבְכָפָן גַּלְמוּד הַעֹרְקִים צִיָּה אֶמֶשׁ שׁוֹאָה וּמְשֹׁאָה׃
4They pluck saltwort and wormwood; The roots of broom are their food.
דהַקֹּטְפִים מַלּוּחַ עֲלֵי־שִׂיחַ וְשֹׁרֶשׁ רְתָמִים לַחְמָם׃
5Driven out from society, They are cried at like a thief.
המִן־גֵּו יְגֹרָשׁוּ יָרִיעוּ עָלֵימוֹ כַּגַּנָּב׃
6They live in the gullies of wadis, In holes in the ground, and in rocks,
ובַּעֲרוּץ נְחָלִים לִשְׁכֹּן חֹרֵי עָפָר וְכֵפִים׃
7Braying among the bushes, Huddling among the nettles,
זבֵּין־שִׂיחִים יִנְהָקוּ תַּחַת חָרוּל יְסֻפָּחוּ׃
8Scoundrels, nobodies, Stricken from the earth.
חבְּנֵי־נָבָל גַּם־בְּנֵי בְלִי־שֵׁם נִכְּאוּ מִן־הָאָרֶץ׃
9Now I am the butt of their gibes; I have become a byword to them.
טוְעַתָּה נְגִינָתָם הָיִיתִי וָאֱהִי לָהֶם לְמִלָּה׃
10They abhor me; they keep their distance from me; They do not withhold spittle from my face.
יתִּעֲבוּנִי רָחֲקוּ מֶנִּי וּמִפָּנַי לֹא־חָשְׂכוּ רֹק׃
11Because Hashem has disarmed and humbled me, They have thrown off restraint in my presence.
יאכִּי־יתרו [יִתְרִי] פִתַּח וַיְעַנֵּנִי וְרֶסֶן מִפָּנַי שִׁלֵּחוּ׃
12Mere striplings assail me at my right hand: They put me to flight; They build their roads for my ruin.
יבעַל־יָמִין פִּרְחַח יָקוּמוּ רַגְלַי שִׁלֵּחוּ וַיָּסֹלּוּ עָלַי אָרְחוֹת אֵידָם׃
13They tear up my path; They promote my fall, Although it does them no good.
יגנָתְסוּ נְתִיבָתִי לְהַוָּתִי יֹעִילוּ לֹא עֹזֵר לָמוֹ׃
14They come as through a wide breach; They roll in like raging billows.
ידכְּפֶרֶץ רָחָב יֶאֱתָיוּ תַּחַת שֹׁאָה הִתְגַּלְגָּלוּ׃
15Terror tumbles upon me; It sweeps away my honor like the wind; My dignity vanishes like a cloud.
טוהָהְפַּךְ עָלַי בַּלָּהוֹת תִּרְדֹּף כָּרוּחַ נְדִבָתִי וּכְעָב עָבְרָה יְשֻׁעָתִי׃
16So now my life runs out; Days of misery have taken hold of me.
טזוְעַתָּה עָלַי תִּשְׁתַּפֵּךְ נַפְשִׁי יֹאחֲזוּנִי יְמֵי־עֹנִי׃
17By night my bones feel gnawed; My sinews never rest.
יזלַיְלָה עֲצָמַי נִקַּר מֵעָלָי וְעֹרְקַי לֹא יִשְׁכָּבוּן׃
18With great effort I change clothing; The neck of my tunic fits my waist.
יחבְּרָב־כֹּחַ יִתְחַפֵּשׂ לְבוּשִׁי כְּפִי כֻתָּנְתִּי יַאַזְרֵנִי׃
19He regarded me as clay, I have become like dust and ashes.
ho-RA-nee la-KHO-mer va-et-ma-SHAYL ke-a-FAR va-AY-fer
יטהֹרָנִי לַחֹמֶר וָאֶתְמַשֵּׁל כֶּעָפָר וָאֵפֶר׃
30:19 I have become like dust and ashes
Iyov expresses his modesty with the same words used by Avraham when he beseeched Hashem to save the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah: “I am but dust and ashes” (Genesis 18:27). Because of Avraham’s genuine sense of modesty, he is granted the Land of Israel as an eternal inheritance for his descendants. When they follow in the path of their father Avraham and carry themselves with humility, the Children of Israel in turn merit living peacefully in the land. However, when they are filled with pride, they stray from Hashem, follow other gods and are then punished with exile from the land. Yeshayahu declares that during the time of the ultimate redemption, arrogance and pride will be eradicated from among the Children of Israel: “Man’s haughty look shall be brought low, And the pride of mortals shall be humbled. None but Hashem shall be exalted in that day” (Isaiah 2:11).
20I cry out to You, but You do not answer me; I wait, but You do [not] consider me.
כאֲשַׁוַּע אֵלֶיךָ וְלֹא תַעֲנֵנִי עָמַדְתִּי וַתִּתְבֹּנֶן בִּי׃
21You have become cruel to me; With Your powerful hand You harass me.
כאתֵּהָפֵךְ לְאַכְזָר לִי בְּעֹצֶם יָדְךָ תִשְׂטְמֵנִי׃
22You lift me up and mount me on the wind; You make my courage melt.
כבתִּשָּׂאֵנִי אֶל־רוּחַ תַּרְכִּיבֵנִי וּתְמֹגְגֵנִי תשוה [תּוּשִׁיָּה׃]
23I know You will bring me to death, The house assigned for all the living.
כגכִּי־יָדַעְתִּי מָוֶת תְּשִׁיבֵנִי וּבֵית מוֹעֵד לְכָל־חָי׃
24Surely He would not strike at a ruin If, in calamity, one cried out to Him.
כדאַךְ לֹא־בְעִי יִשְׁלַח־יָד אִם־בְּפִידוֹ לָהֶן שׁוּעַ׃
25Did I not weep for the unfortunate? Did I not grieve for the needy?
כהאִם־לֹא בָכִיתִי לִקְשֵׁה־יוֹם עָגְמָה נַפְשִׁי לָאֶבְיוֹן׃
26I looked forward to good fortune, but evil came; I hoped for light, but darkness came.
כוכִּי טוֹב קִוִּיתִי וַיָּבֹא רָע וַאֲיַחֲלָה לְאוֹר וַיָּבֹא אֹפֶל׃
27My bowels are in turmoil without respite; Days of misery confront me.
כזמֵעַי רֻתְּחוּ וְלֹא־דָמּוּ קִדְּמֻנִי יְמֵי־עֹנִי׃
28I walk about in sunless gloom; I rise in the assembly and cry out.
כחקֹדֵר הִלַּכְתִּי בְּלֹא חַמָּה קַמְתִּי בַקָּהָל אֲשַׁוֵּעַ׃
29I have become a brother to jackals, A companion to ostriches.
כטאָח הָיִיתִי לְתַנִּים וְרֵעַ לִבְנוֹת יַעֲנָה׃
30My skin, blackened, is peeling off me; My bones are charred by the heat.
לעוֹרִי שָׁחַר מֵעָלָי וְעַצְמִי־חָרָה מִנִּי־חֹרֶב׃
31So my lyre is given over to mourning, My pipe, to accompany weepers.
לאוַיְהִי לְאֵבֶל כִּנֹּרִי וְעֻגָבִי לְקוֹל בֹּכִים׃
