16:1

וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַר׃

Then Job answered and said:

16:2

שָׁמַעְתִּי כְאֵלֶּה רַבּוֹת מְנַחֲמֵי עָמָל כֻּלְּכֶם׃

I have heard many such things; Sorry comforters are ye all.

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16:3

הֲקֵץ לְדִבְרֵי־רוּחַ אוֹ מַה־יַּמְרִיצְךָ כִּי תַעֲנֶה׃

Shall windy words have an end? Or what provoketh thee that thou answerest?

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16:4

גַּם אָנֹכִי כָּכֶם אֲדַבֵּרָה לוּ־יֵשׁ נַפְשְׁכֶם תַּחַת נַפְשִׁי אַחְבִּירָה עֲלֵיכֶם בְּמִלִּים וְאָנִיעָה עֲלֵיכֶם בְּמוֹ רֹאשִׁי׃

I also could speak as ye do; If your soul were in my soul’s stead, I could join words together against you, And shake my head at you.

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16:5

אֲאַמִּצְכֶם בְּמוֹ־פִי וְנִיד שְׂפָתַי יַחְשֹׂךְ׃

I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the moving of my lips would assuage your grief.

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16:6

אִם־אֲדַבְּרָה לֹא־יֵחָשֵׂךְ כְּאֵבִי וְאַחְדְּלָה מַה־מִנִּי יַהֲלֹךְ׃

Though I speak, my pain is not assuaged; And though I forbear, what am I eased?

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16:7

אַךְ־עַתָּה הֶלְאָנִי הֲשִׁמּוֹתָ כָּל־עֲדָתִי׃

But now He hath made me weary; Thou hast made desolate all my company.

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16:8

וַתִּקְמְטֵנִי לְעֵד הָיָה וַיָּקָם בִּי כַחֲשִׁי בְּפָנַי יַעֲנֶה׃

And Thou hast shrivelled me up, which is a witness against me; And my leanness riseth up against me, it testifieth to my face.

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16:9

אַפּוֹ טָרַף וַיִּשְׂטְמֵנִי חָרַק עָלַי בְּשִׁנָּיו צָרִי יִלְטוֹשׁ עֵינָיו לִי׃

He hath torn me in His wrath, and hated me; He hath gnashed upon me with His teeth; Mine adversary sharpeneth his eyes upon me.

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16:10

פָּעֲרוּ עָלַי בְּפִיהֶם בְּחֶרְפָּה הִכּוּ לְחָיָי יַחַד עָלַי יִתְמַלָּאוּן׃

They have gaped upon me with their mouth; They have smitten me upon the cheek scornfully; They gather themselves together against me.

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16:11

יַסְגִּירֵנִי אֵל אֶל עֲוִיל וְעַל־יְדֵי רְשָׁעִים יִרְטֵנִי׃

God delivereth me to the ungodly, And casteth me into the hands of the wicked.

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16:12

שָׁלֵו הָיִיתִי וַיְפַרְפְּרֵנִי וְאָחַז בְּעָרְפִּי וַיְפַצְפְּצֵנִי וַיְקִימֵנִי לוֹ לְמַטָּרָה׃

I was at ease, and He broke me asunder; Yea, He hath taken me by the neck, and dashed me to pieces; He hath also set me up for His mark.

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16:13

יָסֹבּוּ עָלַי רַבָּיו יְפַלַּח כִּלְיוֹתַי וְלֹא יַחְמוֹל יִשְׁפֹּךְ לָאָרֶץ מְרֵרָתִי׃

His archers compass me round about, He cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; He poureth out my gall upon the ground.

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16:14

יִפְרְצֵנִי פֶרֶץ עַל־פְּנֵי־פָרֶץ יָרֻץ עָלַי כְּגִבּוֹר׃

He breaketh me with breach upon breach; He runneth upon me like a giant.

16:15

שַׂק תָּפַרְתִּי עֲלֵי גִלְדִּי וְעֹלַלְתִּי בֶעָפָר קַרְנִי׃

I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, And have laid my horn in the dust.

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16:16

פָּנַי חמרמרה [חֳמַרְמְרוּ] מִנִּי־בֶכִי וְעַל עַפְעַפַּי צַלְמָוֶת׃

My face is reddened with weeping, And on my eyelids is the shadow of death;

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16:17

עַל לֹא־חָמָס בְּכַפָּי וּתְפִלָּתִי זַכָּה׃

Although there is no violence in my hands, And my prayer is pure.

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16:18

אֶרֶץ אַל־תְּכַסִּי דָמִי וְאַל־יְהִי מָקוֹם לְזַעֲקָתִי׃

O earth, cover not thou my blood, And let my cry have no resting-place.

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16:19

גַּם־עַתָּה הִנֵּה־בַשָּׁמַיִם עֵדִי וְשָׂהֲדִי בַּמְּרוֹמִים׃

Even now, behold, my Witness is in heaven, And He that testifieth of me is on high.

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16:20

מְלִיצַי רֵעָי אֶל־אֱלוֹהַ דָּלְפָה עֵינִי׃

Mine inward thoughts are my intercessors, Mine eye poureth out tears unto God;

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16:21

וְיוֹכַח לְגֶבֶר עִם־אֱלוֹהַּ וּבֶן־אָדָם לְרֵעֵהוּ׃

That He would set aright a man contending with God, As a son of man setteth aright his neighbour! .

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16:22

כִּי־שְׁנוֹת מִסְפָּר יֶאֱתָיוּ וְאֹרַח לֹא־אָשׁוּב אֶהֱלֹךְ׃

For the years that are few are coming on, And I shall go the way whence I shall not return.

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