9:1

וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַר׃

Then Job answered and said:

9:2

אָמְנָם יָדַעְתִּי כִי־כֵן וּמַה־יִּצְדַּק אֱנוֹשׁ עִם־אֵל׃

Of a truth I know that it is so; And how can man be just with God?

9:3

אִם־יַחְפֹּץ לָרִיב עִמּוֹ לֹא־יַעֲנֶנּוּ אַחַת מִנִּי־אָלֶף׃

If one should desire to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one of a thousand.

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9:4

חֲכַם לֵבָב וְאַמִּיץ כֹּחַ מִי־הִקְשָׁה אֵלָיו וַיִּשְׁלָם׃

He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength; Who hath hardened himself against Him, and prospered?

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9:5

הַמַּעְתִּיק הָרִים וְלֹא יָדָעוּ אֲשֶׁר הֲפָכָם בְּאַפּוֹ׃

Who removeth the mountains, and they know it not, When He overturneth them in His anger.

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9:6

הַמַּרְגִּיז אֶרֶץ מִמְּקוֹמָהּ וְעַמּוּדֶיהָ יִתְפַלָּצוּן׃

Who shaketh the earth out of her place, And the pillars thereof tremble.

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9:7

הָאֹמֵר לַחֶרֶס וְלֹא יִזְרָח וּבְעַד כּוֹכָבִים יַחְתֹּם׃

Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; And sealeth up the stars.

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9:8

נֹטֶה שָׁמַיִם לְבַדּוֹ וְדוֹרֵךְ עַל־בָּמֳתֵי יָם׃

Who alone stretcheth out the heavens, And treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

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9:9

עֹשֶׂה־עָשׁ כְּסִיל וְכִימָה וְחַדְרֵי תֵמָן׃

Who maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south.

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9:10

עֹשֶׂה גְדֹלוֹת עַד־אֵין חֵקֶר וְנִפְלָאוֹת עַד־אֵין מִסְפָּר׃

Who doeth great things past finding out; Yea, marvellous things without number.

9:11

הֵן יַעֲבֹר עָלַי וְלֹא אֶרְאֶה וְיַחֲלֹף וְלֹא־אָבִין לוֹ׃

Lo, He goeth by me, and I see Him not. He passeth on also, but I perceive Him not.

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9:12

הֵן יַחְתֹּף מִי יְשִׁיבֶנּוּ מִי־יֹאמַר אֵלָיו מַה־תַּעֲשֶׂה׃

Behold, He snatcheth away, who can hinder Him? Who will say unto Him: ‘What doest Thou?’

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9:13

אֱלוֹהַּ לֹא־יָשִׁיב אַפּוֹ תחתו [תַּחְתָּיו] שָׁחֲחוּ עֹזְרֵי רָהַב׃

God will not withdraw His anger; The helpers of Rahab did stoop under Him.

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9:14

אַף כִּי־אָנֹכִי אֶעֱנֶנּוּ אֶבְחֲרָה דְבָרַי עִמּוֹ׃

How much less shall I answer Him, And choose out my arguments with Him?

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9:15

אֲשֶׁר אִם־צָדַקְתִּי לֹא אֶעֱנֶה לִמְשֹׁפְטִי אֶתְחַנָּן׃

Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer; I would make supplication to Him that contendeth with me.

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9:16

אִם־קָרָאתִי וַיַּעֲנֵנִי לֹא־אַאֲמִין כִּי־יַאֲזִין קוֹלִי׃

If I had called, and He had answered me; Yet would I not believe that He would hearken unto my voice—

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9:17

אֲשֶׁר־בִּשְׂעָרָה יְשׁוּפֵנִי וְהִרְבָּה פְצָעַי חִנָּם׃

He that would break me with a tempest, And multiply my wounds without cause;

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9:18

לֹא־יִתְּנֵנִי הָשֵׁב רוּחִי כִּי יַשְׂבִּעַנִי מַמְּרֹרִים׃

That would not suffer me to take my breath, But fill me with bitterness.

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9:19

אִם־לְכֹחַ אַמִּיץ הִנֵּה וְאִם־לְמִשְׁפָּט מִי יוֹעִידֵנִי׃

If it be a matter of strength, lo, He is mighty! And if of justice, who will appoint me a time? .

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9:20

אִם־אֶצְדָּק פִּי יַרְשִׁיעֵנִי תָּם־אָנִי וַיַּעְקְשֵׁנִי׃

Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me; Though I be innocent, He shall prove me perverse.

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9:21

תָּם־אָנִי לֹא־אֵדַע נַפְשִׁי אֶמְאַס חַיָּי׃

I am innocent—I regard not myself, I despise my life.

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9:22

אַחַת הִיא עַל־כֵּן אָמַרְתִּי תָּם וְרָשָׁע הוּא מְכַלֶּה׃

It is all one—therefore I say: He destroyeth the innocent and the wicked.

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9:23

אִם־שׁוֹט יָמִית פִּתְאֹם לְמַסַּת נְקִיִּם יִלְעָג׃

If the scourge slay suddenly, He will mock at the calamity of the guiltless.

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9:24

אֶרֶץ נִתְּנָה בְיַד־רָשָׁע פְּנֵי־שֹׁפְטֶיהָ יְכַסֶּה אִם־לֹא אֵפוֹא מִי־הוּא׃

The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He covereth the faces of the judges thereof; If it be not He, who then is it?

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9:25

וְיָמַי קַלּוּ מִנִּי־רָץ בָּרְחוּ לֹא־רָאוּ טוֹבָה׃

Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good.

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9:26

חָלְפוּ עִם־אֳנִיּוֹת אֵבֶה כְּנֶשֶׁר יָטוּשׂ עֲלֵי־אֹכֶל׃

They are passed away as the swift ships; As the vulture that swoopeth on the prey.

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9:27

אִם־אָמְרִי אֶשְׁכְּחָה שִׂיחִי אֶעֶזְבָה פָנַי וְאַבְלִיגָה׃

If I say: ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad countenance, and be of good cheer’,

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9:28

יָגֹרְתִּי כָל־עַצְּבֹתָי יָדַעְתִּי כִּי־לֹא תְנַקֵּנִי׃

I am afraid of all my pains, I know that Thou wilt not hold me guiltless.

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9:29

אָנֹכִי אֶרְשָׁע לָמָּה־זֶּה הֶבֶל אִיגָע׃

I shall be condemned; Why then do I labour in vain?

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9:30

אִם־הִתְרָחַצְתִּי במו־[בְמֵי־] שָׁלֶג וַהֲזִכּוֹתִי בְּבֹר כַּפָּי׃

If I wash myself with snow water, And make my hands never so clean;

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9:31

אָז בַּשַּׁחַת תִּטְבְּלֵנִי וְתִעֲבוּנִי שַׂלְמוֹתָי׃

Yet wilt Thou plunge me in the ditch, And mine own clothes shall abhor me.

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9:32

כִּי־לֹא־אִישׁ כָּמֹנִי אֶעֱנֶנּוּ נָבוֹא יַחְדָּו בַּמִּשְׁפָּט׃

For He is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him, That we should come together in judgment.

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9:33

לֹא יֵשׁ־בֵּינֵינוּ מוֹכִיחַ יָשֵׁת יָדוֹ עַל־שְׁנֵינוּ׃

There is no arbiter betwixt us, That might lay his hand upon us both.

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9:34

יָסֵר מֵעָלַי שִׁבְטוֹ וְאֵמָתוֹ אַל־תְּבַעֲתַנִּי׃

Let Him take His rod away from me, And let not His terror make me afraid;

9:35

אַדַבְּרָה וְלֹא אִירָאֶנּוּ כִּי לֹא־כֵן אָנֹכִי עִמָּדִי׃

Then would I speak, and not fear Him; For I am not so with myself.

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