Job 3
26 verses · Hebrew with nikud, English alongside · tap 🔊 to hear a verse
אַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֗ן פָּתַ֤ח אִיּוֹב֙ אֶת־פִּ֔יהוּ וַיְקַלֵּ֖ל אֶת־יוֹמֽוֹ׃ {פ}
akhare-khen patakh iyyov et-pihu vayeqallel et-yomo
Afterward, Job began to speak and cursed the day of his birth.
וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
vayya'an iyyov vayyomar
Job spoke up and said:
יֹ֣אבַד י֭וֹם אִוָּ֣לֶד בּ֑וֹ וְהַלַּ֥יְלָה אָ֝מַ֗ר הֹ֣רָה גָֽבֶר׃
yovad yom ivvaled bo vehallaylah amar horah gaver
Perish the day on which I was born, And the night it was announced, “A male has been conceived!”
הַיּ֥וֹם הַה֗וּא יְֽהִ֫י־חֹ֥שֶׁךְ אַֽל־יִדְרְשֵׁ֣הוּ אֱל֣וֹהַּ מִמַּ֑עַל וְאַל־תּוֹפַ֖ע עָלָ֣יו נְהָרָֽה׃
hayyom hahu yehi-khoshekh al-yidreshehu eloah mimma'al ve'al-tofa alayw neharah
May that day be darkness; May God above have no concern for it; May light not shine on it;
יִגְאָלֻ֡הוּ חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְ֭צַלְמָוֶת תִּשְׁכׇּן־עָלָ֣יו עֲנָנָ֑ה יְ֝בַעֲתֻ֗הוּ כִּֽמְרִ֥ירֵי יֽוֹם׃
yigaluhu khoshekh vetsalmavet tishkon-alayw ananah yeva'atuhu kimrire yom
May darkness and deep gloom reclaim it; May a pall lie over it; May what blackens the day terrify it.
הַלַּ֥יְלָה הַהוּא֮ יִקָּחֵ֢ה֫וּ אֹ֥פֶל אַל־יִ֭חַדְּ בִּימֵ֣י שָׁנָ֑ה בְּמִסְפַּ֥ר יְ֝רָחִ֗ים אַל־יָבֹֽא׃
hallaylah hahu yiqqakhehu ofel al-yikhad bime shanah bemispar yerakhim al-yavo
May obscurity carry off that night; May it not be counted among the days of the year; May it not appear in any of its months;
הִנֵּ֤ה הַלַּ֣יְלָה הַ֭הוּא יְהִ֣י גַלְמ֑וּד אַל־תָּב֖וֹא רְנָנָ֣ה בֽוֹ׃
hinneh hallaylah hahu yehi galmud al-tavo renanah vo
May that night be desolate; May no sound of joy be heard in it;
יִקְּבֻ֥הוּ אֹֽרְרֵי־י֑וֹם הָ֝עֲתִידִ֗ים עֹרֵ֥ר לִוְיָתָֽן׃
yiqqevuhu orere-yom ha'atidim orer livyatan
May those who cast spells upon the day damn it, Those prepared to disable Leviathan;
יֶחְשְׁכוּ֮ כּוֹכְבֵ֢י נִ֫שְׁפּ֥וֹ יְקַו־לְא֥וֹר וָאַ֑יִן וְאַל־יִ֝רְאֶ֗ה בְּעַפְעַפֵּי־שָֽׁחַר׃
yekhshekhu kokheve nishpo yeqav-le'or va'ayin ve'al-yireh be'afappe-shakhar
May its twilight stars remain dark; May it hope for light and have none; May it not see the glimmerings of the dawn—
כִּ֤י לֹ֣א סָ֭גַר דַּלְתֵ֣י בִטְנִ֑י וַיַּסְתֵּ֥ר עָ֝מָ֗ל מֵעֵינָֽי׃
ki lo sagar dalte vitni vayyaster amal me'enay
Because it did not block my mother’s womb, And hide trouble from my eyes.
לָ֤מָּה לֹּ֣א מֵרֶ֣חֶם אָמ֑וּת מִבֶּ֖טֶן יָצָ֣אתִי וְאֶגְוָֽע׃
lammah lo merekhem amut mibbeten yatsati ve'egva
Why did I not die at birth, Expire as I came forth from the womb?
מַ֭דּוּעַ קִדְּמ֣וּנִי בִרְכָּ֑יִם וּמַה־שָּׁ֝דַ֗יִם כִּ֣י אִינָֽק׃
maddua qiddemuni virkayim umah-shadayim ki inaq
Why were there knees to receive me, Or breasts for me to suck?
כִּֽי־עַ֭תָּה שָׁכַ֣בְתִּי וְאֶשְׁק֑וֹט יָ֝שַׁ֗נְתִּי אָ֤ז ׀ יָנ֬וּחַֽ לִֽי׃
ki-attah shakhavti ve'eshqot yashanti az yanuakh li
For now would I be lying in repose, asleep and at rest,
עִם־מְ֭לָכִים וְיֹ֣עֲצֵי אָ֑רֶץ הַבֹּנִ֖ים חֳרָב֣וֹת לָֽמוֹ׃
im-melakhim veyo'atse arets habbonim khoravot lamo
With the world’s kings and counselors who rebuild ruins for themselves,
א֣וֹ עִם־שָׂ֭רִים זָהָ֣ב לָהֶ֑ם הַֽמְמַלְאִ֖ים בָּתֵּיהֶ֣ם כָּֽסֶף׃
o im-sarim zahav lahem hamemalim battehem kasef
Or with nobles who possess gold and who fill their houses with silver.
א֤וֹ כְנֵ֣פֶל טָ֭מוּן לֹ֣א אֶהְיֶ֑ה כְּ֝עֹלְלִ֗ים לֹא־רָ֥אוּ אֽוֹר׃
o khenefel tamun lo ehyeh ke'olelim lo-ra'u or
Or why was I not like a buried stillbirth, Like babies who never saw the light?
שָׁ֣ם רְ֭שָׁעִים חָ֣דְלוּ רֹ֑גֶז וְשָׁ֥ם יָ֝נ֗וּחוּ יְגִ֣יעֵי כֹֽחַ׃
sham resha'im khadelu rogez vesham yanukhu yegi'e khoakh
There the wicked cease from troubling; There rest those whose strength is spent.
יַ֭חַד אֲסִירִ֣ים שַׁאֲנָ֑נוּ לֹ֥א שָׁ֝מְע֗וּ ק֣וֹל נֹגֵֽשׂ׃
yakhad asirim sha'ananu lo shame'u qol noges
Prisoners are wholly at ease; They do not hear the taskmaster’s voice.
קָטֹ֣ן וְ֭גָדוֹל שָׁ֣ם ה֑וּא וְ֝עֶ֗בֶד חׇפְשִׁ֥י מֵאֲדֹנָֽיו׃
qaton vegadol sham hu ve'eved khofshi me'adonayw
Small and great alike are there, And the slave is free of his master.
לָ֤מָּה יִתֵּ֣ן לְעָמֵ֣ל א֑וֹר וְ֝חַיִּ֗ים לְמָ֣רֵי נָֽפֶשׁ׃
lammah yitten le'amel or vekhayyim lemare nafesh
Why does [God] give light to the sufferer And life to the bitter in spirit;
הַֽמְחַכִּ֣ים לַמָּ֣וֶת וְאֵינֶ֑נּוּ וַֽ֝יַּחְפְּרֻ֗הוּ מִמַּטְמוֹנִֽים׃
hamekhakkim lammavet ve'enennu vayyakhperuhu mimmatmonim
To those who wait for death but it does not come, Who search for it more than for treasure,
הַשְּׂמֵחִ֥ים אֱלֵי־גִ֑יל יָ֝שִׂ֗ישׂוּ כִּ֣י יִמְצְאוּ־קָֽבֶר׃
hassemekhim ele-gil yasisu ki yimtse'u-qaver
Who rejoice to exultation, And are glad to reach the grave;
לְ֭גֶבֶר אֲשֶׁר־דַּרְכּ֣וֹ נִסְתָּ֑רָה וַיָּ֖סֶךְ אֱל֣וֹהַּ בַּעֲדֽוֹ׃
legever asher-darko nistarah vayyasekh eloah ba'ado
To the man who has lost his way, Whom God has hedged about?
כִּֽי־לִפְנֵ֣י לַ֭חְמִי אַנְחָתִ֣י תָבֹ֑א וַֽיִּתְּכ֥וּ כַ֝מַּ֗יִם שַׁאֲגֹתָֽי׃
ki-lifne lakhmi ankhati tavo vayyittekhu khammayim sha'agotay
My groaning serves as my bread; My roaring pours forth as water.
כִּ֤י פַ֣חַד פָּ֭חַדְתִּי וַיֶּאֱתָיֵ֑נִי וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר יָ֝גֹ֗רְתִּי יָ֣בֹא לִֽי׃
ki fakhad pakhadti vayye'etayeni va'asher yagoreti yavo li
For what I feared has overtaken me; What I dreaded has come upon me.
לֹ֤א שָׁלַ֨וְתִּי ׀ וְלֹ֖א שָׁקַ֥טְתִּי וְֽלֹא־נָ֗חְתִּי וַיָּ֥בֹא רֹֽגֶז׃ {פ}
lo shalavti velo shaqatti velo-nakheti vayyavo rogez
I had no repose, no quiet, no rest, And trouble came.
Hebrew text and English translation from Sefaria, under their Creative Commons licence.
Yaacov, native Jerusalemite
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