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Job 36 (Iyov) in Hebrew and English

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Tenakh Study · Read Job in Hebrew and English, one chapter per page. Our Tenakh study meets every Wednesday at 7 pm (Central Time) on Zoom. Text us for the Zoom link.

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Tenakh Study · Job 36:1–33

Job, Chapter 36

איוב לו

Elihu goes on to speak on God’s behalf: God is mighty and preserves not the wicked, opens the ears of the afflicted to discipline, and would have brought Iyov into a broad place; Elihu warns him not to turn to iniquity and praises God’s greatness in the rain, the clouds and the light.

36:1Elihu also proceeded, and said,

אוַיֹּ֥סֶף אֱלִיה֗וּא וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

36:2“Suffer me a little, and I will show you that I have yet to speak on God’s behalf.

בכַּתַּר־לִ֣י זְ֭עֵיר וַאֲחַוֶּ֑ךָּ כִּ֤י ע֖וֹד לֶאֱל֣וֹהַּ מִלִּֽים׃

36:3I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

גאֶשָּׂ֣א דֵ֭עִי לְמֵרָח֑וֹק וּ֝לְפֹעֲלִ֗י אֶֽתֵּֽן־צֶֽדֶק׃

36:4For truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with you.

דכִּֽי־אָ֭מְנָם לֹא־שֶׁ֣קֶר מִלָּ֑י תְּמִ֖ים דֵּע֣וֹת עִמָּֽךְ׃

God is mighty

36:5Behold, God is mighty, and despises not any: He is mighty in strength and wisdom.

ההֶן־אֵ֣ל כַּ֭בִּיר וְלֹ֣א יִמְאָ֑ס כַּ֝בִּ֗יר כֹּ֣חַֽ לֵֽב׃

36:6He preserves not the life of the wicked: but gives right to the poor.

ולֹא־יְחַיֶּ֥ה רָשָׁ֑ע וּמִשְׁפַּ֖ט עֲנִיִּ֣ים יִתֵּֽן׃

36:7He withdraws not His eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, He does establish them for ever, and they are exalted.

זלֹֽא־יִגְרַ֥ע מִצַּדִּ֗יק עֵ֫ינָ֥יו וְאֶת־מְלָכִ֥ים לַכִּסֵּ֑א וַיֹּשִׁיבֵ֥ם לָ֝נֶ֗צַח וַיִּגְבָּֽהוּ׃

36:8And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction;

חוְאִם־אֲסוּרִ֥ים בַּזִּקִּ֑ים יִ֝לָּכְד֗וּן בְּחַבְלֵי־עֹֽנִי׃

36:9Then He shows them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded.

טוַיַּגֵּ֣ד לָהֶ֣ם פָּעֳלָ֑ם וּ֝פִשְׁעֵיהֶ֗ם כִּ֣י יִתְגַּבָּֽרוּ׃

36:10He opens also their ear to discipline, and commands that they return from iniquity.

יוַיִּ֣גֶל אָ֭זְנָם לַמּוּסָ֑ר וַ֝יֹּ֗אמֶר כִּֽי־יְשֻׁב֥וּן מֵאָֽוֶן׃

36:11If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.

יאאִֽם־יִשְׁמְע֗וּ וְֽיַ֫עֲבֹ֥דוּ יְכַלּ֣וּ יְמֵיהֶ֣ם בַּטּ֑וֹב וּ֝שְׁנֵיהֶ֗ם בַּנְּעִימִֽים׃

36:12But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.

יבוְאִם־לֹ֣א יִ֭שְׁמְעוּ בְּשֶׁ֣לַח יַעֲבֹ֑רוּ וְ֝יִגְוְע֗וּ כִּבְלִי־דָֽעַת׃

36:13But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when He binds them.

יגוְֽחַנְפֵי־לֵ֭ב יָשִׂ֣ימוּ אָ֑ף לֹ֥א יְ֝שַׁוְּע֗וּ כִּ֣י אֲסָרָֽם׃

36:14They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean.

ידתָּמֹ֣ת בַּנֹּ֣עַר נַפְשָׁ֑ם וְ֝חַיָּתָ֗ם בַּקְּדֵשִֽׁים׃

36:15He delivers the poor in his affliction, and opens their ears in oppression.

טויְחַלֵּ֣ץ עָנִ֣י בְעָנְי֑וֹ וְיִ֖גֶל בַּלַּ֣חַץ אָזְנָֽם׃

A warning to Iyov

36:16Even so would He have removed you out of the strait into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and that which should be set on your table should be full of fatness.

טזוְאַ֤ף הֲסִיתְךָ֨ ׀ מִפִּי־צָ֗ר רַ֭חַב לֹא־מוּצָ֣ק תַּחְתֶּ֑יהָ וְנַ֥חַת שֻׁ֝לְחָנְךָ֗ מָ֣לֵא דָֽשֶׁן׃

36:17But you have fulfilled the judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold on you.

יזוְדִין־רָשָׁ֥ע מָלֵ֑אתָ דִּ֖ין וּמִשְׁפָּ֣ט יִתְמֹֽכוּ׃

36:18Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with His stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver you.

יחכִּֽי־חֵ֭מָה פֶּן־יְסִֽיתְךָ֣ בְסָ֑פֶק וְרָב־כֹּ֝֗פֶר אַל־יַטֶּֽךָּ׃

36:19Will He esteem your riches? no, not gold, nor all the forces of strength.

יטהֲיַעֲרֹ֣ךְ שׁ֭וּעֲךָ לֹ֣א בְצָ֑ר וְ֝כֹ֗ל מַאֲמַצֵּי־כֹֽחַ׃

36:20Desire not the night, when people are cut off in their place.

כאַל־תִּשְׁאַ֥ף הַלָּ֑יְלָה לַעֲל֖וֹת עַמִּ֣ים תַּחְתָּֽם׃

36:21Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this have you chosen rather than affliction.

כאהִ֭שָּׁמֶר אַל־תֵּ֣פֶן אֶל־אָ֑וֶן כִּֽי־עַל־זֶ֝֗ה בָּחַ֥רְתָּ מֵעֹֽנִי׃

God exalts by His power

36:22Behold, God exalts by His power: who teaches like Him?

כבהֶן־אֵ֭ל יַשְׂגִּ֣יב בְּכֹח֑וֹ מִ֖י כָמֹ֣הוּ מוֹרֶֽה׃

36:23Who has enjoined Him His way? or who can say, ‘You have wrought iniquity’?

כגמִֽי־פָקַ֣ד עָלָ֣יו דַּרְכּ֑וֹ וּמִֽי־אָ֝מַ֗ר פָּעַ֥לְתָּ עַוְלָֽה׃

36:24Remember that you magnify His work, which men behold.

כדזְ֭כֹר כִּֽי־תַשְׂגִּ֣יא פָעֳל֑וֹ אֲשֶׁ֖ר שֹׁרְר֣וּ אֲנָשִֽׁים׃

36:25Every man may see it; man may behold it afar off.

כהכָּל־אָדָ֥ם חָֽזוּ־ב֑וֹ אֱ֝נ֗וֹשׁ יַבִּ֥יט מֵרָחֽוֹק׃

Rain and clouds

36:26Behold, God is great, and we know Him not, neither can the number of His years be searched out.

כוהֶן־אֵ֣ל שַׂ֭גִּיא וְלֹ֣א נֵדָ֑ע מִסְפַּ֖ר שָׁנָ֣יו וְלֹא־חֵֽקֶר׃

36:27For He makes small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof:

כזכִּ֭י יְגָרַ֣ע נִטְפֵי־מָ֑יִם יָזֹ֖קּוּ מָטָ֣ר לְאֵדֽוֹ׃

36:28Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly.

כחאֲשֶֽׁר־יִזְּל֥וּ שְׁחָקִ֑ים יִ֝רְעֲפ֗וּ עֲלֵ֤י ׀ אָדָ֬ם רָֽב׃

36:29Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of His tabernacle?

כטאַ֣ף אִם־יָ֭בִין מִפְרְשֵׂי־עָ֑ב תְּ֝שֻׁא֗וֹת סֻכָּתֽוֹ׃

36:30Behold, He spreads His light upon it, and covers the bottom of the sea.

להֵן־פָּרַ֣שׂ עָלָ֣יו אוֹר֑וֹ וְשָׁרְשֵׁ֖י הַיָּ֣ם כִּסָּֽה׃

36:31For by them judges He the people; He gives food in abundance.

לאכִּי־בָ֭ם יָדִ֣ין עַמִּ֑ים יִֽתֶּן־אֹ֥כֶל לְמַכְבִּֽיר׃

36:32With clouds He covers the light; and commands it not to shine by the cloud that comes betwixt.

לבעַל־כַּפַּ֥יִם כִּסָּה־א֑וֹר וַיְצַ֖ו עָלֶ֣יהָ בְמַפְגִּֽיעַ׃

36:33The noise thereof shows concerning it, the cattle also concerning the vapour.”

לגיַגִּ֣יד עָלָ֣יו רֵע֑וֹ מִ֝קְנֶ֗ה אַ֣ף עַל־עוֹלֶֽה׃

Sources & method

Hebrew text
The Masoretic text with vowels (nikkud) and cantillation marks (ta’amim), from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain) as published by the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0). Where the written text (ketiv) differs from the reading (qere), the reading is shown and the written form follows in small type. A paragraph mark (ס or פ) inside a verse is shown in small type.
English translation
The King James Version (public domain), lightly modernized by Benei Avraham: “thee/thou/ye” become “you,” older verb forms are updated (“hath” to “has”), and archaic words are replaced only where the meaning would otherwise be unclear. People and places carry their Hebrew names, with the King James spelling in parentheses the first time on each page (e.g., Yehudah (Judah)). The Divine Name (יהוה, “the LORD” in the KJV) is written “Hashem”; “God” (Elohim) is unchanged, and “law” is “Torah” where the Hebrew is תּוֹרָה.
Verse numbers
Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible. In Job they differ from most English Bibles, or a verse is divided differently, in chapters 40 and 41; a note under the summary on those pages explains how.
Hebrew font
SBL Hebrew, by the Society of Biblical Literature.