Job 7
21 verses · Hebrew with nikud, English alongside · tap 🔊 to hear a verse
הֲלֹֽא־צָבָ֣א לֶֽאֱנ֣וֹשׁ (על) [עֲלֵי־]אָ֑רֶץ וְכִימֵ֖י שָׂכִ֣יר יָמָֽיו׃
halo-tsava le'enosh (l) [ale-]arets vekhime sakhir yamayw
Truly mortals have a term of service on earth; Their days are like those of a hireling—
כְּעֶ֥בֶד יִשְׁאַף־צֵ֑ל וּ֝כְשָׂכִ֗יר יְקַוֶּ֥ה פׇעֳלֽוֹ׃
ke'eved yishaf-tsel ukhesakhir yeqavveh fo'olo
Like a slave who longs for [evening’s] shadows, Like a hireling who waits to be paid.
כֵּ֤ן הׇנְחַ֣לְתִּי לִ֭י יַרְחֵי־שָׁ֑וְא וְלֵיל֥וֹת עָ֝מָ֗ל מִנּוּ־לִֽי׃
ken honkhalti li yarkhe-shav velelot amal minnu-li
So have I been allotted months of futility; Nights of misery have been apportioned to me.
אִם־שָׁכַ֗בְתִּי וְאָמַ֗רְתִּי מָתַ֣י אָ֭קוּם וּמִדַּד־עָ֑רֶב וְשָׂבַ֖עְתִּי נְדֻדִ֣ים עֲדֵי־נָֽשֶׁף׃
im-shakhavti ve'amarti matay aqum umiddad-arev vesavati nedudim ade-nashef
When I lie down, I think, “When shall I rise?” Night drags on, And I am sated with tossings till morning twilight.
לָ֘בַ֤שׁ בְּשָׂרִ֣י רִ֭מָּה (וגיש) [וְג֣וּשׁ] עָפָ֑ר עוֹרִ֥י רָ֝גַ֗ע וַיִּמָּאֵֽס׃
lavash besari rimmah (vgysh) [vegush] afar ori raga vayyimma'es
My flesh is covered with maggots and clods of earth; My skin is broken and festering.
יָמַ֣י קַ֭לּוּ מִנִּי־אָ֑רֶג וַ֝יִּכְל֗וּ בְּאֶ֣פֶס תִּקְוָֽה׃
yamay qallu minni-areg vayyikhlu be'efes tiqvah
My days fly faster than a weaver’s shuttle, And come to their end without hope.
זְ֭כֹר כִּי־ר֣וּחַ חַיָּ֑י לֹא־תָשׁ֥וּב עֵ֝ינִ֗י לִרְא֥וֹת טֽוֹב׃
zekhor ki-ruakh khayyay lo-tashuv eni lirot tov
Consider that my life is but wind; I shall never see happiness again.
לֹא־תְ֭שׁוּרֵנִי עֵ֣ין רֹ֑אִי עֵינֶ֖יךָ בִּ֣י וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃
lo-teshureni en ro'i enekha bi ve'enenni
The eye that gazes on me will not see me; Your eye will seek me, but I shall be gone.
כָּלָ֣ה עָ֭נָן וַיֵּלַ֑ךְ כֵּ֥ן יוֹרֵ֥ד שְׁ֝א֗וֹל לֹ֣א יַעֲלֶֽה׃
kalah anan vayyelakh ken yored she'ol lo ya'aleh
As a cloud fades away, So whoever goes down to Sheol does not come up;
לֹא־יָשׁ֣וּב ע֣וֹד לְבֵית֑וֹ וְלֹא־יַכִּירֶ֖נּוּ ע֣וֹד מְקֹמֽוֹ׃
lo-yashuv od leveto velo-yakkirennu od meqomo
They return no more to their home; Their place does not know them.
גַּם־אֲנִי֮ לֹ֤א אֶחֱשׇׂ֫ךְ־פִּ֥י אֲֽ֭דַבְּרָה בְּצַ֣ר רוּחִ֑י אָ֝שִׂ֗יחָה בְּמַ֣ר נַפְשִֽׁי׃
gam-ani lo ekhesokh-pi adabberah betsar rukhi asikhah bemar nafshi
On my part, I will not speak with restraint; I will give voice to the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
הֲֽיָם־אָ֭נִי אִם־תַּנִּ֑ין כִּֽי־תָשִׂ֖ים עָלַ֣י מִשְׁמָֽר׃
hayam-ani im-tannin ki-tasim alay mishmar
Am I the sea or the Dragon, That You have set a watch over me?
כִּֽי־אָ֭מַרְתִּי תְּנַחֲמֵ֣נִי עַרְשִׂ֑י יִשָּׂ֥א בְ֝שִׂיחִ֗י מִשְׁכָּבִֽי׃
ki-amarti tenakhameni arsi yissa vesikhi mishkavi
When I think, “My bed will comfort me, My couch will share my sorrow,”
וְחִתַּתַּ֥נִי בַחֲלֹמ֑וֹת וּֽמֵחֶזְיֹנ֥וֹת תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃
vekhittattani vakhalomot umekhezyonot teva'atanni
You frighten me with dreams, And terrify me with visions,
וַתִּבְחַ֣ר מַחֲנָ֣ק נַפְשִׁ֑י מָ֝֗וֶת מֵעַצְמוֹתָֽי׃
vattivkhar makhanaq nafshi mavet me'atsmotay
Till I prefer strangulation, Death, to my wasted frame.
מָ֭אַסְתִּי לֹא־לְעֹלָ֣ם אֶחְיֶ֑ה חֲדַ֥ל מִ֝מֶּ֗נִּי כִּי־הֶ֥בֶל יָמָֽי׃
ma'asti lo-le'olam ekhyeh khadal mimmenni ki-hevel yamay
I am sick of it. I shall not live forever; Let me be, for my days are a breath.
מָֽה־אֱ֭נוֹשׁ כִּ֣י תְגַדְּלֶ֑נּוּ וְכִֽי־תָשִׁ֖ית אֵלָ֣יו לִבֶּֽךָ׃
mah-enosh ki tegaddelennu vekhi-tashit elayw libbekha
What are mortals, that You make much of them, That You fix Your attention upon them?
וַתִּפְקְדֶ֥נּוּ לִבְקָרִ֑ים לִ֝רְגָעִ֗ים תִּבְחָנֶֽנּוּ׃
vattifqedennu livqarim lirga'im tivkhanennu
You inspect them every morning, Examine them every minute.
כַּ֭מָּה לֹא־תִשְׁעֶ֣ה מִמֶּ֑נִּי לֹֽא־תַ֝רְפֵּ֗נִי עַד־בִּלְעִ֥י רֻקִּֽי׃
kammah lo-tisheh mimmenni lo-tarpeni ad-bili ruqqi
Will You not look away from me for a while, Let me be, till I swallow my spittle?
חָטָ֡אתִי מָ֤ה אֶפְעַ֨ל ׀ לָךְ֮ נֹצֵ֢ר הָ֫אָדָ֥ם לָ֤מָה שַׂמְתַּ֣נִי לְמִפְגָּ֣ע לָ֑ךְ וָאֶהְיֶ֖ה עָלַ֣י לְמַשָּֽׂא׃
khatati mah efal lakh notser ha'adam lamah samtani lemifga lakh va'ehyeh alay lemassa
If I have sinned, what have I done to You, Watcher of humankind? Why make of me Your target, And a burden to myself?
וּמֶ֤ה ׀ לֹא־תִשָּׂ֣א פִשְׁעִי֮ וְתַעֲבִ֢יר אֶת־עֲוֺ֫נִ֥י כִּֽי־עַ֭תָּה לֶעָפָ֣ר אֶשְׁכָּ֑ב וְשִׁ֖חַרְתַּ֣נִי וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃ {פ}
umeh lo-tissa fishi veta'avir et-avoni ki-attah le'afar eshkav veshikhartani ve'enenni
Why do You not pardon my transgression And forgive my iniquity? For soon I shall lie down in the dust; When You seek me, I shall be gone.
Hebrew text and English translation from Sefaria, under their Creative Commons licence.
Yaacov, native Jerusalemite
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