Job 3

אַחֲרֵי־כֵ֗ן פָּתַ֤ח אִיּוֹב֙ אֶת־פִּ֔יהוּ וַיְקַלֵּ֖ל אֶת־יוֹמֽוֹ׃

After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.

After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.

וַיַּ֥עַן אִיּ֗וֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

And this is what he said:

And Job spake, and said,

יֹ֣אבַד י֭וֹם אִוָּ֣לֶד בּ֑וֹ וְהַלַּ֥יְלָה אָ֝מַ֗ר הֹ֣רָה גָֽבֶר׃

“May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, ‘A boy is conceived.’

Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.

הַיּ֥וֹם הַה֗וּא יְֽהִ֫י חֹ֥שֶׁךְ אַֽל־יִדְרְשֵׁ֣הוּ אֱל֣וֹהַּ מִמָּ֑עַל וְאַל־תּוֹפַ֖ע עָלָ֣יו נְהָרָֽה׃

If only that day had turned to darkness! May God above disregard it; may no light shine upon it.

Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.

יִגְאָלֻ֡הוּ חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְ֭צַלְמָוֶת תִּשְׁכָּן־עָלָ֣יו עֲנָנָ֑ה יְ֝בַעֲתֻ֗הוּ כִּֽמְרִ֥ירֵי יֽוֹם׃

May darkness and gloom reclaim it, and a cloud settle over it; may the blackness of the day overwhelm it.

Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.

הַלַּ֥יְלָה הַהוּא֮ יִקָּחֵ֪ה֫וּ אֹ֥פֶל אַל־יִ֭חַדְּ בִּימֵ֣י שָׁנָ֑ה בְּמִסְפַּ֥ר יְ֝רָחִ֗ים אַל־יָבֹֽא׃

If only darkness had taken that night away! May it not appear among the days of the year; may it never be entered in any of the months.

As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months.

הִנֵּ֤ה הַלַּ֣יְלָה הַ֭הוּא יְהִ֣י גַלְמ֑וּד אַל־תָּבֹ֖א רְנָנָ֣ה בֽוֹ׃

Behold, may that night be barren; may no joyful voice come into it.

Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein.

יִקְּבֻ֥הוּ אֹרְרֵי־י֑וֹם הָ֝עֲתִידִ֗ים עֹרֵ֥ר לִוְיָתָֽן׃

May it be cursed by those who curse the day—those prepared to rouse Leviathan.

Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning.

יֶחְשְׁכוּ֮ כּוֹכְבֵ֪י נִ֫שְׁפּ֥וֹ יְקַו־לְא֥וֹר וָאַ֑יִן וְאַל־יִ֝רְאֶ֗ה בְּעַפְעַפֵּי־שָֽׁחַר׃

May its morning stars grow dark; may it wait in vain for daylight; may it not see the breaking of dawn.

Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day:

כִּ֤י לֹ֣א סָ֭גַר דַּלְתֵ֣י בִטְנִ֑י וַיַּסְתֵּ֥ר עָ֝מָ֗ל מֵעֵינָֽי׃

For that night did not shut the doors of the womb to hide the sorrow from my eyes.

Because it shut not up the doors of my mother’s womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.

לָ֤מָּה לֹּ֣א מֵרֶ֣חֶם אָמ֑וּת מִבֶּ֖טֶן יָצָ֣אתִי וְאֶגְוָֽע׃

Why did I not perish at birth; why did I not die as I came from the womb?

Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?

מַ֭דּוּעַ קִדְּמ֣וּנִי בִרְכָּ֑יִם וּמַה־שָּׁ֝דַ֗יִם כִּ֣י אִינָֽק׃

Why were there knees to receive me, and breasts that I should be nursed?

Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck?

כִּֽי־עַ֭תָּה שָׁכַ֣בְתִּי וְאֶשְׁק֑וֹט יָ֝שַׁ֗נְתִּי אָ֤ז ׀ יָנ֬וּחַֽ לִֽי׃

For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest

For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest,

עִם־מְ֭לָכִים וְיֹ֣עֲצֵי אָ֑רֶץ הַבֹּנִ֖ים חֳרָב֣וֹת לָֽמוֹ׃

with kings and counselors of the earth, who built for themselves cities now in ruins,

With kings and counsellors of the earth, which built desolate places for themselves;

א֣וֹ עִם־שָׂ֭רִים זָהָ֣ב לָהֶ֑ם הַֽמְמַלְאִ֖ים בָּתֵּיהֶ֣ם כָּֽסֶף׃

or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.

Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver:

א֤וֹ כְנֵ֣פֶל טָ֭מוּן לֹ֣א אֶהְיֶ֑ה כְּ֝עֹלְלִ֗ים לֹא־רָ֥אוּ אֽוֹר׃

Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, like an infant who never sees daylight?

Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light.

שָׁ֣ם רְ֭שָׁעִים חָ֣דְלוּ רֹ֑גֶז וְשָׁ֥ם יָ֝נ֗וּחוּ יְגִ֣יעֵי כֹֽחַ׃

There the wicked cease from raging, and there the weary find rest.

There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.

יַ֭חַד אֲסִירִ֣ים שַׁאֲנָ֑נוּ לֹ֥א שָׁ֝מְע֗וּ ק֣וֹל נֹגֵֽשׂ׃

The captives enjoy their ease; they do not hear the voice of the oppressor.

There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.

קָטֹ֣ן וְ֭גָדוֹל שָׁ֣ם ה֑וּא וְ֝עֶ֗בֶד חָפְשִׁ֥י מֵאֲדֹנָֽיו׃

Both small and great are there, and the slave is freed from his master.

The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master.

לָ֤מָּה יִתֵּ֣ן לְעָמֵ֣ל א֑וֹר וְ֝חַיִּ֗ים לְמָ֣רֵי נָֽפֶשׁ׃

Why is light given to the miserable, and life to the bitter of soul,

Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul;

הַֽמְחַכִּ֣ים לַמָּ֣וֶת וְאֵינֶ֑נּוּ וַֽ֝יַּחְפְּרֻ֗הוּ מִמַּטְמוֹנִֽים׃

who long for death that does not come, and search for it like hidden treasure,

Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;

הַשְּׂמֵחִ֥ים אֱלֵי־גִ֑יל יָ֝שִׂ֗ישׂוּ כִּ֣י יִמְצְאוּ־קָֽבֶר׃

who rejoice and greatly exult when they reach the grave?

Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?

לְ֭גֶבֶר אֲשֶׁר־דַּרְכּ֣וֹ נִסְתָּ֑רָה וַיָּ֖סֶךְ אֱל֣וֹהַּ בַּעֲדֽוֹ׃

Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?

Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?

כִּֽי־לִפְנֵ֣י לַ֭חְמִי אַנְחָתִ֣י תָבֹ֑א וַֽיִּתְּכ֥וּ כַ֝מַּ֗יִם שַׁאֲגֹתָֽי׃

I sigh when food is put before me, and my groans pour out like water.

For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.

כִּ֤י פַ֣חַד פָּ֭חַדְתִּי וַיֶּאֱתָיֵ֑נִי וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר יָ֝גֹ֗רְתִּי יָ֣בֹא לִֽי׃

For the thing I feared has overtaken me, and what I dreaded has befallen me.

For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.

לֹ֤א שָׁלַ֨וְתִּי ׀ וְלֹ֖א שָׁקַ֥טְתִּי וְֽלֹא־נָ֗חְתִּי וַיָּ֥בֹא רֹֽגֶז׃

I am not at ease or quiet; I have no rest, for trouble has come.”

I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.