Job Laments His Birth

1  אַחֲרֵי־ (After) כֵ֗ן (this) פָּתַ֤ח (opened) אִיּוֹב֙ (Job) אֶת־ (-) פִּ֔יהוּ (his mouth) וַיְקַלֵּ֖ל (and cursed) אֶת־ (-) יוֹמֽוֹ׃פ (his day). 2  וַיַּ֥עַן (And spoke) אִיּ֗וֹב (Job) וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ (and said):

3  יֹ֣אבַד (May perish) י֭וֹם (the day) אִוָּ֣לֶד (I was born) בּ֑וֹ (on it),

וְהַלַּ֥יְלָה (and the night) אָ֝מַ֗ר (that one said),

הֹ֣רָה (Has been conceived) גָֽבֶר׃ (a male child).

4  הַיּ֥וֹם (The day) הַה֗וּא (that) יְֽהִ֫י (may it be) חֹ֥שֶׁךְ (darkness),

אַֽל־ (let not) יִדְרְשֵׁ֣הוּ (seek it) אֱל֣וֹהַּ (God) מִמָּ֑עַל (above),

וְאַל־ (and not) תּוֹפַ֖ע (let shine) עָלָ֣יו (upon it) נְהָרָֽה׃ (the light).

5  יִגְאָלֻ֡הוּ (Let claim it) חֹ֣שֶׁךְ (darkness), וְ֭צַלְמָוֶת (and the shadow of death).

תִּשְׁכָּן־ (Let dwell) עָלָ֣יו (over it) עֲנָנָ֑ה (a cloud);

יְ֝בַעֲתֻ֗הוּ (let terrify it) כִּֽמְרִ֥ירֵי (the blackness) יֽוֹם׃ (of the day).

6  הַלַּ֥יְלָה (The night) הַהוּא֮ (that) יִקָּחֵ֪ה֫וּ (let take it) אֹ֥פֶל (darkness)!

אַל־ (Do not) יִ֭חַדְּ (let it rejoice) בִּימֵ֣י (among the days) שָׁנָ֑ה (of the year);

בְּמִסְפַּ֥ר (into the number) יְ֝רָחִ֗ים (of the months) אַל־ (do not) יָבֹֽא׃ (let it come).

7  הִנֵּ֤ה (Behold), הַלַּ֣יְלָה (the night) הַ֭הוּא (that) יְהִ֣י (may it be) גַלְמ֑וּד (barren),

אַל־ (do not) תָּבֹ֖א (let come) רְנָנָ֣ה (a joyful shout) בֽוֹ׃ (into it).

8  יִקְּבֻ֥הוּ (May they curse it) אֹרְרֵי־ (those cursing) י֑וֹם (the day)

הָ֝עֲתִידִ֗ים (those ready) עֹרֵ֥ר (to rouse) לִוְיָתָֽן׃ (Leviathan).

9  יֶחְשְׁכוּ֮ (May they be dark) כּוֹכְבֵ֪י (the stars) נִ֫שְׁפּ֥וֹ (of its morning light);

יְקַו־ (may it look) לְא֥וֹר (for light) וָאַ֑יִן (and there be none),

וְאַל־ (and do not) יִ֝רְאֶ֗ה (let it see) בְּעַפְעַפֵּי־ (the eyelids) שָֽׁחַר׃ (of the dawn),

10  כִּ֤י (for) לֹ֣א (not) סָ֭גַר (it did shut) דַּלְתֵ֣י (the doors) בִטְנִ֑י (of my womb),

וַיַּסְתֵּ֥ר (and hide) עָ֝מָ֗ל (trouble) מֵעֵינָֽי׃ (from my eyes).

11  לָ֤מָּה (Why) לֹּ֣א (did not) מֵרֶ֣חֶם (at birth) אָמ֑וּת (I die)?

מִבֶּ֖טֶן (From the womb) יָצָ֣אתִי (I should have come forth) וְאֶגְוָֽע׃ (and expired)!

12  מַ֭דּוּעַ (Why) קִדְּמ֣וּנִי (did meet me) בִרְכָּ֑יִם (the knees),

וּמַה־ (and why) שָּׁ֝דַ֗יִם (the two breasts) כִּ֣י (that) אִינָֽק׃ (I should suck)?

13  כִּֽי־ (For) עַ֭תָּה (now) שָׁכַ֣בְתִּי (I would have lain down) וְאֶשְׁק֑וֹט (and been quiet),

יָ֝שַׁ֗נְתִּי (I would have slept)— אָ֤ז׀ (then) יָנ֬וּחַֽ (there would be rest) לִֽי׃ (for me).

14  עִם־ (With) מְ֭לָכִים (the kings) וְיֹ֣עֲצֵי (and counselors) אָ֑רֶץ (of the earth),

הַבֹּנִ֖ים (who built up) חֳרָב֣וֹת (ruins) לָֽמוֹ׃ (for themselves).

15  א֣וֹ (Or) עִם־ (with) שָׂ֭רִים (the princes) זָהָ֣ב (with gold) לָהֶ֑ם (unto them),

הַֽמְמַלְאִ֖ים (those filling) בָּתֵּיהֶ֣ם (their houses) כָּֽסֶף׃ (with silver).

16  א֤וֹ (Or) כְנֵ֣פֶל (like a stillborn child) טָ֭מוּן (hidden) לֹ֣א (why not) אֶהְיֶ֑ה (was I),

כְּ֝עֹלְלִ֗ים (like infants) לֹא־ (who not) רָ֥אוּ (had seen) אֽוֹר׃ (the light).

17  שָׁ֣ם (There) רְ֭שָׁעִים (the wicked) חָ֣דְלוּ (cease) רֹ֑גֶז (from troubling),

וְשָׁ֥ם (and there) יָ֝נ֗וּחוּ (are at rest) יְגִ֣יעֵי (those weary) כֹֽחַ׃ (of power)—

18  יַ֭חַד (together) אֲסִירִ֣ים (the captives) שַׁאֲנָ֑נוּ (are at rest);

לֹ֥א (not) שָׁ֝מְע֗וּ (they do hear) ק֣וֹל (the voice) נֹגֵֽשׂ׃ (oppressing them).

19  קָטֹ֣ן (The small) וְ֭גָדוֹל (and the great) שָׁ֣ם (are there) ה֑וּא (the same),

וְ֝עֶ֗בֶד (and the servant) חָפְשִׁ֥י (is free) מֵאֲדֹנָֽיו׃ (from his master).

20  לָ֤מָּה (Why) יִתֵּ֣ן (is given) לְעָמֵ֣ל (to the one toiling) א֑וֹר (light),

וְ֝חַיִּ֗ים (and life) לְמָ֣רֵי (to the bitter) נָֽפֶשׁ׃ (of soul),

21  הַֽמְחַכִּ֣ים (those waiting) לַמָּ֣וֶת (for death) וְאֵינֶ֑נּוּ (and there is none),

וַֽ֝יַּחְפְּרֻ֗הוּ (and those digging for it) מִמַּטְמוֹנִֽים׃ (more than hidden treasures),

22  הַשְּׂמֵחִ֥ים (those being glad) אֱלֵי־ (unto) גִ֑יל (joy),

יָ֝שִׂ֗ישׂוּ (they rejoice) כִּ֣י (that) יִמְצְאוּ־ (they should find) קָֽבֶר׃ (the grave)?

23  לְ֭גֶבֶר (To a man) אֲשֶׁר־ (for whom) דַּרְכּ֣וֹ (his path) נִסְתָּ֑רָה (is hidden),

וַיָּ֖סֶךְ (and has hedged) אֱל֣וֹהַּ (God) בַּעֲדֽוֹ׃ (around him)?

24  כִּֽי־ (For) לִפְנֵ֣י (before) לַ֭חְמִי (my food) אַנְחָתִ֣י (my sighing) תָבֹ֑א (comes),

וַֽיִּתְּכ֥וּ (and pour out) כַ֝מַּ֗יִם (like the waters) שַׁאֲגֹתָֽי׃ (my groanings).

25  כִּ֤י (For) פַ֣חַד (the dreadful thing) פָּ֭חַדְתִּי (I dreaded) וַיֶּאֱתָיֵ֑נִי (and it has met me)

וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר (and that which) יָ֝גֹ֗רְתִּי (I had feared) יָ֣בֹא (has come) לִֽי׃ (to me).

26  לֹ֤א (Not) שָׁלַ֨וְתִּי׀ (I am at ease), וְלֹ֖א (and not) שָׁקַ֥טְתִּי (am I quiet),

וְֽלֹא־ (and not) נָ֗חְתִּי (do I have rest), וַיָּ֥בֹא (and has come) רֹֽגֶז׃פ (turmoil).