Job 9 (Iyov) in Hebrew and English

9:1Then Iyov (Job) answered and said,

אוַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

9:2“I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?

באָ֭מְנָם יָדַ֣עְתִּי כִי־כֵ֑ן וּמַה־יִּצְדַּ֖ק אֱנ֣וֹשׁ עִם־אֵֽל׃

9:3If he will contend with Him, he cannot answer Him one of a thousand.

גאִם־יַ֭חְפֹּץ לָרִ֣יב עִמּ֑וֹ לֹֽא־יַ֝עֲנֶ֗נּוּ אַחַ֥ת מִנִּי־אָֽלֶף׃

9:4He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who has hardened himself against Him, and has prospered?

דחֲכַ֣ם לֵ֭בָב וְאַמִּ֣יץ כֹּ֑חַ מִֽי־הִקְשָׁ֥ה אֵ֝לָ֗יו וַיִּשְׁלָֽם׃

9:5Which removes the mountains, and they know not: which overturns them in His anger.

ההַמַּעְתִּ֣יק הָ֭רִים וְלֹ֣א יָדָ֑עוּ אֲשֶׁ֖ר הֲפָכָ֣ם בְּאַפּֽוֹ׃

9:6Which shakes the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.

והַמַּרְגִּ֣יז אֶ֭רֶץ מִמְּקוֹמָ֑הּ וְ֝עַמּוּדֶ֗יהָ יִתְפַלָּצֽוּן׃

9:7Which commands the sun, and it rises not; and seals up the stars.

זהָאֹמֵ֣ר לַ֭חֶרֶס וְלֹ֣א יִזְרָ֑ח וּבְעַ֖ד כּוֹכָבִ֣ים יַחְתֹּֽם׃

9:8Which alone spreads out the heavens, and treads upon the waves of the sea.

חנֹטֶ֣ה שָׁמַ֣יִם לְבַדּ֑וֹ וְ֝דוֹרֵ֗ךְ עַל־בָּ֥מֳתֵי יָֽם׃

9:9Which makes Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

טעֹֽשֶׂה־עָ֭שׁ כְּסִ֥יל וְכִימָ֗ה וְחַדְרֵ֥י תֵמָֽן׃

9:10Which does great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.

יעֹשֶׂ֣ה גְ֭דֹלוֹת עַד־אֵ֣ין חֵ֑קֶר וְנִפְלָא֗וֹת עַד־אֵ֥ין מִסְפָּֽר׃

9:11Lo, He goes by me, and I see Him not: He passes on also, but I perceive Him not.

יאהֵ֤ן יַעֲבֹ֣ר עָ֭לַי וְלֹ֣א אֶרְאֶ֑ה וְ֝יַחֲלֹ֗ף וְֽלֹא־אָבִ֥ין לֽוֹ׃

9:12Behold, He takes away, who can hinder Him? who will say unto Him, ‘What do You?’

יבהֵ֣ן יַ֭חְתֹּף מִ֣י יְשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ מִֽי־יֹאמַ֥ר אֵ֝לָ֗יו מַֽה־תַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃

9:13If God will not withdraw His anger, the proud helpers do stoop under Him.

יגאֱ֭לוֹהַּ לֹא־יָשִׁ֣יב אַפּ֑וֹ תַּחְתָּ֥יו (כתיב תחתו) שָׁ֝חֲח֗וּ עֹ֣זְרֵי רָֽהַב׃

9:14How much less shall I answer Him, and choose out my words to reason with Him?

ידאַ֭ף כִּֽי־אָנֹכִ֣י אֶֽעֱנֶ֑נּוּ אֶבְחֲרָ֖ה דְבָרַ֣י עִמּֽוֹ׃

9:15Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.

טואֲשֶׁ֣ר אִם־צָ֭דַקְתִּי לֹ֣א אֶעֱנֶ֑ה לִ֝מְשֹׁפְטִ֗י אֶתְחַנָּֽן׃

9:16If I had called, and He had answered me; yet would I not believe that He had hearkened unto my voice.

טזאִם־קָרָ֥אתִי וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֑נִי לֹֽא־אַ֝אֲמִ֗ין כִּֽי־יַאֲזִ֥ין קוֹלִֽי׃

9:17For He breaks me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds without cause.

יזאֲשֶׁר־בִּשְׂעָרָ֥ה יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי וְהִרְבָּ֖ה פְצָעַ֣י חִנָּֽם׃

9:18He will not suffer me to take my breath, but fills me with bitterness.

יחלֹֽא־יִ֭תְּנֵנִי הָשֵׁ֣ב רוּחִ֑י כִּ֥י יַ֝שְׂבִּעַ֗נִי מַמְּרֹרִֽים׃

9:19If I speak of strength, lo, He is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?

יטאִם־לְכֹ֣חַ אַמִּ֣יץ הִנֵּ֑ה וְאִם־לְ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט מִ֣י יוֹעִידֵֽנִי׃

9:20If I justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, ‘I am perfect,’ it shall also prove me perverse.

כאִם־אֶ֭צְדָּק פִּ֣י יַרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי תָּֽם־אָ֝֗נִי וַֽיַּעְקְשֵֽׁנִי׃

9:21Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

כאתָּֽם־אָ֭נִי לֹֽא־אֵדַ֥ע נַפְשִׁ֗י אֶמְאַ֥ס חַיָּֽי׃

9:22This is one thing, therefore I said it, ‘He destroys the perfect and the wicked.’

כבאַחַ֗ת הִ֥יא עַל־כֵּ֥ן אָמַ֑רְתִּי תָּ֥ם וְ֝רָשָׁ֗ע ה֣וּא מְכַלֶּֽה׃

9:23If the scourge slay suddenly, He will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

כגאִם־שׁ֭וֹט יָמִ֣ית פִּתְאֹ֑ם לְמַסַּ֖ת נְקִיִּ֣ם יִלְעָֽג׃

9:24The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: He covers the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is He?

כדאֶ֤רֶץ ׀ נִתְּנָ֬ה בְֽיַד־רָשָׁ֗ע פְּנֵֽי־שֹׁפְטֶ֥יהָ יְכַסֶּ֑ה אִם־לֹ֖א אֵפ֣וֹא מִי־הֽוּא׃

9:25Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.

כהוְיָמַ֣י קַ֭לּוּ מִנִּי־רָ֑ץ בָּֽ֝רְח֗וּ לֹא־רָא֥וּ טוֹבָֽה׃

9:26They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hastes to the prey.

כוחָ֭לְפוּ עִם־אֳנִיּ֣וֹת אֵבֶ֑ה כְּ֝נֶ֗שֶׁר יָט֥וּשׂ עֲלֵי־אֹֽכֶל׃

9:27If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself’:

כזאִם־אָ֭מְרִי אֶשְׁכְּחָ֣ה שִׂיחִ֑י אֶעֶזְבָ֖ה פָנַ֣י וְאַבְלִֽיגָה׃

9:28I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that You will not hold me innocent.

כחיָגֹ֥רְתִּי כָל־עַצְּבֹתָ֑י יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּי־לֹ֥א תְנַקֵּֽנִי׃

9:29If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?

כטאָנֹכִ֥י אֶרְשָׁ֑ע לָמָּה־זֶּ֝֗ה הֶ֣בֶל אִיגָֽע׃

9:30If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;

לאִם־הִתְרָחַ֥צְתִּי בְמֵי (כתיב במו)־שָׁ֑לֶג וַ֝הֲזִכּ֗וֹתִי בְּבֹ֣ר כַּפָּֽי׃

9:31Yet shall You plunge me in the ditch, and my own clothes shall abhor me.

לאאָ֭ז בַּשַּׁ֣חַת תִּטְבְּלֵ֑נִי וְ֝תִֽעֲב֗וּנִי שַׂלְמוֹתָֽי׃

9:32For He is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him, and we should come together in judgment.

לבכִּי־לֹא־אִ֣ישׁ כָּמֹ֣נִי אֶֽעֱנֶ֑נּוּ נָב֥וֹא יַ֝חְדָּ֗ו בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

9:33Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.

לגלֹ֣א יֵשׁ־בֵּינֵ֣ינוּ מוֹכִ֑יחַ יָשֵׁ֖ת יָד֣וֹ עַל־שְׁנֵֽינוּ׃

9:34Let Him take His rod away from me, and let not His fear terrify me:

לדיָסֵ֣ר מֵעָלַ֣י שִׁבְט֑וֹ וְ֝אֵמָת֗וֹ אַֽל־תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃

9:35Then would I speak, and not fear Him; but it is not so with me.”

להאַֽ֭דַבְּרָה וְלֹ֣א אִירָאֶ֑נּוּ כִּ֥י לֹא־כֵ֥ן אָ֝נֹכִ֗י עִמָּדִֽי׃