1 Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches, and hearken to all my words.
2 Behold, now I have opened my mouth, my tongue hath spoken in my mouth.
3 My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly.
4 The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
5 If thou canst answer me, set thy words in order before me, stand up.
6 Behold, I am according to thy wish in God's stead: I also am formed out of the clay.
7 Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee.
8 Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,
9 I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.
10 Behold, he findeth occasions against me, he counteth me for his enemy,
11 He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths.
12 Behold, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man.
13 Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.
14 For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;
16 Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,
17 That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.
18 He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.
19 He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain:
20 So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat.
21 His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out.
22 Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers.
23 If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness:
24 Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.
25 His flesh shall be fresher than a child's: he shall return to the days of his youth:
26 He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness.
27 He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not;
28 He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.
29 Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man,
30 To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.
31 Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I will speak.
32 If thou hast anything to say, answer me: speak, for I desire to justify thee.
33 If not, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisdom.
<html><b>The spirit of God made me</b> and I am no stronger than you.</html>
<html><b>Behold I am like your mouth to God</b> As your mouth asked to debate with one who would not terrify you, behold I am instead of the Holy One, blessed be He, and on His behalf, to speak His words.</html>
<html><b>and my coercion</b> Heb. אכפי, my coercion, like (Prov. 16:26), “his mouth forces (אכף).”</html>
<html><b>I am clean</b> Heb. חף, pure and cleansed, like (Bezah 35b), “A nazirite may not cleanse (יחף) his head…” and like (Shabbath 50a),” we may cleanse (חפין) vessels with anything.”</html>
<html><b>pretenses</b> Heb. תאונות, pretenses to turn away from the Omnipresent, an expression of (Jud. 14: 4), “that he sought a pretense (תאנה).”</html>
<html><b>for God exceeds man</b> God does not have to be so exact with man because the Holy One, blessed be He, has more virtues than man.</html>
<html><b>Then He opens the ear of men</b> as He did to Abimelech in the dream of the night. <b>and with their chastisement He seals [them]</b> He seals them and binds them with suffering because of their iniquity.</html>
<html><b>To restrain man</b> in his illness. <b>a deed</b> that he had intended to do. <b>and He covers haughtiness from man</b> with his suffering, in order to vanquish him and humble him to repent, so that he withhold his soul from utter death. <b>haughtiness</b> Heb. וְגֵוָה, like גַאֲוָה.</html>
<html><b>and his life from perishing by the sword</b> by the weapon and the sword of the Angel of Death; that is to say, He brought suffering upon you for your good. <b>by the sword</b> Heb. בשלח, a weapon, and so in Ezra (Neh. 4:11): “and one was holding the weapon (השלח).”</html>
<html><b>And he is chastised</b> an expression of reproof that he repent of his iniquity, <b>and most of his bones</b>, which are strong, He chastises with pain.</html>
<html><b>And his living spirit causes him to abhor food</b> The soul and the life of the sick person cause him to abhor all food. <b>and his soul</b> abhors all tasty food.</html>
<html><b>His flesh is consumed from sight</b> Heb. יכל בשרו מראי, His flesh is withdrawn from sight, like (Lam 2:11): “My eyes are spent (כלו) with tears”; (Lev. 26:16), “that cause the eyes to pine way (מכלות). <b>and his bones are dislocated</b> Heb. ושפו. They are dislocated from their place. [The word] שֻׁפּוּ is like (Hullin 42b), “that sprung (שף) from its place.” <b>to unsightliness</b> They have neither appearance nor form.</html>
<html><b>one out of a thousand</b> of those who testify to his guilt, and he intercedes with his uprightness.</html>
<html><b>He is gracious to him</b> i.e., the Omnipresent. <b>Redeem him</b> Heb. פדעהו, like פְדָאֵהוּ. The “alef” is replaced by an “ayin.” The context proves it. “I found ransom,” which is redemption.</html>
<html><b>His flesh is agitated from shaking</b> Heb. רֻטֲפַש means escos in French, shaken. <b>from shaking</b> His flesh was agitated from the shaking, that it was shaken [by the suffering of] his illness. This word [רֻטֲפַש] has no similarity in Scripture, and according to the context, we found it necessary to explain according to the meaning of the topic. But the one who interprets it as an expression of mire (רפש) and claims that the “teth” is added to it, as in (Gen. 44:16), “How can we clear ourselves (נצטדק)?” is in great error, because the “teth” is added to a word only in the reflexive voice, and to a word in which there is a radical “zaddi,” but nor in other words. for example, צדק and נצטדק, and like (Lev. 13:44) צרוּע, stricken with “zaraath,” and נצטרע, was stricken with “zaraath.” (Prov. 25: 13), “an emissary (ציר) faithful,” and (Josh. 9:4), “and they went and disguised as ambassadors (ויצטירו)”; (Gen. 45:21) “צֵדָה, provision,” and (Josh. 9:12) “הִצְטַיַדְנוּ, we took… for our provision.” <b>he will be restored</b> with his strength and with healing to the days of his youth.</html>
<html><b>He makes a row of men</b> He makes a row of men when he is saved from his illness and confesses [before them] to his Creator. <b>but I did not profit</b> I had no profit in its matters.</html>
<html><b>twice or thrice</b> He chastises him for his iniquities with his illness in order not to destroy him, but if he provokes Him further, he should be concerned with Gehinnom or death, as it is written, “Yea for four, I will not return them” (Amos 1:3).</html>