Hebrew Parallel Text: Literary Translation of the Book of Job (13)

Hebrew Parallel Text: Literary Translation of the Book of Job (13)

v1.2

1. Translation Policy

This translation is not a faithful literal rendering of the biblical text, but an artistic endeavor that recreates the spirit of the narrative within the dignified, literary resonance of classical Japanese. It includes free translation and dramatization. The goal is to express the majesty and dramatic progression of the original text through a unique stylistic approach.

In translating, the following policies were observed:

Conciseness and Rhythm: Taking the economy of language found in the classics as a model, unnecessary particles and ornamentation have been stripped away to the greatest extent possible. The contrast between the intense cries of suffering unique to the Book of Job and the laws of causality spoken by his friends is also brought to life within this rhythm.

Classical Literary Foundation: While based on classical literary style, a balance was sought with readability for the modern reader. The aim is to reconstruct it as an artistic literary style while avoiding the vulgarity of pseudo-archaic language.

Strict Style: Hiragana, including archaic forms, has been replaced with kanji as much as possible. Furthermore, by avoiding honorifics and humble language entirely, the fundamental relationship between God, the created, and humanity is expressed more directly and powerfully.

[About the Production Background]

This literary translation was generated and edited through collaboration with AI, based on the creator's clear concept. While the original biblical text is in the public domain, this translation is an attempt at a new creative expression, transforming it into a unique style. We welcome readers to freely quote and share this for non-profit purposes such as education, research, and private use. However, please refrain from unauthorized modification or commercial use of the text.

2. Commentary

This translation is an attempt to reconstruct the poetic structure and depth of meaning inherent in the original Hebrew within the aesthetic style of classical Japanese. This manuscript contains the third speech of Bildad the Shuhite and Job's rebuttal. The third speech is extremely brief, and its theme converges on the insignificance of humanity.

Born of woman (25:4):
An expression used by Bildad to emphasize human imperfection and sinfulness. It demonstrates how powerless humanity is before the absolute purity of God.

Over the void (26:7):
The Hebrew word 'tohu'. It is the word that forms the first half of 'tohu wa-bohu' in Genesis 1:2, referring to emptiness or a formless state. It expresses the miraculous work of God hanging the earth over a formless void.

Covering the face of the throne (26:9):
In the interpretation of the Hebrew, there are two schools of thought here: 'throne' and 'full moon'. This translation adopts the image of God's majestic rule and uses 'throne'.

Calming the sea (26:12):
There is a range of traditional interpretations for the original verb, which can be understood as 'calming the sea' or 'stirring up the sea'. This translation adopts the description of pacification by God's great power.

Rahab (26:12):
In the biblical Psalms, this appears as a monstrous symbol representing the sea, chaos, or arrogant hostile forces. It is understood as a poetic expression showing that God controls the forces of chaos and establishes order in the world.

The fleeing serpent (26:13):
A poetic symbol reminiscent of a mythical monster, and there is a strong theory that interprets it as overlapping with Leviathan. It describes the forces of chaos yielding before the breath and hand of God.

3. Hebrew Parallel Literary Translation

Book of Job Chapter 25

25:1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,
וַיַּעַן בִּלְדַּד הַשּׁוּחִי וַיֹּאמַר׃
Vayyaan Bildad Hashuchi vayyomar.
Answered / Bildad / the Shuhite / and said.

25:2 Dominion and fear are with Him; He makes peace in His high places.
הַמְשֵׁל וָפַחַד עִמּוֹ עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו׃
Hamshel vafachad immo, oseh shalom bimromav.
Dominion / and fear / are with Him / makes / peace / in His high places.

25:3 Can His armies be numbered? And upon whom does His light not rise?
הֲיֵשׁ מִסְפָּר לִגְדוּדָיו וְעַל־מִי לֹא־יָקוּם אוֹרֵהוּ׃
Hayeish mispar ligdudav, veal mi lo yakum orehu.
Is there / a number / to His armies / and upon / whom / does not / rise / His light.

25:4 How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he who is born of woman be pure?
וּמַה־יִּצְדַּק אֱנוֹשׁ עִם־אֵל וּמַה־יִּזְכֶּה יְלוּד אִשָּׁה׃
Uma yitsdak enosh im El, uma yizkeh yelud ishah.
And how / can be righteous / man / with / God / and how / can be pure / one born / of woman.

25:5 Behold, even the moon does not shine, and the stars are not pure in His eyes.
הֵן עַד־יָרֵחַ וְלֹא יַאֲהִיל וְכוֹכָבִים לֹא־זַכּוּ בְעֵינָיו׃
Hen ad yareach velo yaahil, vekochavim lo zakku veeinav.
Behold / even / the moon / and not / shines / and the stars / are not / pure / in His eyes.

25:6 How much less man, who is a maggot, and the son of man, who is a worm!
אַף כִּי־אֱנוֹשׁ רִמָּה וּבֶן־אָדָם תּוֹלֵעָה׃
Af ki enosh rimmah, uven adam toleah.
How much more / man / is a maggot / and the son / of man / is a worm.

Book of Job Chapter 26

26:1 Then Job answered and said,
וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַר׃
Vayyaan Iyyov vayyomar.
Answered / Job / and said.

26:2 How have you helped him who is without power? How have you saved the arm that has no strength?
מֶה־עָזַרְתָּ לְלֹא־כֹחַ הוֹשַׁעְתָּ זְרוֹעַ לֹא־עֹז׃
Me azarta lelo choach, hoshata zeroa lo oz.
How / have you helped / one without / power / have you saved / an arm / without / strength.

26:3 How have you counseled one who has no wisdom, and how have you declared sound knowledge to the many?
מַה־יָּעַצְתָּ לְלֹא חָכְמָה וְתוּשִׁיָּה לָרֹב הוֹדָעְתָּ׃
Ma yaatsa lelo chochmah, vetushiyah larov hodata.
How / have you counseled / one without / wisdom / and sound knowledge / to the many / have you made known.

26:4 To whom have you uttered words, and whose spirit came from you?
אֶת־מִי הִגַּדְתָּ מִלִּין וְנִשְׁמַת־מִי יָצְאָה מִמֶּךָּ׃
Et mi higgatta millin, venishmat mi yatsah mimmecha.
To whom / have you uttered / words / and the spirit / of whom / came out / from you.

26:5 The dead tremble under the waters, and those who dwell in them.
הָרְפָאִים יְחוֹלָלוּ מִתַּחַת מַיִם וְשֹׁכְנֵיהֶם׃
Harefaim yecholalu, mittachat mayim veshochnehem.
The dead / tremble / from under / the waters / and those who dwell in them.

26:6 Sheol is naked before Him, and Destruction has no covering.
עָרוֹם שְׁאוֹל נֶגְדּוֹ וְאֵין כְּסוּת לָאֲבַדּוֹן׃
Arom sheol negdo, veein kesut laavaddon.
Naked / Sheol / before Him / and there is no / covering / for Destruction.

26:7 He stretches out the north over empty space; He hangs the earth on nothing.
נֹטֶה צָפוֹן עַל־תֹּהוּ תּוֹלֶה אֶרֶץ עַל־בְּלִי־מָה׃
Note tsafon al tohu, toleh erets al beli mah.
Stretches out / the north / over / emptiness / hangs / the earth / upon / nothing.

26:8 He binds up the water in His thick clouds, yet the clouds are not broken under them.
צֹרֵר־מַיִם בְּעָבָיו וְלֹא־נִבְקַע עָנָן תַּחְתָּם׃
Tsorer mayim beavav, velo nivka anan tachtam.
Binds up / water / in His thick clouds / and not / is broken / the cloud / under them.

26:9 He covers the face of His throne, and spreads His cloud over it.
מְאַחֵז פְּנֵי־כִסֵּה פַּרְשֵׁז עָלָיו עֲנָנוֹ׃
Meachez pene chisse, parshez alav anano.
Covers / the face / of the throne / spreads / over it / His cloud.

26:10 He drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters, at the boundary of light and darkness.
חֹק־חָג עַל־פְּנֵי־מָיִם עַד־תַּכְלִית אוֹר עִם־חֹשֶׁךְ׃
Chok chag al pene mayim, ad tachlit or im choshech.
A boundary / He drew / on the face / of the waters / until / the limit / of light / with / darkness.

26:11 The pillars of heaven tremble, and are astonished at His rebuke.
עַמּוּדֵי שָׁמַיִם יְרוֹפָפוּ וְיִתְמְהוּ מִגַּעֲרָתוֹ׃
Ammude shamayim yerofafu, veyitmehu migaarato.
The pillars / of heaven / tremble / and are astonished / at His rebuke.

26:12 He stirs up the sea with His power, and by His understanding He breaks up Rahab.
בְּכֹחוֹ רָגַע הַיָּם וּבִתְבוּנָתוֹ מָחַץ רָהַב׃
Bechocho raga hayyam, uvitvunato machats Rahab.
By His power / He stirred up / the sea / and by His understanding / He broke / Rahab.

26:13 By His Spirit He adorned the heavens; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent.
בְּרוּחוֹ שָׁמַיִם שִׁפְרָה חֹלְלָה יָדוֹ נָחָשׁ בָּרִיחַ׃
Berucho shamayim shifrah, cholelah yado nachash bariach.
By His Spirit / the heavens / He adorned / pierced / His hand / the serpent / fleeing.

26:14 Behold, these are but the fringes of His ways. How faint a whisper is what we hear of Him! Who can understand the thunder of His mighty power?
הֶן־אֵלֶּה קְצוֹת דְּרָכָיו וּמַה־שֵּׁמֶץ דָּבָר נִשְׁמַע־בּוֹ וְרַעַם גְּבוּרָתָו מִי יִתְבּוֹנָן׃
Hen elleh ketzot derakhav, uma shemetz davar nishma bo, vera'am gevurato mi yitbonan.
Behold / these are / the fringes / of His ways / and how / faint / a word / is heard / in Him / and the thunder / of His mighty power / who / can understand?

4. Hebrew Vocabulary List

Below, I have compiled a comprehensive list of the important keywords that appeared this time, as well as frequently used vocabulary that appears multiple times throughout this manuscript.

תֹּהוּ (Tohu): Emptiness, a formless state, desolation. Also relates to the first element of 'tohu va-bohu' in Genesis. (Important vocabulary)

רָהַב (Rahav): Rahab. A sea monster, or a symbol of arrogant hostile forces. (Important vocabulary)

נָחָשׁ בָּרִיחַ (Nachash Bariach): Fleeing serpent. A mythological creature also linked to Leviathan. (Important vocabulary)

שְׁאוֹל (Sheol): The underworld/grave. (Important vocabulary)

אֲבַדּוֹן (Abaddon): The abyss of destruction. (Important vocabulary)

רְפָאִים (Rephaim): Shades of the dead, ghosts. (Important vocabulary)

עָנָה (Anah): To answer.

אָמַר (Amar): To say.

אֱנוֹשׁ (Enosh): Man/mankind.

מָה (Mah): What, how.

לֹא (Lo): No, not.

מִי (Mi): Who.

עַל (Al): Upon, on.

הֵן (Hen): Behold.

כֹּחַ (Koach): Power, strength.

מַיִם (Mayim): Water.

שָׁמַיִם (Shamayim): Heaven/sky.

עָנָן (Anan): Cloud.

עִם (Im): With.

מִן (Min): From.

#Bible
#OldTestament
#BookOfJob
#Hebrew
#HebrewLanguage
#LiteraryTranslation
#Translation
#Christianity
#Judaism
#Suffering
#God
#ClassicalLiterature
#Tohu
#Mythology
#BiblicalStudies