Beginning
1 There was an ish in Eretz Uz, shmo Iyov; and that ish was blameless and yashar, and yire Elohim, and shunned evil.
2 And there were born unto him seven banim and shalosh banot.
3 His possessions also were seven thousand tzon and three thousand gemalim, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-donkeys, and very many avadim; so that this ish was the greatest of kol bnei kedem.
4 And his banim went and held a mishteh in their bais, every one in his turn in his bais; and sent and called for their three achayot to eat and to drink with them.
5 And it was so, when the yamim of their mishteh were gone, that Iyov sent and set them apart as kodesh, and rose up early in the boker, and offered olot (burnt offerings) according to the mispar (number) of them all: for Iyov said, It may be that my banim have sinned, and cursed Elohim in their hearts. Thus did Iyov kol hayamim.
6 Now there was a yom when the Bnei HaElohim came to present themselves before Hashem, and Hasatan came also among them.
7 And Hashem said unto Hasatan, From where comest thou? Then Hasatan answered Hashem, and said, From roaming to and fro in ha’aretz, and from walking up and down in it.
8 And Hashem said unto Hasatan, Hast thou considered in thy heart avdi Iyov, that there is none like him in ha’aretz, a perfect and a yashar ish, yire Elohim, and shunneth evil?
9 Then Hasatan answered Hashem, and said, Is Iyov a yire Elohim (G-d fearer) for nothing?
10 Hast not Thou made a hedge [of protection] about him, and about his bais, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the ma’aseh (work) of his hands, and his possessions are increased in ha’aretz.
11 But put forth Thine yad now, and strike all that he hath, and he will curse Thee to Thy face.
12 And Hashem said unto Hasatan, Hinei, all that he hath is in thy yad; only upon himself put not forth thine yad. So Hasatan went out from the presence of Hashem.
13 And there was a yom when his banim and his banot were eating and drinking yayin in the bais achihem habechor (the house of their firstborn brother):
14 And there came a malach (messenger) unto Iyov, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them:
15 And the Sabeans attacked, and took them away; yea, they have slain the na’arim with the edge of the cherev; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The eish Elohim is fallen from Shomayim, and hath burned up the tzon, and the na’arim, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Kasdim (Chaldeans) formed shloshah rashim, and fell upon the gemalim and have carried them away, yea and slain the na’arim with the edge of the cherev; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy banim and thy banot were eating and drinking yayin in the bais achihem habechor;
19 And, hinei, there came a ruach gedolah from the midbar, and struck the arbah pinot (four corners) of the bais, and it fell upon the na’arim, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
20 Then Iyov arose, and made the keri’ah on his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshiped,
21 And said, Arom came I out of beten immi, and arom shall I return there; Hashem gave, and Hashem hath taken away; yehi Shem Hashem mevorach.
22 In all this Iyov sinned not, nor natan tiflah leElohim (charged G-d with folly).
2 Again there was a day when the Bnei HaElohim came to present themselves before Hashem, and Hasatan came also among them to present himself before Hashem.
2 And Hashem said unto Hasatan, From where comest thou? And Hasatan answered Hashem, and said, From going to and fro through ha’aretz, and from walking up and down in it.
3 And Hashem said unto Hasatan, Hast thou considered in your meditation Avdi (My Servant) Iyov, that there is none like him in ha’aretz, ish tam and yashar, yire Elohim, and shunning rah? And still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou inciteth Me against him, to ruin him for no reason.
4 And Hasatan answered Hashem, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that an ish hath will he give for his nefesh.
5 But stretch forth Thine yad now, and touch his etzem and his basar, and he will curse Thee to Thy face.
6 And Hashem said unto Hasatan, Hinei, he is in thine yad; but spare his nefesh.
7 So went Hasatan out from the presence of Hashem, and afflicted Iyov with shekhin rah (foul boils) from the sole of his regel unto the top of his head.
8 And he took him a cheres (potsherd, piece of broken pottery) to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.
9 Then said his isha unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse Elohim, and die.
10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the nevalot (foolish women) speaketh. What? Shall we receive hatov from Elohim, and shall we not accept harah? In all this did not Iyov sin in what he said.
11 Now when the three friends of Iyov heard of all this ra’ah that had come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temani, and Bildad the Shuchi, and Tzophar the Na’amati; for they had made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him.
12 And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and recognized him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they made the keri’ah every one on his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward Shomayim.
13 So they sat [shiva] with him upon the ground shivat yamim and shivat lailah, and none spoke a word unto him; for they saw that his suffering was very great.
3 After this opened Iyov his mouth, and cursed his yom.
2 And Iyov spoke, and said,
3 Let the yom perish wherein I was born, and halailah in which it was said, There is a gever born.
4 Let that yom be choshech; let not Elohim regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.
5 Let choshech and the tzalmavet (shadow of death) claim it; let an anan dwell upon it; let the blackness of the yom terrify it.
6 As for that lailah, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the yamim of the shanah, let it not come into the number of the months.
7 Hinei, let that lailah be barren; let no joyful shout come therein.
8 Let them curse it that curse the yam, who are ready to rouse Leviathan.
9 Let the kokhavim of the dawn thereof be dark; let it look for ohr, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the shachar,
10 Because it shut not up the dalatot of my mother’s womb, nor hid amal (tzoros) from mine eyes.
11 Why did I not come to mot at birth? Why did I not perish when I came out of the beten (belly, womb)?
12 Madua (why) were there birkayim to receive me? Or why the shadayim that from them I should nurse?
13 For atah (now) I would be lying still and quiet, have slept and been at rest,
14 With melachim and yo’atzim of ha’aretz, which build ruins for themselves;
15 Or with sarim (princes) that had zahav, who filled their batim (houses) with kesef;
16 Or as a hidden stillborn—I had not been!—as olelim which never saw ohr.
17 There the resha’im cease from troubling; and there the weary are at rest.
18 There the asirim (prisoners, captives) rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.
19 The katon and gadol are there; and the eved is free from his adon.
20 Why is ohr given to him that is in misery, and chayyim unto the bitter in nefesh;
21 Which long for mavet, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hidden treasures;
22 Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the kever?
23 Why is ohr given to a gever whose derech is hidden, and whom Elohim hath hedged in?
24 For my sighing cometh instead of lechem, and my groanings are poured out like the mayim.
25 For the pachad (terror) which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I dreaded is come unto me.
26 I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; and rogez (tzoros, turmoil) came.
4 Then Eliphaz the Temani answered and said,
2 If we attempt a davar with thee, wilt thou be offended? But who can withhold himself from speaking?
3 Hinei, thou hast instructed rabbim (many), and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.
4 Thy words have upheld him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble birkayim (knees).
5 But atah (now) it is come upon thee, and thou art impatient; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.
6 Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy tikveh, and the blamelessness of thy ways?
7 Consider now, who ever perished, being naki (innocent)? Or where were the yesharim (upright ones) cut off?
8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow amal (trouble), reap the same.
9 By the neshamah (breath) of Eloah they perish, and by the ruach of His nostrils are they consumed.
10 The roaring of the aryeh, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.
11 The old lion perisheth for lack of teref (prey), and the stout lion’s cubs are scattered.
12 Now a davar was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a whisper thereof.
13 In thoughts from the chezyonot lailah, when tardemah (deep sleep) falleth on anashim,
14 Pachad came upon me, and trembling, which made all my atzmot to shake.
15 Then a ruach passed before my face; the hair of my basar stood up;
16 It stood still, but I could not discern the appearance thereof; a temunah (form) was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,
17 Shall enosh (mortal man) be more righteous than Eloah? Shall a man be more tahor than his Maker?
18 Behold, He puts no trust in His avadim, and His malachim (angels) He charged with toholah (error).
19 How much more them that dwell in batim (houses) of clay, whose yesod (foundation, origin) is in the dust, which are crushed like the moth?
20 They are destroyed from boker to erev; they perish forever without any regarding it.
21 Is not the cord of their tent which is in them pulled up? They die, even without chochmah (wisdom).
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International