English Standard Version

Hebrew Study Bible

1Then Job answered and said:

1וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

2“Truly I know that it is so: But how can a man be in the right before God?

2אָ֭מְנָם יָדַ֣עְתִּי כִי־ כֵ֑ן וּמַה־ יִּצְדַּ֖ק אֱנ֣וֹשׁ עִם־ אֵֽל׃

3If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times.

3אִם־ יַ֭חְפֹּץ לָרִ֣יב עִמּ֑וֹ לֹֽא־ יַ֝עֲנֶ֗נּוּ אַחַ֥ת מִנִּי־ אָֽלֶף׃

4He is wise in heart and mighty in strength—who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded?—

4חֲכַ֣ם לֵ֭בָב וְאַמִּ֣יץ כֹּ֑חַ מִֽי־ הִקְשָׁ֥ה אֵ֝לָ֗יו וַיִּשְׁלָֽם׃

5he who removes mountains, and they know it not, when he overturns them in his anger,

5הַמַּעְתִּ֣יק הָ֭רִים וְלֹ֣א יָדָ֑עוּ אֲשֶׁ֖ר הֲפָכָ֣ם בְּאַפּֽוֹ׃

6who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble;

6הַמַּרְגִּ֣יז אֶ֭רֶץ מִמְּקוֹמָ֑הּ וְ֝עַמּוּדֶ֗יהָ יִתְפַלָּצֽוּן׃‪‬

7who commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars;

7הָאֹמֵ֣ר לַ֭חֶרֶס וְלֹ֣א יִזְרָ֑ח וּבְעַ֖ד כּוֹכָבִ֣ים יַחְתֹּֽם׃

8who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea;

8נֹטֶ֣ה שָׁמַ֣יִם לְבַדּ֑וֹ וְ֝דוֹרֵ֗ךְ עַל־ בָּ֥מֳתֵי יָֽם׃

9who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south;

9עֹֽשֶׂה־ עָ֭שׁ כְּסִ֥יל וְכִימָ֗ה וְחַדְרֵ֥י תֵמָֽן׃

10who does great things beyond searching out, and marvelous things beyond number.

10עֹשֶׂ֣ה גְ֭דֹלוֹת עַד־ אֵ֣ין חֵ֑קֶר וְנִפְלָא֗וֹת עַד־ אֵ֥ין מִסְפָּֽר׃

11Behold, he passes by me, and I see him not; he moves on, but I do not perceive him.

11הֵ֤ן יַעֲבֹ֣ר עָ֭לַי וְלֹ֣א אֶרְאֶ֑ה וְ֝יַחֲלֹ֗ף וְֽלֹא־ אָבִ֥ין לֽוֹ׃

12Behold, he snatches away; who can turn him back? Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’

12הֵ֣ן יַ֭חְתֹּף מִ֣י יְשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ מִֽי־ יֹאמַ֥ר אֵ֝לָ֗יו מַֽה־ תַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃

13“God will not turn back his anger; beneath him bowed the helpers of Rahab.

13אֱ֭לוֹהַּ לֹא־ יָשִׁ֣יב אַפּ֑וֹ [תחתו] (תַּחְתָּ֥יו) שָׁ֝חֲח֗וּ עֹ֣זְרֵי רָֽהַב׃

14How then can I answer him, choosing my words with him?

14אַ֭ף כִּֽי־ אָנֹכִ֣י אֶֽעֱנֶ֑נּוּ אֶבְחֲרָ֖ה דְבָרַ֣י עִמּֽוֹ׃

15Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him; I must appeal for mercy to my accuser.

15אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִם־ צָ֭דַקְתִּי לֹ֣א אֶעֱנֶ֑ה לִ֝מְשֹׁפְטִ֗י אֶתְחַנָּֽן׃

16If I summoned him and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice.

16אִם־ קָרָ֥אתִי וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑נִי לֹֽא־ אַ֝אֲמִ֗ין כִּֽי־ יַאֲזִ֥ין קוֹלִֽי׃

17For he crushes me with a tempest and multiplies my wounds without cause;

17אֲשֶׁר־ בִּשְׂעָרָ֥ה יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי וְהִרְבָּ֖ה פְצָעַ֣י חִנָּֽם׃

18he will not let me get my breath, but fills me with bitterness.

18לֹֽא־ יִ֭תְּנֵנִי הָשֵׁ֣ב רוּחִ֑י כִּ֥י יַ֝שְׂבִּעַ֗נִי מַמְּרֹרִֽים׃

19If it is a contest of strength, behold, he is mighty! If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him?

19אִם־ לְכֹ֣חַ אַמִּ֣יץ הִנֵּ֑ה וְאִם־ לְ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט מִ֣י יוֹעִידֵֽנִי׃

20Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.

20אִם־ אֶ֭צְדָּק פִּ֣י יַרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי תָּֽם־ אָ֝֗נִי וַֽיַּעְקְשֵֽׁנִי׃

21I am blameless; I regard not myself; I loathe my life.

21תָּֽם־ אָ֭נִי לֹֽא־ אֵדַ֥ע נַפְשִׁ֗י אֶמְאַ֥ס חַיָּֽי׃

22It is all one; therefore I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’

22אַחַ֗ת הִ֥יא עַל־ כֵּ֥ן אָמַ֑רְתִּי תָּ֥ם וְ֝רָשָׁ֗ע ה֣וּא מְכַלֶּֽה׃

23When disaster brings sudden death, he mocks at the calamity of the innocent.

23אִם־ שׁ֭וֹט יָמִ֣ית פִּתְאֹ֑ם לְמַסַּ֖ת נְקִיִּ֣ם יִלְעָֽג׃

24The earth is given into the hand of the wicked; he covers the faces of its judges— if it is not he, who then is it?

24אֶ֤רֶץ ׀ נִתְּנָ֬ה בְֽיַד־ רָשָׁ֗ע פְּנֵֽי־ שֹׁפְטֶ֥יהָ יְכַסֶּ֑ה אִם־ לֹ֖א אֵפ֣וֹא מִי־ הֽוּא׃

25“My days are swifter than a runner; they flee away; they see no good.

25וְיָמַ֣י קַ֭לּוּ מִנִּי־ רָ֑ץ בָּֽ֝רְח֗וּ לֹא־ רָא֥וּ טוֹבָֽה׃

26They go by like skiffs of reed, like an eagle swooping on the prey.

26חָ֭לְפוּ עִם־ אֳנִיּ֣וֹת אֵבֶ֑ה כְּ֝נֶ֗שֶׁר יָט֥וּשׂ עֲלֵי־ אֹֽכֶל׃

27If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face, and be of good cheer,’

27אִם־ אָ֭מְרִי אֶשְׁכְּחָ֣ה שִׂיחִ֑י אֶעֶזְבָ֖ה פָנַ֣י וְאַבְלִֽיגָה׃

28I become afraid of all my suffering, for I know you will not hold me innocent.

28יָגֹ֥רְתִּי כָל־ עַצְּבֹתָ֑י יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּי־ לֹ֥א תְנַקֵּֽנִי׃

29I shall be condemned; why then do I labor in vain?

29אָנֹכִ֥י אֶרְשָׁ֑ע לָמָּה־ זֶּ֝֗ה הֶ֣בֶל אִיגָֽע׃

30If I wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye,

30אִם־ הִתְרָחַ֥צְתִּי [במו־] (בְמֵי־) שָׁ֑לֶג וַ֝הֲזִכּ֗וֹתִי בְּבֹ֣ר כַּפָּֽי׃

31yet you will plunge me into a pit, and my own clothes will abhor me.

31אָ֭ז בַּשַּׁ֣חַת תִּטְבְּלֵ֑נִי וְ֝תִֽעֲב֗וּנִי שַׂלְמוֹתָֽי׃

32For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him, that we should come to trial together.

32כִּי־ לֹא־ אִ֣ישׁ כָּמֹ֣נִי אֶֽעֱנֶ֑נּוּ נָב֥וֹא יַ֝חְדָּ֗ו בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

33There is no arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both.

33לֹ֣א יֵשׁ־ בֵּינֵ֣ינוּ מוֹכִ֑יחַ יָשֵׁ֖ת יָד֣וֹ עַל־ שְׁנֵֽינוּ׃

34Let him take his rod away from me, and let not dread of him terrify me.

34יָסֵ֣ר מֵעָלַ֣י שִׁבְט֑וֹ וְ֝אֵמָת֗וֹ אַֽל־ תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃

35Then I would speak without fear of him, for I am not so in myself.

35אַֽ֭דַבְּרָה וְלֹ֣א אִירָאֶ֑נּוּ כִּ֥י לֹא־ כֵ֥ן אָ֝נֹכִ֗י עִמָּדִֽי׃

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Greek and Hebrew Study Bible courtesy Bible Hub and the Discovery Bible team.