אִיּוֹב 3

1 אַחֲרֵי־כֵ֗ן פָּתַ֤ח אִיֹּוב֙ אֶת־פִּ֔יהוּ וַיְקַלֵּ֖ל אֶת־יֹומֹֽו׃ פ

After this Job began speaking, cursing the day of his birth.

2 וַיַּ֥עַן אִיֹּ֗וב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

He said,

3 יֹ֣אבַד יֹ֖ום אִוָּ֣לֶד בֹּ֑ו וְהַלַּ֥יְלָה אָ֝מַ֗ר הֹ֣רָה גָֽבֶר׃

“Wipe out the day I was born, and the night when it was announced that a boy had been conceived.

4 הַיֹּ֥ום הַה֗וּא יְֽהִ֫י חֹ֥שֶׁךְ אַֽל־יִדְרְשֵׁ֣הוּ אֱלֹ֣והַּ מִמָּ֑עַל וְאַל־תֹּופַ֖ע עָלָ֣יו נְהָרָֽה׃

Turn that day to darkness. God above should not remember it. Don't let light shine on it.

5 יִגְאָלֻ֡הוּ חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְ֭צַלְמָוֶת תִּשְׁכָּן־עָלָ֣יו עֲנָנָ֑ה יְ֝בַעֲתֻ֗הוּ כִּֽמְרִ֥ירֵי יֹֽום׃

Take it back, darkness and death-shadow. A black cloud should overshadow it. It should be as terrifying as the darkness of an eclipse during the day.

6 הַלַּ֥יְלָה הַהוּא֮ יִקָּחֵ֪ה֫וּ אֹ֥פֶל אַל־יִ֭חַדְּ בִּימֵ֣י שָׁנָ֑ה בְּמִסְפַּ֥ר יְ֝רָחִ֗ים אַל־יָבֹֽא׃

Blot out that night as if it never existed. Don't count it on the calendar. Don't let it have a day in any month.

7 הִנֵּ֤ה הַלַּ֣יְלָה הַ֭הוּא יְהִ֣י גַלְמ֑וּד אַל־תָּבֹ֖א רְנָנָ֣ה בֹֽו׃

Let that night be childless, with no sounds of happiness heard.

8 יִקְּבֻ֥הוּ אֹרְרֵי־יֹ֑ום הָ֝עֲתִידִ֗ים עֹרֵ֥ר לִוְיָתָֽן׃

Those who place curses on certain days should curse it, those who have the power to raise Leviathan.

9 יֶחְשְׁכוּ֮ כֹּוכְבֵ֪י נִ֫שְׁפֹּ֥ו יְקַו־לְאֹ֥ור וָאַ֑יִן וְאַל־יִ֝רְאֶ֗ה בְּעַפְעַפֵּי־שָֽׁחַר׃

Its early morning stars should stay dark. Looking for light, may none come, may it not see the glimmer of dawn

10 כִּ֤י לֹ֣א סָ֭גַר דַּלְתֵ֣י בִטְנִ֑י וַיַּסְתֵּ֥ר עָ֝מָ֗ל מֵעֵינָֽי׃

for it did not shut my mother's womb to prevent me from seeing trouble.

11 לָ֤מָּה לֹּ֣א מֵרֶ֣חֶם אָמ֑וּת מִבֶּ֖טֶן יָצָ֣אתִי וְאֶגְוָֽע׃

Why wasn't I stillborn? Why didn't I die at birth?

12 מַ֭דּוּעַ קִדְּמ֣וּנִי בִרְכָּ֑יִם וּמַה־שָּׁ֝דַ֗יִם כִּ֣י אִינָֽק׃

Why was there a lap for me to lie on, or breasts for me to suck?

13 כִּֽי־עַ֭תָּה שָׁכַ֣בְתִּי וְאֶשְׁקֹ֑וט יָ֝שַׁ֗נְתִּי אָ֤ז ׀ יָנ֬וּחַֽ לִֽי׃

For now I would be lying down in peace. I would be sleeping and at rest,

14 עִם־מְ֭לָכִים וְיֹ֣עֲצֵי אָ֑רֶץ הַבֹּנִ֖ים חֳרָבֹ֣ות לָֽמֹו׃

along with the kings of this world and their officials whose palaces now lie in ruins,

15 אֹ֣ו עִם־שָׂ֭רִים זָהָ֣ב לָהֶ֑ם הַֽמְמַלְאִ֖ים בָּתֵּיהֶ֣ם כָּֽסֶף׃

or with noblemen who collected gold and filled their houses with silver.

16 אֹ֤ו כְנֵ֣פֶל טָ֭מוּן לֹ֣א אֶהְיֶ֑ה כְּ֝עֹלְלִ֗ים לֹא־רָ֥אוּ אֹֽור׃

Why wasn't I a miscarriage, buried in secret, a baby who never saw the light?

17 שָׁ֣ם רְ֭שָׁעִים חָ֣דְלוּ רֹ֑גֶז וְשָׁ֥ם יָ֝נ֗וּחוּ יְגִ֣יעֵי כֹֽחַ׃

There in the grave the wicked give no more trouble, and those whose strength is gone have their rest.

18 יַ֭חַד אֲסִירִ֣ים שַׁאֲנָ֑נוּ לֹ֥א שָׁ֝מְע֗וּ קֹ֣ול נֹגֵֽשׂ׃

There prisoners take it easy—they don't hear the commands of their oppressors.

19 קָטֹ֣ן וְ֭גָדֹול שָׁ֣ם ה֑וּא וְ֝עֶ֗בֶד חָפְשִׁ֥י מֵאֲדֹנָֽיו׃

Both small and great are there, and slaves are freed from their masters.

20 לָ֤מָּה יִתֵּ֣ן לְעָמֵ֣ל אֹ֑ור וְ֝חַיִּ֗ים לְמָ֣רֵי נָֽפֶשׁ׃

Why does God give life to those who are suffering, living bitterly miserable lives,

21 הַֽמְחַכִּ֣ים לַמָּ֣וֶת וְאֵינֶ֑נּוּ וַֽ֝יַּחְפְּרֻ֗הוּ מִמַּטְמֹונִֽים׃

those who are waiting for death that does not come and who are looking for death more desperately than hunting for treasure?

22 הַשְּׂמֵחִ֥ים אֱלֵי־גִ֑יל יָ֝שִׂ֗ישׂוּ כִּ֣י יִמְצְאוּ־קָֽבֶר׃

They're so incredibly happy when the reach the grave!

23 לְ֭גֶבֶר אֲשֶׁר־דַּרְכֹּ֣ו נִסְתָּ֑רָה וַיָּ֖סֶךְ אֱלֹ֣והַּ בַּעֲדֹֽו׃

Why is light given to someone who doesn't know where they're going, someone God has fenced in?

24 כִּֽי־לִפְנֵ֣י לַ֭חְמִי אַנְחָתִ֣י תָבֹ֑א וַֽיִּתְּכ֥וּ כַ֝מַּ֗יִם שַׁאֲגֹתָֽי׃

My groans are the bread I eat; my raging tears are the water I drink.

25 כִּ֤י פַ֣חַד פָּ֭חַדְתִּי וַיֶּאֱתָיֵ֑נִי וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר יָ֝גֹ֗רְתִּי יָ֣בֹא לִֽי׃

For all that I feared has happened to me; everything that I dreaded has come upon me.

26 לֹ֤א שָׁלַ֨וְתִּי ׀ וְלֹ֖א שָׁקַ֥טְתִּי וְֽלֹא־נָ֗חְתִּי וַיָּ֥בֹא רֹֽגֶז׃ פ

I have no peace, no quiet, no rest. All that comes is rage.”