Job 40 (Iyov) in Hebrew and English
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Text (469) 608-9944Job, Chapter 40
Hashem asks whether he that contends with the Almighty shall instruct Him, and Iyov lays his hand upon his mouth; Hashem answers again out of the whirlwind, tells of behemoth, and asks whether Iyov can draw out Livyatan with a hook.
Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible. Verses 25–32 here are 41:1–8 in most English Bibles.
40:1Moreover Hashem answered Iyov (Job), and said,
אוַיַּ֖עַן יְהוָ֥ה אֶת־אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
40:2“Shall he that contends with the Almighty instruct Him? he that reproves God, let him answer it.”
בהֲ֭רֹב עִם־שַׁדַּ֣י יִסּ֑וֹר מוֹכִ֖יחַ אֱל֣וֹהַּ יַעֲנֶֽנָּה׃
40:3Then Iyov answered Hashem, and said,
גוַיַּ֖עַן אִיּ֥וֹב אֶת־יְהוָ֗ה וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
40:4“Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer You? I will lay my hand upon my mouth.
דהֵ֣ן קַ֭לֹּתִי מָ֣ה אֲשִׁיבֶ֑ךָּ יָ֝דִ֗י שַׂ֣מְתִּי לְמוֹ־פִֽי׃
40:5Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.”
האַחַ֣ת דִּ֭בַּרְתִּי וְלֹ֣א אֶֽעֱנֶ֑ה וּ֝שְׁתַּ֗יִם וְלֹ֣א אוֹסִֽיף׃
40:6Then answered Hashem unto Iyov out of the whirlwind, and said,
ווַיַּֽעַן־יְהוָ֣ה אֶת־אִ֭יּוֹב (כתיב ולא קרי מנ) מִ֥ן סְעָרָ֗ה (כתיב סערה) וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
40:7“Gird up your loins now like a man: I will demand of you, and declare you unto Me.
זאֱזָר־נָ֣א כְגֶ֣בֶר חֲלָצֶ֑יךָ אֶ֝שְׁאָלְךָ֗ וְהוֹדִיעֵֽנִי׃
40:8Will you also disannul My judgment? will you condemn Me, that you may be righteous?
חהַ֭אַף תָּפֵ֣ר מִשְׁפָּטִ֑י תַּ֝רְשִׁיעֵ֗נִי לְמַ֣עַן תִּצְדָּֽק׃
40:9Have you an arm like God? or can you thunder with a voice like Him?
טוְאִם־זְר֖וֹעַ כָּאֵ֥ל ׀ לָ֑ךְ וּ֝בְק֗וֹל כָּמֹ֥הוּ תַרְעֵֽם׃
40:10Deck yourself now with majesty and excellency; and array yourself with glory and beauty.
יעֲדֵ֥ה נָ֣א גָֽא֣וֹן וָגֹ֑בַהּ וְה֖וֹד וְהָדָ֣ר תִּלְבָּֽשׁ׃
40:11Cast abroad the rage of your wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him.
יאהָ֭פֵץ עֶבְר֣וֹת אַפֶּ֑ךָ וּרְאֵ֥ה כָל־גֵּ֝אֶ֗ה וְהַשְׁפִּילֵֽהוּ׃
40:12Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.
יברְאֵ֣ה כָל־גֵּ֭אֶה הַכְנִיעֵ֑הוּ וַהֲדֹ֖ךְ רְשָׁעִ֣ים תַּחְתָּֽם׃
40:13Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret.
יגטָמְנֵ֣ם בֶּעָפָ֣ר יָ֑חַד פְּ֝נֵיהֶ֗ם חֲבֹ֣שׁ בַּטָּמֽוּן׃
40:14Then will I also confess unto you that your own right hand can save you.
ידוְגַם־אֲנִ֥י אוֹדֶ֑ךָּ כִּֽי־תוֹשִׁ֖עַ לְךָ֣ יְמִינֶֽךָ׃
40:15Behold now behemoth, which I made with you; he eats grass as an ox.
טוהִנֵּה־נָ֣א בְ֭הֵמוֹת אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂ֣יתִי עִמָּ֑ךְ חָ֝צִ֗יר כַּבָּקָ֥ר יֹאכֵֽל׃
40:16Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.
טזהִנֵּה־נָ֣א כֹח֣וֹ בְמָתְנָ֑יו וְ֝אֹנ֗וֹ בִּשְׁרִירֵ֥י בִטְנֽוֹ׃
40:17He moves his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.
יזיַחְפֹּ֣ץ זְנָב֣וֹ כְמוֹ־אָ֑רֶז גִּידֵ֖י פַחֲדָ֣יו (כתיב פחדו) יְשֹׂרָֽגוּ׃
40:18His bones are as strong pieces of bronze; his bones are like bars of iron.
יחעֲ֭צָמָיו אֲפִיקֵ֣י נְחוּשָׁ֑ה גְּ֝רָמָ֗יו כִּמְטִ֥יל בַּרְזֶֽל׃
40:19He is the chief of the ways of God: He that made him can make His sword to approach unto him.
יטה֭וּא רֵאשִׁ֣ית דַּרְכֵי־אֵ֑ל הָ֝עֹשׂוֹ יַגֵּ֥שׁ חַרְבּֽוֹ׃
40:20Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.
ככִּֽי־ב֭וּל הָרִ֣ים יִשְׂאוּ־ל֑וֹ וְֽכָל־חַיַּ֥ת הַ֝שָּׂדֶ֗ה יְשַֽׂחֲקוּ־שָֽׁם׃
40:21He lies under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens.
כאתַּֽחַת־צֶאֱלִ֥ים יִשְׁכָּ֑ב בְּסֵ֖תֶר קָנֶ֣ה וּבִצָּֽה׃
40:22The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about.
כביְסֻכֻּ֣הוּ צֶאֱלִ֣ים צִֽלֲל֑וֹ יְ֝סֻבּ֗וּהוּ עַרְבֵי־נָֽחַל׃
40:23Behold, he drinks up a river, and hastes not: he trusts that he can draw up Yarden (Jordan) into his mouth.
כגהֵ֤ן יַעֲשֹׁ֣ק נָ֭הָר לֹ֣א יַחְפּ֑וֹז יִבְטַ֓ח ׀ כִּֽי־יָגִ֖יחַ יַרְדֵּ֣ן אֶל־פִּֽיהוּ׃
40:24He takes it with his eyes: his nose pierces through snares.
כדבְּעֵינָ֥יו יִקָּחֶ֑נּוּ בְּ֝מֽוֹקְשִׁ֗ים יִנְקָב־אָֽף׃
40:25Can you draw out Livyatan (leviathan) with a hook? or his tongue with a cord which you let down?
כהתִּמְשֹׁ֣ךְ לִוְיָתָ֣ן בְּחַכָּ֑ה וּ֝בְחֶ֗בֶל תַּשְׁקִ֥יעַ לְשֹׁנֽוֹ׃
40:26Can you put a hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?
כוהֲתָשִׂ֣ים אַגְמ֣וֹן בְּאַפּ֑וֹ וּ֝בְח֗וֹחַ תִּקּ֥וֹב לֶֽחֱיוֹ׃
40:27Will he make many supplications unto you? will he speak soft words unto you?
כזהֲיַרְבֶּ֣ה אֵ֭לֶיךָ תַּחֲנוּנִ֑ים אִם־יְדַבֵּ֖ר אֵלֶ֣יךָ רַכּֽוֹת׃
40:28Will he make a covenant with you? will you take him for a servant for ever?
כחהֲיִכְרֹ֣ת בְּרִ֣ית עִמָּ֑ךְ תִּ֝קָּחֶ֗נּוּ לְעֶ֣בֶד עוֹלָֽם׃
40:29Will you play with him as with a bird? or will you bind him for your maidens?
כטהַֽתְשַׂחֶק־בּ֭וֹ כַּצִּפּ֑וֹר וְ֝תִקְשְׁרֶ֗נּוּ לְנַעֲרוֹתֶֽיךָ׃
40:30Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?
ליִכְר֣וּ עָ֭לָיו חַבָּרִ֑ים יֶ֝חֱצ֗וּהוּ בֵּ֣ין כְּֽנַעֲנִֽים׃
40:31Can you fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears?
לאהַֽתְמַלֵּ֣א בְשֻׂכּ֣וֹת עוֹר֑וֹ וּבְצִלְצַ֖ל דָּגִ֣ים רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃
40:32Lay your hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.”
לבשִׂים־עָלָ֥יו כַּפֶּ֑ךָ זְכֹ֥ר מִ֝לְחָמָ֗ה אַל־תּוֹסַֽף׃
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.