אִיּוֹב 3

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

After this hath Job opened his mouth, and revileth his day.

2 וַיַּ֥עַן אִיֹּ֗וב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

And Job answereth and saith: —

3 יֹ֣אבַד יֹ֖ום אִוָּ֣לֶד בֹּ֑ו וְהַלַּ֥יְלָה אָ֝מַ֗ר הֹ֣רָה גָֽבֶר׃

Let the day perish in which I am born, And the night that hath said: 'A man-child hath been conceived.'

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

That day — let it be darkness, Let not God require it from above, Nor let light shine upon it.

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

Let darkness and death-shade redeem it, Let a cloud tabernacle upon it, Let them terrify it as the most bitter of days.

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

That night — let thick darkness take it, Let it not be united to days of the year, Into the number of months let it not come.

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

Lo! that night — let it be gloomy, Let no singing come into it.

8 יִקְּבֻ֥הוּ אֹרְרֵי־יֹ֑ום הָ֝עֲתִידִ֗ים עֹרֵ֥ר לִוְיָתָֽן׃

Let the cursers of day mark it, Who are ready to wake up Leviathan.

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

Let the stars of its twilight be dark, Let it wait for light, and there is none, And let it not look on the eyelids of the dawn.

10 כִּ֤י לֹ֣א סָ֭גַר דַּלְתֵ֣י בִטְנִ֑י וַיַּסְתֵּ֥ר עָ֝מָ֗ל מֵעֵינָֽי׃

Because it hath not shut the doors Of the womb that was mine! And hide misery from mine eyes.

11 לָ֤מָּה לֹּ֣א מֵרֶ֣חֶם אָמ֑וּת מִבֶּ֖טֶן יָצָ֣אתִי וְאֶגְוָֽע׃

Why from the womb do I not die? From the belly I have come forth and gasp!

12 מַ֭דּוּעַ קִדְּמ֣וּנִי בִרְכָּ֑יִם וּמַה־שָּׁ֝דַ֗יִם כִּ֣י אִינָֽק׃

Wherefore have knees been before me? And what [are] breasts, that I suck?

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

For now, I have lain down, and am quiet, I have slept — then there is rest to me,

14 עִם־מְ֭לָכִים וְיֹ֣עֲצֵי אָ֑רֶץ הַבֹּנִ֖ים חֳרָבֹ֣ות לָֽמֹו׃

With kings and counsellors of earth, These building wastes for themselves.

15 אֹ֣ו עִם־שָׂ֭רִים זָהָ֣ב לָהֶ֑ם הַֽמְמַלְאִ֖ים בָּתֵּיהֶ֣ם כָּֽסֶף׃

Or with princes — they have gold, They are filling their houses [with] silver.

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

(Or as a hidden abortion I am not, As infants — they have not seen light.)

17 שָׁ֣ם רְ֭שָׁעִים חָ֣דְלוּ רֹ֑גֶז וְשָׁ֥ם יָ֝נ֗וּחוּ יְגִ֣יעֵי כֹֽחַ׃

There the wicked have ceased troubling, And there rest do the wearied in power.

18 יַ֭חַד אֲסִירִ֣ים שַׁאֲנָ֑נוּ לֹ֥א שָׁ֝מְע֗וּ קֹ֣ול נֹגֵֽשׂ׃

Together prisoners have been at ease, They have not heard the voice of an exactor,

19 קָטֹ֣ן וְ֭גָדֹול שָׁ֣ם ה֑וּא וְ֝עֶ֗בֶד חָפְשִׁ֥י מֵאֲדֹנָֽיו׃

Small and great [are] there the same. And a servant [is] free from his lord.

20 לָ֤מָּה יִתֵּ֣ן לְעָמֵ֣ל אֹ֑ור וְ֝חַיִּ֗ים לְמָ֣רֵי נָֽפֶשׁ׃

Why giveth He to the miserable light, and life to the bitter soul?

21 הַֽמְחַכִּ֣ים לַמָּ֣וֶת וְאֵינֶ֑נּוּ וַֽ֝יַּחְפְּרֻ֗הוּ מִמַּטְמֹונִֽים׃

Who are waiting for death, and it is not, And they seek it above hid treasures.

22 הַשְּׂמֵחִ֥ים אֱלֵי־גִ֑יל יָ֝שִׂ֗ישׂוּ כִּ֣י יִמְצְאוּ־קָֽבֶר׃

Who are glad — unto joy, They rejoice when they find a grave.

23 לְ֭גֶבֶר אֲשֶׁר־דַּרְכֹּ֣ו נִסְתָּ֑רָה וַיָּ֖סֶךְ אֱלֹ֣והַּ בַּעֲדֹֽו׃

To a man whose way hath been hidden, And whom God doth shut up?

24 כִּֽי־לִפְנֵ֣י לַ֭חְמִי אַנְחָתִ֣י תָבֹ֑א וַֽיִּתְּכ֥וּ כַ֝מַּ֗יִם שַׁאֲגֹתָֽי׃

For before my food, my sighing cometh, And poured out as waters [are] my roarings.

25 כִּ֤י פַ֣חַד פָּ֭חַדְתִּי וַיֶּאֱתָיֵ֑נִי וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר יָ֝גֹ֗רְתִּי יָ֣בֹא לִֽי׃

For a fear I feared and it meeteth me, And what I was afraid of doth come to me.

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

I was not safe — nor was I quiet — Nor was I at rest — and trouble cometh!