Job 16

Job 16 takes some language from Lamentations 3. I worked with Job 6 years ago when I was about 4 years old. Reworking it is a second pleasure. It is a parable. A parable. A parable. And it underlines corporate responsibility. It is not about an individual made in the image of the wealthy westerner.

Word / Gloss	1	2	3	4	Vs	Stem
הייתי I was	░				JOB 16:12	היה
למטרה as to target		░			JOB 16:12	נטר
כליותי my vital centres			░		JOB 16:13	כלי
מררתי my bitterness				░	JOB 16:13	מרר
כמטרא as the target		░			LAM 3:12	נטר
בכליותי my vital centres			░		LAM 3:13	כלי
הייתי I have become	░				LAM 3:14	היה
במרורים with bitterness				░	LAM 3:15	מרר

Neither is Lamentations. We are in this together. There is no escaping our interdependence.

Due homage to Shakespeare. Blurring is from the rare usage of place (קום) to the state of aged eyes. There is a missing double negative in the Hebrew, presumably elided but it needs to be explicit in the English. Verse 19, notoriety, is a pun of sorts, a unique word that could have the hope of the incarnate referee attached to it. There is too little understanding of Job in Christendom (perhaps because it is hard to see in the NT). I have some poor resolution of minor issues of concordance here, but I may just forget about it.

Job 16		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר	1		And Job answered and said,	3e	3f	8
שָׁמַ֣עְתִּי כְאֵ֣לֶּה רַבּ֑וֹת מְנַחֲמֵ֖י עָמָ֣ל כֻּלְּכֶֽם	2		I have heard many such things, miserable comforters, the lot of you.	3e	4B	8 8
הֲקֵ֥ץ לְדִבְרֵי־ר֑וּחַ א֥וֹ מַה־יַּ֝מְרִֽיצְךָ֗ כִּ֣י תַעֲנֶֽה	3		Will they end, these windy words? Or what stilts you that you answer?	3e	4B	6 9
גַּ֤ם ׀ אָנֹכִי֮ כָּכֶ֪ם אֲדַ֫בֵּ֥רָה ל֤וּ־יֵ֪שׁ נַפְשְׁכֶ֡ם תַּ֤חַת נַפְשִׁ֗י אַחְבִּ֣ירָה עֲלֵיכֶ֣ם בְּמִלִּ֑ים וְאָנִ֥יעָה עֲ֝לֵיכֶ֗ם בְּמ֣וֹ רֹאשִֽׁי	4	C	Even I myself as you could speak, supposing your selves there in my stead, I could cobble speeches about you, and wag my head over you.	3d	4C	10 18 11
אֲאַמִּצְכֶ֥ם בְּמוֹ־פִ֑י וְנִ֖יד שְׂפָתַ֣י יַחְשֹֽׂךְ	5		I would assure you with my mouth, and the wavering of my lips would keep back.	3e	4B	7 7
אִֽם־אֲ֭דַבְּרָה לֹא־יֵחָשֵׂ֣ךְ כְּאֵבִ֑י וְ֝אַחְדְּלָ֗ה מַה־מִנִּ֥י יַהֲלֹֽךְ	6		If I speak, my sorrow is not kept back. And I am finite. What from me walks away?	3e	4B	10 10
אַךְ־עַתָּ֥ה הֶלְאָ֑נִי הֲ֝שִׁמּ֗וֹתָ כָּל־עֲדָתִֽי	7		But now he has fatigued me. You have desolated all my testimony.	3e	4A	6 8
וַֽ֭תִּקְמְטֵנִי לְעֵ֣ד הָיָ֑ה וַיָּ֥קָם בִּ֥י כַ֝חֲשִׁ֗י בְּפָנַ֥י יַעֲנֶֽה	8		You have overrun me. A witness it has become. Rising in me is my cringing, answering in my face.	3e	4B	9 13
אַפּ֤וֹ טָרַ֨ף ׀ וַֽיִּשְׂטְמֵ֗נִי חָרַ֣ק עָלַ֣י בְּשִׁנָּ֑יו צָרִ֓י ׀ יִלְט֖וֹשׁ עֵינָ֣יו לִֽי	9	C	Its anger tears. And it opposes me. It gnashes its teeth at me. My straits hone its eyes on me.	3e	4C	16 7
פָּעֲר֬וּ עָלַ֨י ׀ בְּפִיהֶ֗ם בְּ֭חֶרְפָּה הִכּ֣וּ לְחָיָ֑י יַ֝֗חַד עָלַ֥י יִתְמַלָּאֽוּן	10		They gawk at me with their mouths. With reproach they strike my cheek. Together against me they are filled.	3e	4B	16 8
יַסְגִּירֵ֣נִי אֵ֭ל אֶ֣ל עֲוִ֑יל וְעַל־יְדֵ֖י רְשָׁעִ֣ים יִרְטֵֽנִי	11		The One has latched me to injustice. And to the hand of the wicked he has surrendered me.	3e	4B	8 10
שָׁ֘לֵ֤ו הָיִ֨יתִי ׀ וַֽיְפַרְפְּרֵ֗נִי וְאָחַ֣ז בְּ֭עָרְפִּי וַֽיְפַצְפְּצֵ֑נִי וַיְקִימֵ֥נִי ל֝֗וֹ לְמַטָּרָֽה	12	~	I was at ease and he has thwarted me. He has grasped by the scruff and scattered me to bits, and has placed me as his to target.	3e	4C	21 9
יָ֘סֹ֤בּוּ עָלַ֨י ׀ רַבָּ֗יו יְפַלַּ֣ח כִּ֭לְיוֹתַי וְלֹ֣א יַחְמ֑וֹל יִשְׁפֹּ֥ךְ לָ֝אָ֗רֶץ מְרֵרָֽתִי	13	~	His tens of thousands surround me. He slices my vital centre without pity. He pours out on the earth my bitterness.	3e	4C	17 9
יִפְרְצֵ֣נִי פֶ֭רֶץ עַל־פְּנֵי־פָ֑רֶץ יָרֻ֖ץ עָלַ֣י כְּגִבּֽוֹר	14		He breaches me, breach upon breach in my face. He races at me as one who prevails.	3e	4B	10 7
שַׂ֣ק תָּ֭פַרְתִּי עֲלֵ֣י גִלְדִּ֑י וְעֹלַ֖לְתִּי בֶעָפָ֣ר קַרְנִֽי	15	B	Sackcloth I have sewed over my scarred skin, and shackled with dust my horn.	3e	4B	8 9
פָּנַ֣י חֳ֭מַרְמְרוּ מִנִּי־בֶ֑כִי וְעַ֖ל עַפְעַפַּ֣י צַלְמָֽוֶת	16		My face is reddened from my weeping, and on my eyelids is a death-shadow.	3e	4B	9 8
עַ֭ל לֹא־חָמָ֣ס בְּכַפָּ֑י וּֽתְפִלָּתִ֥י זַכָּֽה	17	g	Though no violence is in my palm, and my prayer is clear.	3e	4B	6 6
אֶ֭רֶץ אַל־תְּכַסִּ֣י דָמִ֑י וְֽאַל־יְהִ֥י מָ֝ק֗וֹם לְזַעֲקָתִֽי	18	g	Earth, cover not my blood, and let there be no blurring for my appeal.	3e	4B	8 11
גַּם־עַ֭תָּה הִנֵּה־בַשָּׁמַ֣יִם עֵדִ֑י וְ֝שָׂהֲדִ֗י בַּמְּרוֹמִֽים	19		Even now behold in the heavens is my witness, and my notoriety is on the high ground.	3e	4B	10 7
מְלִיצַ֥י רֵעָ֑י אֶל־אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַ דָּלְפָ֥ה עֵינִֽי	20		My friends scorn me. To God my eye implores	3e	4A	5 8
וְיוֹכַ֣ח לְגֶ֣בֶר עִם־אֱל֑וֹהַּ וּֽבֶן־אָדָ֥ם לְרֵעֵֽהוּ	21		That one who is valiant might referee with God, and a child of humanity for his friend.	3e	4B	10 8
כִּֽי־שְׁנ֣וֹת מִסְפָּ֣ר יֶאֱתָ֑יוּ וְאֹ֖רַח לֹא־אָשׁ֣וּב אֶהֱלֹֽךְ	22		For counted years are upon me, and the path of no return I will walk.	3e	4B	9 8