Job 39 (Iyov) in Hebrew and English
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Text (469) 608-9944Job, Chapter 39
Hashem goes on answering Iyov out of the whirlwind: does Iyov know when the wild goats and the hinds bring forth, who set the wild donkey free, whether the unicorn will serve him, and who gave the ostrich her wings, the horse his strength, and the hawk and the eagle their flight?
39:1“Know you the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or can you mark when the hinds do calve?
אהֲיָדַ֗עְתָּ עֵ֭ת לֶ֣דֶת יַעֲלֵי־סָ֑לַע חֹלֵ֖ל אַיָּל֣וֹת תִּשְׁמֹֽר׃
39:2Can you number the months that they fulfil? or know you the time when they bring forth?
בתִּסְפֹּ֣ר יְרָחִ֣ים תְּמַלֶּ֑אנָה וְ֝יָדַ֗עְתָּ עֵ֣ת לִדְתָּֽנָה׃
39:3They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.
גתִּ֭כְרַעְנָה יַלְדֵיהֶ֣ן תְּפַלַּ֑חְנָה חֶבְלֵיהֶ֥ם תְּשַׁלַּֽחְנָה׃
39:4Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with grain; they go forth, and return not unto them.
דיַחְלְמ֣וּ בְ֭נֵיהֶם יִרְבּ֣וּ בַבָּ֑ר יָ֝צְא֗וּ וְלֹא־שָׁ֥בוּ לָֽמוֹ׃
39:5Who has sent out the wild donkey free? or who has loosed the bands of the wild donkey?
המִֽי־שִׁלַּ֣ח פֶּ֣רֶא חָפְשִׁ֑י וּמֹסְר֥וֹת עָ֝ר֗וֹד מִ֣י פִתֵּֽחַ׃
39:6Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.
ואֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֣מְתִּי עֲרָבָ֣ה בֵית֑וֹ וּֽמִשְׁכְּנוֹתָ֥יו מְלֵֽחָה׃
39:7He scorns the multitude of the city, neither regards he the crying of the driver.
זיִ֭שְׂחַק לַהֲמ֣וֹן קִרְיָ֑ה תְּשֻׁא֥וֹת נ֝וֹגֵ֗שׂ לֹ֣א יִשְׁמָֽע׃
39:8The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searches after every green thing.
חיְת֣וּר הָרִ֣ים מִרְעֵ֑הוּ וְאַחַ֖ר כָּל־יָר֣וֹק יִדְרֽוֹשׁ׃
39:9Will the unicorn be willing to serve you, or abide by your crib?
טהֲיֹ֣אבֶה רֵּ֣ים עָבְדֶ֑ךָ אִם־יָ֝לִ֗ין עַל־אֲבוּסֶֽךָ׃
39:10Can you bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after you?
יהֲֽתִקְשָׁר־רֵ֭ים בְּתֶ֣לֶם עֲבֹת֑וֹ אִם־יְשַׂדֵּ֖ד עֲמָקִ֣ים אַחֲרֶֽיךָ׃
39:11Will you trust him, because his strength is great? or will you leave your labour to him?
יאהֲֽתִבְטַח־בּ֭וֹ כִּי־רַ֣ב כֹּח֑וֹ וְתַעֲזֹ֖ב אֵלָ֣יו יְגִיעֶֽךָ׃
39:12Will you believe him, that he will bring home your seed, and gather it into your barn?
יבהֲתַאֲמִ֣ין בּ֭וֹ כִּי־יָשִׁ֣יב (כתיב ישוב) זַרְעֶ֑ךָ וְֽגָרְנְךָ֥ יֶאֱסֹֽף׃
39:13Gave you the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?
יגכְּנַף־רְנָנִ֥ים נֶעֱלָ֑סָה אִם־אֶ֝בְרָ֗ה חֲסִידָ֥ה וְנֹצָֽה׃
39:14Which leaves her eggs in the earth, and warms them in dust,
ידכִּֽי־תַעֲזֹ֣ב לָאָ֣רֶץ בֵּצֶ֑יהָ וְֽעַל־עָפָ֥ר תְּחַמֵּֽם׃
39:15And forgets that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.
טווַ֭תִּשְׁכַּח כִּי־רֶ֣גֶל תְּזוּרֶ֑הָ וְחַיַּ֖ת הַשָּׂדֶ֣ה תְּדוּשֶֽׁהָ׃
39:16She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labour is in vain without fear;
טזהִקְשִׁ֣יחַ בָּנֶ֣יהָ לְּלֹא־לָ֑הּ לְרִ֖יק יְגִיעָ֣הּ בְּלִי־פָֽחַד׃
39:17Because God has deprived her of wisdom, neither has He imparted to her understanding.
יזכִּֽי־הִשָּׁ֣הּ אֱל֣וֹהַּ חָכְמָ֑ה וְלֹא־חָ֥לַק לָ֝֗הּ בַּבִּינָֽה׃
39:18What time she lifts up herself on high, she scorns the horse and his rider.
יחכָּ֭עֵת בַּמָּר֣וֹם תַּמְרִ֑יא תִּֽשְׂחַ֥ק לַ֝סּ֗וּס וּלְרֹֽכְבֽוֹ׃
39:19Have you given the horse strength? have you clothed his neck with thunder?
יטהֲתִתֵּ֣ן לַסּ֣וּס גְּבוּרָ֑ה הֲתַלְבִּ֖ישׁ צַוָּאר֣וֹ רַעְמָֽה׃
39:20Can you make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.
כהְֽ֭תַרְעִישֶׁנּוּ כָּאַרְבֶּ֑ה ה֖וֹד נַחְר֣וֹ אֵימָֽה׃
39:21He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength: he goes on to meet the armed men.
כאיַחְפְּר֣וּ בָ֭עֵמֶק וְיָשִׂ֣ישׂ בְּכֹ֑חַ יֵ֝צֵ֗א לִקְרַאת־נָֽשֶׁק׃
39:22He mocks at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turns he back from the sword.
כביִשְׂחַ֣ק לְ֭פַחַד וְלֹ֣א יֵחָ֑ת וְלֹֽא־יָ֝שׁ֗וּב מִפְּנֵי־חָֽרֶב׃
39:23The quiver rattles against him, the glittering spear and the shield.
כגעָ֭לָיו תִּרְנֶ֣ה אַשְׁפָּ֑ה לַ֖הַב חֲנִ֣ית וְכִידֽוֹן׃
39:24He swallows the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believes he that it is the sound of the shofar (trumpet).
כדבְּרַ֣עַשׁ וְ֭רֹגֶז יְגַמֶּא־אָ֑רֶץ וְלֹֽא־יַ֝אֲמִ֗ין כִּי־ק֥וֹל שׁוֹפָֽר׃
39:25He says among the shofars, ‘Ha, ha;’ and he smells the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
כהבְּדֵ֤י שֹׁפָ֨ר ׀ יֹ֘אמַ֤ר הֶאָ֗ח וּֽ֭מֵרָחוֹק יָרִ֣יחַ מִלְחָמָ֑ה רַ֥עַם שָׂ֝רִים וּתְרוּעָֽה׃
39:26Does the hawk fly by your wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?
כוהֲֽ֭מִבִּינָ֣תְךָ יַֽאֲבֶר־נֵ֑ץ יִפְרֹ֖שׂ כְּנָפָ֣יו (כתיב כנפו) לְתֵימָֽן׃
39:27Does the eagle mount up at your command, and make her nest on high?
כזאִם־עַל־פִּ֭יךָ יַגְבִּ֣יהַּ נָ֑שֶׁר וְ֝כִ֗י יָרִ֥ים קִנּֽוֹ׃
39:28She dwells and abides on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.
כחסֶ֣לַע יִ֭שְׁכֹּן וְיִתְלֹנָ֑ן עַֽל־שֶׁן־סֶ֝֗לַע וּמְצוּדָֽה׃
39:29From thence she seeks the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.
כטמִשָּׁ֥ם חָֽפַר־אֹ֑כֶל לְ֝מֵרָח֗וֹק עֵינָ֥יו יַבִּֽיטוּ׃
39:30Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.”
לוְאֶפְרֹחָ֥יו (כתיב ואפרחו) יְעַלְעוּ־דָ֑ם וּבַאֲשֶׁ֥ר חֲ֝לָלִ֗ים שָׁ֣ם הֽוּא׃
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.