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

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

2 Job answered:

2 וַיַּ֥עַן אִיֹּ֗וב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

3 "Let the day perish in which I was born, The night which said, 'There is a man-child conceived.'

3 יֹ֣אבַד יֹ֖ום אִוָּ֣לֶד בֹּ֑ו וְהַלַּ֥יְלָה אָ֝מַ֗ר הֹ֣רָה גָֽבֶר׃

4 Let that day be darkness; Don't let God from above seek for it, Neither let the light shine on it.

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

5 Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own. Let a cloud dwell on it. Let all that makes black the day terrify it.

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

6 As for that night, let thick darkness seize on it. Let it not rejoice 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 Behold, let that night be barren. Let no joyful voice come therein.

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

8 Let them curse it who curse the day, Who are ready to rouse up leviathan.

8 יִקְּבֻ֥הוּ אֹרְרֵי־יֹ֑ום הָ֝עֲתִידִ֗ים עֹרֵ֥ר לִוְיָתָֽן׃

9 Let the stars of the twilight of it be dark. Let it look for light, but have none, Neither let it see the eyelids of the morning,

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

10 Because it didn't shut up the doors of my mother's womb, Nor did it hide trouble from my eyes.

10 כִּ֤י לֹ֣א סָ֭גַר דַּלְתֵ֣י בִטְנִ֑י וַיַּסְתֵּ֥ר עָ֝מָ֗ל מֵעֵינָֽי׃

11 "Why didn't I die from the womb? Why didn't I give up the spirit when my mother bore me?

11 לָ֤מָּה לֹּ֣א מֵרֶ֣חֶם אָמ֑וּת מִבֶּ֖טֶן יָצָ֣אתִי וְאֶגְוָֽע׃

12 Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breast, that I should suck?

12 מַ֭דּוּעַ קִדְּמ֣וּנִי בִרְכָּ֑יִם וּמַהשָּ֝־דַ֗יִם כִּ֣י אִינָֽק׃

13 For now should I have lain down and been quiet. I should have slept, then I would have been at rest,

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

14 With kings and counselors of the earth, Who built up waste places for themselves;

14 עִם־מְ֭לָכִים וְיֹ֣עֲצֵי אָ֑רֶץ הַבֹּנִ֖ים חֳרָבֹ֣ות לָֽמֹו׃

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

15 אֹ֣ו עִםשָ֭־רִים זָהָ֣ב לָהֶ֑ם הַֽמְמַלְאִ֖ים בָּתֵּיהֶ֣ם כָּֽסֶף׃

16 Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been, As infants who never saw light.

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

17 There the wicked cease from troubling; There the weary are at rest.

17 שָׁ֣ם רְ֭שָׁעִים חָ֣דְלוּ רֹ֑גֶז וְשָׁ֥ם יָ֝נ֗וּחוּ יְגִ֣יעֵי כֹֽחַ׃

18 There the prisoners are at ease together. They don't hear the voice of the taskmaster.

18 יַ֭חַד אֲסִירִ֣ים שַׁאֲנָ֑נוּ לֹ֥א מְע֗וּ קֹ֣ול נֹגֵֽשׂ׃

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

19 קָטֹ֣ן וְ֭גָדֹול שָׁ֣ם ה֑וּא וְ֝עֶ֗בֶד חָפְשִׁ֥י מֵאֲדֹנָֽיו׃

20 "Why is light given to him who is in misery, Life to the bitter in soul,

20 לָ֤מָּה יִתֵּ֣ן לְעָמֵ֣ל אֹ֑ור וְ֝חַיִּ֗ים לְמָ֣רֵי נָֽפֶשׁ׃

21 Who long for death, but it doesn't come; Dig for it more than for hidden treasures,

21 הַֽמְחַכִּ֣ים לַמָּ֣וֶת וְאֵינֶ֑נּוּ וַֽ֝יַּחְפְּרֻ֗הוּ מִמַּטְמֹונִֽים׃

22 Who rejoice exceedingly, Are glad, when they can find the grave?

22 הַשְּׂמֵחִ֥ים אֱלֵי־גִ֑יל יָ֝שִׂ֗ישׂוּ כִּ֣י יִמְצְאוּ־קָֽבֶר׃

23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, Whom God has hedged in?

23 לְ֭גֶבֶר אֲשֶׁר־דַּרְכֹּ֣ו נִסְתָּ֑רָה וַיָּ֖סֶךְ אֱלֹ֣והַּ בַּעֲדֹֽו׃

24 For my sighing comes before I eat, My groanings are poured out like water.

24 כִּֽי־לִפְנֵ֣י לַ֭חְמִי אַנְחָתִ֣י תָבֹ֑א וַֽיִּתְּכ֥וּ כַ֝מַּ֗יִם שַׁאֲגֹתָֽי׃

25 For the thing which I fear comes on me, That which I am afraid of comes to me.

25 כִּ֤י פַ֣חַד פָּ֭חַדְתִּי וַיֶּאֱתָיֵ֑נִי וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר יָ֝גֹ֗רְתִּי יָ֣בֹא לִֽי׃

26 I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither have I rest; But trouble comes."

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