1 Then, opening his mouth, and cursing the day of his birth,

1 אַחֲרֵי־כֵ֗ן פָּתַ֤ח אִיֹּוב֙ אֶת־פִּ֔יהוּ וַיְקַלֵּ֖ל אֶת־יֹומֹֽו׃

2 Job made answer and said,

2 וַיַּ֥עַן אִיֹּ֗וב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

3 Let destruction take the day of my birth, and the night on which it was said, A man child has come into the world.

3 יֹ֣אבַד יֹ֖ום אִוָּ֣לֶד בֹּ֑ו וְהַלַּ֥יְלָה אָ֝מַ֗ר הֹ֣רָה גָֽבֶר׃

4 That day--let it be dark; let not God take note of it from on high, and let not the light be shining on it;

4 הַיֹּ֥ום הַה֗וּא יְֽהִ֫י חֹ֥שֶׁךְ אַֽל־יִדְרְשֵׁ֣הוּ אֱלֹ֣והַּ מִמָּ֑עַל וְאַל־תֹּופַ֖ע עָלָ֣יו נְהָרָֽה׃

5 Let the dark and the black night take it for themselves; let it be covered with a cloud; let the dark shades of day send fear on it.

5 יִגְאָלֻ֡הוּ חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְ֭צַלְמָוֶת תִּשְׁכָּן־עָלָ֣יו עֲנָנָ֑ה יְ֝בַעֲתֻ֗הוּ כִּֽמְרִ֥ירֵי יֹֽום׃

6 That night--let the thick dark take it; let it not have joy among the days of the year; let it not come into the number of the months.

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

7 As for that night, let it have no fruit; let no voice of joy be sounded in it;

7 הִנֵּ֤ה הַלַּ֣יְלָה הַ֭הוּא יְהִ֣י גַלְמ֑וּד אַל־תָּבֹ֖א רְנָנָ֣ה בֹֽו׃

8 Let it be cursed by those who put a curse on the day; who are ready to make Leviathan awake.

8 יִקְּבֻ֥הוּ אֹרְרֵי־יֹ֑ום הָ֝עֲתִידִ֗ים עֹרֵ֥ר לִוְיָתָֽן׃

9 Let its morning stars be dark; let it be looking for light, but may it not have any; let it not see the eyes of the dawn.

9 יֶחְשְׁכוּ֮ כֹּוכְבֵ֪י³ נִ֫שְׁפֹּ֥ו יְקַו־לְאֹ֥ור וָאַ֑יִן וְאַל־יִ֝רְאֶ֗ה בְּעַפְעַפֵּי־שָֽׁחַר׃

10 Because it did not keep the doors of my mother's body shut, so that trouble might be veiled from my eyes.

10 כִּ֤י לֹ֣א סָ֭גַר דַּלְתֵ֣י בִטְנִ֑י וַיַּסְתֵּ֥ר עָ֝מָ֗ל מֵעֵינָֽי׃

11 Why did death not take me when I came out of my mother's body, why did I not, when I came out, give up my last breath?

11 לָ֤מָּה לֹּ֣א מֵרֶ֣חֶם אָמ֑וּת מִבֶּ֖טֶן יָצָ֣אתִי וְאֶגְוָֽע׃

12 Why did the knees take me, or why the breasts that they might give me milk?

12 מַ֭דּוּעַ קִדְּמ֣וּנִי בִרְכָּ֑יִם וּמַהשָּ֝־דַ֗יִם כִּ֣י אִינָֽק׃

13 For then I might have gone to my rest in quiet, and in sleep have been in peace,

13 כִּֽי־עַ֭תָּה שָׁכַ֣בְתִּי וְאֶשְׁקֹ֑וט יָ֝שַׁ֗נְתִּי אָ֤ז׀ יָנ֬וּחַֽ לִֽי׃

14 With kings and the wise ones of the earth, who put up great houses for themselves;

14 עִם־מְ֭לָכִים וְיֹ֣עֲצֵי אָ֑רֶץ הַבֹּנִ֖ים חֳרָבֹ֣ות לָֽמֹו׃

15 Or with rulers who had gold, and whose houses were full of silver;

15 אֹ֣ו עִםשָ֭־רִים זָהָ֣ב לָהֶ֑ם הַֽמְמַלְאִ֖ים בָּתֵּיהֶ֣ם כָּֽסֶף׃

16 Or as a child dead at birth I might never have come into existence; like young children who have not seen the light.

16 אֹ֤ו³ כְנֵ֣פֶל טָ֭מוּן לֹ֣א אֶהְיֶ֑ה כְּ֝עֹלְלִ֗ים לֹא־רָ֥אוּ אֹֽור׃

17 There the passions of the evil are over, and those whose strength has come to an end have rest.

17 שָׁ֣ם רְ֭שָׁעִים חָ֣דְלוּ רֹ֑גֶז וְשָׁ֥ם יָ֝נ֗וּחוּ יְגִ֣יעֵי כֹֽחַ׃

18 There the prisoners are at peace together; the voice of the overseer comes not again to their ears.

18 יַ֭חַד אֲסִירִ֣ים שַׁאֲנָ֑נוּ לֹ֥א מְע֗וּ קֹ֣ול נֹגֵֽשׂ׃

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

19 קָטֹ֣ן וְ֭גָדֹול שָׁ֣ם ה֑וּא וְ֝עֶ֗בֶד חָפְשִׁ֥י מֵאֲדֹנָֽיו׃

20 Why does he give light to him who is in trouble, and life to the bitter in soul;

20 לָ֤מָּה יִתֵּ֣ן לְעָמֵ֣ל אֹ֑ור וְ֝חַיִּ֗ים לְמָ֣רֵי נָֽפֶשׁ׃

21 To those whose desire is for death, but it comes not; who are searching for it more than for secret wealth;

21 הַֽמְחַכִּ֣ים לַמָּ֣וֶת וְאֵינֶ֑נּוּ וַֽ֝יַּחְפְּרֻ֗הוּ מִמַּטְמֹונִֽים׃

22 Who are glad with great joy, and full of delight when they come to their last resting-place;

22 הַשְּׂמֵחִ֥ים אֱלֵי־גִ֑יל יָ֝שִׂ֗ישׂוּ כִּ֣י יִמְצְאוּ־קָֽבֶר׃

23 To a man whose way is veiled, and who is shut in by God?

23 לְ֭גֶבֶר אֲשֶׁר־דַּרְכֹּ֣ו נִסְתָּ֑רָה וַיָּ֖סֶךְ אֱלֹ֣והַּ בַּעֲדֹֽו׃

24 In place of my food I have grief, and cries of sorrow come from me like water.

24 כִּֽי־לִפְנֵ֣י לַ֭חְמִי אַנְחָתִ֣י תָבֹ֑א וַֽיִּתְּכ֥וּ כַ֝מַּ֗יִם שַׁאֲגֹתָֽי׃

25 For I have a fear and it comes on me, and my heart is greatly troubled.

25 כִּ֤י פַ֣חַד פָּ֭חַדְתִּי וַיֶּאֱתָיֵ֑נִי וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר יָ֝גֹ֗רְתִּי יָ֣בֹא לִֽי׃

26 I have no peace, no quiet, and no rest; nothing but pain comes on me.

26 לֹ֤א שָׁלַ֨וְתִּי׀ וְלֹ֖א שָׁקַ֥טְתִּי וְֽלֹא־נָ֗חְתִּי וַיָּ֥בֹא רֹֽגֶז׃