Job 9 אִיּוֹב
Hebrew · transliteration · JPS 1917
1וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
vayya'an iyyov vayyomar
Then Job answered and said:
2אָ֭מְנָם יָדַ֣עְתִּי כִי־כֵ֑ן וּמַה־יִּצְדַּ֖ק אֱנ֣וֹשׁ עִם־אֵֽל׃
amnam yada'ti khi-khen uma-yitzdak enosh im-el
Of a truth I know that it is so; And how can man be just with God?
3אִם־יַ֭חְפֹּץ לָרִ֣יב עִמּ֑וֹ לֹֽא־יַ֝עֲנֶ֗נּוּ אַחַ֥ת מִנִּי־אָֽלֶף׃
im-yachpotz lariv immo lo-ya'anennu achat minni-alef
If one should desire to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one of a thousand.
4חֲכַ֣ם לֵ֭בָב וְאַמִּ֣יץ כֹּ֑חַ מִֽי־הִקְשָׁ֥ה אֵ֝לָ֗יו וַיִּשְׁלָֽם׃
chakham levav ve'ammitz koach mi-hiksha elav vayyishlam
He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength; Who hath hardened himself against Him, and prospered?
5הַמַּעְתִּ֣יק הָ֭רִים וְלֹ֣א יָדָ֑עוּ אֲשֶׁ֖ר הֲפָכָ֣ם בְּאַפּֽוֹ׃
hamma'tik harim velo yada'u asher hafakham be'appo
Who removeth the mountains, and they know it not, When He overturneth them in His anger.
6הַמַּרְגִּ֣יז אֶ֭רֶץ מִמְּקוֹמָ֑הּ וְ֝עַמּוּדֶ֗יהָ יִתְפַלָּצֽוּן׃
hammargiz eretz mimmekomah ve'ammudeha yitfallatzun
Who shaketh the earth out of her place, And the pillars thereof tremble.
7הָאֹמֵ֣ר לַ֭חֶרֶס וְלֹ֣א יִזְרָ֑ח וּבְעַ֖ד כּוֹכָבִ֣ים יַחְתֹּֽם׃
ha'omer lacheres velo yizrach uve'ad kokhavim yachtom
Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; And sealeth up the stars.
8נֹטֶ֣ה שָׁמַ֣יִם לְבַדּ֑וֹ וְ֝דוֹרֵ֗ךְ עַל־בָּ֥מֳתֵי יָֽם׃
note shamayim levaddo vedorekh al-bamote yam
Who alone stretcheth out the heavens, And treadeth upon the waves of the sea.
9עֹֽשֶׂה־עָ֭שׁ כְּסִ֥יל וְכִימָ֗ה וְחַדְרֵ֥י תֵמָֽן׃
ose-ash kesil vekhima vechadre teman
Who maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south.
10עֹשֶׂ֣ה גְ֭דֹלוֹת עַד־אֵ֣ין חֵ֑קֶר וְנִפְלָא֗וֹת עַד־אֵ֥ין מִסְפָּֽר׃
ose gedolot ad-en cheker veniflaot ad-en mispar
Who doeth great things past finding out; Yea, marvellous things without number.
11הֵ֤ן יַעֲבֹ֣ר עָ֭לַי וְלֹ֣א אֶרְאֶ֑ה וְ֝יַחֲלֹ֗ף וְֽלֹא־אָבִ֥ין לֽוֹ׃
hen ya'avor alay velo er'e veyachalof velo-avin lo
Lo, He goeth by me, and I see Him not. He passeth on also, but I perceive Him not.
12הֵ֣ן יַ֭חְתֹּף מִ֣י יְשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ מִֽי־יֹאמַ֥ר אֵ֝לָ֗יו מַֽה־תַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃
hen yachtof mi yeshivennu mi-yomar elav ma-ta'ase
Behold, He snatcheth away, who can hinder Him? Who will say unto Him: ‘What doest Thou?’
13אֱ֭לוֹהַּ לֹא־יָשִׁ֣יב אַפּ֑וֹ תחתו [תַּחְתָּ֥יו] שָׁ֝חֲח֗וּ עֹ֣זְרֵי רָֽהַב׃
eloah lo-yashiv appo tachtav shachachu ozre rahav
God will not withdraw His anger; The helpers of Rahab did stoop under Him.
14אַ֭ף כִּֽי־אָנֹכִ֣י אֶֽעֱנֶ֑נּוּ אֶבְחֲרָ֖ה דְבָרַ֣י עִמּֽוֹ׃
af ki-anokhi e'enennu evchara devaray immo
How much less shall I answer Him, And choose out my arguments with Him?
15אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִם־צָ֭דַקְתִּי לֹ֣א אֶעֱנֶ֑ה לִ֝מְשֹׁפְטִ֗י אֶתְחַנָּֽן׃
asher im-tzadakti lo e'ene limshofti etchannan
Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer; I would make supplication to Him that contendeth with me.
16אִם־קָרָ֥אתִי וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑נִי לֹֽא־אַ֝אֲמִ֗ין כִּֽי־יַאֲזִ֥ין קוֹלִֽי׃
im-karati vayya'aneni lo-a'amin ki-ya'azin koli
If I had called, and He had answered me; Yet would I not believe that He would hearken unto my voice—
17אֲשֶׁר־בִּשְׂעָרָ֥ה יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי וְהִרְבָּ֖ה פְצָעַ֣י חִנָּֽם׃
asher-bis'ara yeshufeni vehirba fetza'ay chinnam
He that would break me with a tempest, And multiply my wounds without cause;
18לֹֽא־יִ֭תְּנֵנִי הָשֵׁ֣ב רוּחִ֑י כִּ֥י יַ֝שְׂבִּעַ֗נִי מַמְּרֹרִֽים׃
lo-yitteneni hashev ruchi ki yasbi'ani mammerorim
That would not suffer me to take my breath, But fill me with bitterness.
19אִם־לְכֹ֣חַ אַמִּ֣יץ הִנֵּ֑ה וְאִם־לְ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט מִ֣י יוֹעִידֵֽנִי׃
im-lekhoach ammitz hinne ve'im-lemishpat mi yo'ideni
If it be a matter of strength, lo, He is mighty! And if of justice, who will appoint me a time? .
20אִם־אֶ֭צְדָּק פִּ֣י יַרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי תָּֽם־אָ֝֗נִי וַֽיַּעְקְשֵֽׁנִי׃
im-etzdak pi yarshi'eni tam-ani vayya'kesheni
Though I be righteous, mine own mouth shall condemn me; Though I be innocent, He shall prove me perverse.
21תָּֽם־אָ֭נִי לֹֽא־אֵדַ֥ע נַפְשִׁ֗י אֶמְאַ֥ס חַיָּֽי׃
tam-ani lo-eda' nafshi em'as chayyay
I am innocent—I regard not myself, I despise my life.
22אַחַ֗ת הִ֥יא עַל־כֵּ֥ן אָמַ֑רְתִּי תָּ֥ם וְ֝רָשָׁ֗ע ה֣וּא מְכַלֶּֽה׃
achat hi al-ken amarti tam verasha' hu mekhalle
It is all one—therefore I say: He destroyeth the innocent and the wicked.
23אִם־שׁ֭וֹט יָמִ֣ית פִּתְאֹ֑ם לְמַסַּ֖ת נְקִיִּ֣ם יִלְעָֽג׃
im-shot yamit pit'om lemassat nekiyyim yil'ag
If the scourge slay suddenly, He will mock at the calamity of the guiltless.
24אֶ֤רֶץ ׀ נִתְּנָ֬ה בְֽיַד־רָשָׁ֗ע פְּנֵֽי־שֹׁפְטֶ֥יהָ יְכַסֶּ֑ה אִם־לֹ֖א אֵפ֣וֹא מִי־הֽוּא׃
eretz nittena veyad-rasha' pene-shofteha yekhasse im-lo efo mi-hu
The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; He covereth the faces of the judges thereof; If it be not He, who then is it?
25וְיָמַ֣י קַ֭לּוּ מִנִּי־רָ֑ץ בָּֽ֝רְח֗וּ לֹא־רָא֥וּ טוֹבָֽה׃
veyamay kallu minni-ratz barchu lo-rau tova
Now my days are swifter than a runner; They flee away, they see no good.
26חָ֭לְפוּ עִם־אֳנִיּ֣וֹת אֵבֶ֑ה כְּ֝נֶ֗שֶׁר יָט֥וּשׂ עֲלֵי־אֹֽכֶל׃
chalfu im-oniyyot eve kenesher yatus ale-okhel
They are passed away as the swift ships; As the vulture that swoopeth on the prey.
27אִם־אָ֭מְרִי אֶשְׁכְּחָ֣ה שִׂיחִ֑י אֶעֶזְבָ֖ה פָנַ֣י וְאַבְלִֽיגָה׃
im-amri eshkecha sichi e'ezva fanay ve'avliga
If I say: ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad countenance, and be of good cheer’,
28יָגֹ֥רְתִּי כָל־עַצְּבֹתָ֑י יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּי־לֹ֥א תְנַקֵּֽנִי׃
yagorti khal-atzevotay yada'ti ki-lo tenakkeni
I am afraid of all my pains, I know that Thou wilt not hold me guiltless.
29אָנֹכִ֥י אֶרְשָׁ֑ע לָמָּה־זֶּ֝֗ה הֶ֣בֶל אִיגָֽע׃
anokhi ersha' lamma-ze hevel iga'
I shall be condemned; Why then do I labour in vain?
30אִם־הִתְרָחַ֥צְתִּי במו [בְמֵי]־שָׁ֑לֶג וַ֝הֲזִכּ֗וֹתִי בְּבֹ֣ר כַּפָּֽי׃
im-hitrachatzti veme-shaleg vahazikkoti bevor kappay
If I wash myself with snow water, And make my hands never so clean;
31אָ֭ז בַּשַּׁ֣חַת תִּטְבְּלֵ֑נִי וְ֝תִֽעֲב֗וּנִי שַׂלְמוֹתָֽי׃
az bashachat titbeleni veti'avuni salmotay
Yet wilt Thou plunge me in the ditch, And mine own clothes shall abhor me.
32כִּי־לֹא־אִ֣ישׁ כָּמֹ֣נִי אֶֽעֱנֶ֑נּוּ נָב֥וֹא יַ֝חְדָּ֗ו בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃
ki-lo-ish kamoni e'enennu navo yachdav bammishpat
For He is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him, That we should come together in judgment.
33לֹ֣א יֵשׁ־בֵּינֵ֣ינוּ מוֹכִ֑יחַ יָשֵׁ֖ת יָד֣וֹ עַל־שְׁנֵֽינוּ׃
lo yesh-benenu mokhiach yashet yado al-shenenu
There is no arbiter betwixt us, That might lay his hand upon us both.
34יָסֵ֣ר מֵעָלַ֣י שִׁבְט֑וֹ וְ֝אֵמָת֗וֹ אַֽל־תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃
yaser me'alay shivto ve'emato al-teva'atanni
Let Him take His rod away from me, And let not His terror make me afraid;
35אַֽ֭דַבְּרָה וְלֹ֣א אִירָאֶ֑נּוּ כִּ֥י לֹא־כֵ֥ן אָ֝נֹכִ֗י עִמָּדִֽי׃
adabbera velo ira'ennu ki lo-khen anokhi immadi
Then would I speak, and not fear Him; For I am not so with myself.
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Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (ketiv shown with the qere in brackets). JPS 1917 and the Hebrew use Hebrew verse numbers; the English column uses English numbering, which sometimes differs by a verse.