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TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 10

Translation and Transliteration of 

1I am disgusted with life; I will give rein to my complaint, Speak in the bitterness of my soul.

na-K'-ta naf-SHEE b'-cha-YAI e-ez-VAH a-LAI see-KHEE a-da-b'-RAH b'-mar naf-SHEE

אנָֽקְטָ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֗י בְּחַ֫יָּ֥י אֶעֶזְבָ֣ה עָלַ֣י שִׂיחִ֑י אֲ֝דַבְּרָ֗ה בְּמַ֣ר נַפְשִֽׁי׃

2I say to Hashem, “Do not condemn me; Let me know what You charge me with.

o-MAR el e-lo-HA al-tar-shi-E-ni, ho-di-E-ni al ma-t'-ri-VE-ni

באֹמַ֣ר אֶל־אֱ֭לוֹהַּ אַל־תַּרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי ה֝וֹדִיעֵ֗נִי עַ֣ל מַה־תְּרִיבֵֽנִי׃

3Does it benefit You to defraud, To despise the toil of Your hands, While smiling on the counsel of the wicked?

ha-TOV l'-KHA, KEE-ta-a-SHOK, KEE-tim-AS, ye-GEE-a KAP-ay-KHA, v'-al-a-TZAT r'-sha-EEM ho-FA-ta

גהֲט֤וֹב לְךָ֨ ׀ כִּֽי־תַעֲשֹׁ֗ק כִּֽי־תִ֭מְאַס יְגִ֣יעַ כַּפֶּ֑יךָ וְעַל־עֲצַ֖ת רְשָׁעִ֣ים הוֹפָֽעְתָּ׃

4Do You have the eyes of flesh? Is Your vision that of mere men?

ha-EY-ney va-SAR lakh, im kir-OT e-NOsh tir-EH

דהַעֵינֵ֣י בָשָׂ֣ר לָ֑ךְ אִם־כִּרְא֖וֹת אֱנ֣וֹשׁ תִּרְאֶֽה׃

5Are Your days the days of a mortal, Are Your years the years of a man,

ha-KHEE-may e-NOSh ya-ME-kha, im sh'-no-TE-kha k'-may ga-VER

ההֲכִימֵ֣י אֱנ֣וֹשׁ יָמֶ֑יךָ אִם־שְׁ֝נוֹתֶ֗יךָ כִּ֣ימֵי גָֽבֶר׃

6That You seek my iniquity And search out my sin?

ki-t'-va-KE-sh la-a-vo-NEE u-l'-kha-ta-TEE tid-ROSH

וכִּֽי־תְבַקֵּ֥שׁ לַעֲוֺנִ֑י וּֽלְחַטָּאתִ֥י תִדְרֽוֹשׁ׃

7You know that I am not guilty, And that there is none to deliver from Your hand.

al-DA-at-KHA ki-LO er-SHA v'-AYN mi-YAD-kha mat-SEEL

זעַֽל־דַּ֭עְתְּךָ כִּי־לֹ֣א אֶרְשָׁ֑ע וְאֵ֖ין מִיָּדְךָ֣ מַצִּֽיל׃

8“Your hands shaped and fashioned me, Then destroyed every part of me.

ya-DE-kha i-tz'-BU-nee va-y'-a-SU-nee YA-khad sa-VIV va-t'-va-l'-AY-nee

חיָדֶ֣יךָ עִ֭צְּבוּנִי וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֑וּנִי יַ֥חַד סָ֝בִ֗יב וַֽתְּבַלְּעֵֽנִי׃

9Consider that You fashioned me like clay; Will You then turn me back into dust?

ZE-khor-NA ki-KHA-kho-MER a-see-TA-nee v'-EL a-FAr t'-shi-VE-nee

טזְכׇר־נָ֭א כִּֽי־כַחֹ֣מֶר עֲשִׂיתָ֑נִי וְֽאֶל־עָפָ֥ר תְּשִׁיבֵֽנִי׃

10You poured me out like milk, Congealed me like cheese;

ha-LO ke-KHA-lav ta-TEE-khe-NI, v'-ka-ge-vi-NAH tak-pee-EI-ni

יהֲלֹ֣א כֶ֭חָלָב תַּתִּיכֵ֑נִי וְ֝כַגְּבִנָּ֗ה תַּקְפִּיאֵֽנִי׃

11You clothed me with skin and flesh And wove me of bones and sinews;

OR U-VA-SAR tal-BI-SHE-ni u-va-a-TSA-MOT v'-gi-DIM t'-so-KHE-khe-ni

יאע֣וֹר וּ֭בָשָׂר תַּלְבִּישֵׁ֑נִי וּֽבַעֲצָמ֥וֹת וְ֝גִידִ֗ים תְּשֹׂכְכֵֽנִי׃

12You bestowed on me life and care; Your providence watched over my spirit.

kha-YIM va-KHE-sed a-SEE-ta i-MA-dee u-f'-ku-da-T'-kha sha-M'-RA ru-KHEE

יבחַיִּ֣ים וָ֭חֶסֶד עָשִׂ֣יתָ עִמָּדִ֑י וּ֝פְקֻדָּתְךָ֗ שָֽׁמְרָ֥ה רוּחִֽי׃

13Yet these things You hid in Your heart; I know that You had this in mind:

v'-AY-leh tza-FAN-ta bil-va-VE-kha, ya-DA-ti ki-ZOT i-MAKH

יגוְ֭אֵלֶּה צָפַ֣נְתָּ בִלְבָבֶ֑ךָ יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּי־זֹ֥את עִמָּֽךְ׃

14To watch me when I sinned And not clear me of my iniquity;

im-cha-TA-tee u-sh'-mar-TA-nee u-m'-a-vo-NEE lo t'-na-KAY-nee

ידאִם־חָטָ֥אתִי וּשְׁמַרְתָּ֑נִי וּ֝מֵעֲוֺנִ֗י לֹ֣א תְנַקֵּֽנִי׃

15Should I be guilty—the worse for me! And even when innocent, I cannot lift my head; So sated am I with shame, And drenched in my misery.

im-ra-SHA-ti al-LAI li v'-tza-DAK-ti lo-e-SA ro-SHI s'-VA ka-LOn u-r'-EH o-ni-YI

טואִם־רָשַׁ֡עְתִּי אַלְלַ֬י לִ֗י וְ֭צָדַקְתִּי לֹא־אֶשָּׂ֣א רֹאשִׁ֑י שְׂבַ֥ע קָ֝ל֗וֹן וּרְאֵ֥ה עׇנְיִֽי׃

16It is something to be proud of to hunt me like a lion, To show Yourself wondrous through me time and again!

v'-yi-G'-eh ka-SHA-khal t'-tzu-DE-ni v'-ta-SHOV tit-pa-LA-vi

טזוְ֭יִגְאֶה כַּשַּׁ֣חַל תְּצוּדֵ֑נִי וְ֝תָשֹׁ֗ב תִּתְפַּלָּא־בִֽי׃

17You keep sending fresh witnesses against me, Letting Your vexation with me grow. I serve my term and am my own replacement.

t'-kha-DAYSH ay-DE-kha NEG-dee v'-TE-rev ka-a-SHE-kha i-ma-DEE kha-lee-FOT v'-tza-VA i-MEE

יזתְּחַדֵּ֬שׁ עֵדֶ֨יךָ ׀ נֶגְדִּ֗י וְתֶ֣רֶב כַּ֭עַשְׂךָ עִמָּדִ֑י חֲלִיפ֖וֹת וְצָבָ֣א עִמִּֽי׃

18“Why did You let me come out of the womb? Better had I expired before any eye saw me,

v'-LA-mah may-RE-khem ho-tzay-TA-nee eg-VA v'-A-yin lo tir-AY-nee

יחוְלָ֣מָּה מֵ֭רֶחֶם הֹצֵאתָ֑נִי אֶ֝גְוַ֗ע וְעַ֣יִן לֹֽא־תִרְאֵֽנִי׃

 10:18   Why did You let me come out of the womb?

The Hebrew word for ‘womb,’ rekhem (רחם), shares a root with the word for ‘compassion,’ which is rakhamim (רחמים). While at first glance the connection between these two words may be unclear, upon further thought it becomes obvious. A mother has a natural love and compassion for her offspring, the fruit of her womb. Iyov wishes he had never been taken out of the womb, because he feels bereft not only of Hashem’s justice, but also of His compassion and mercy.

19Had I been as though I never was, Had I been carried from the womb to the grave.

ka-a-SHER lo-ha-YI-tee e-HE-yeh mi-BE-ten la-KE-ver u-val

יטכַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־הָיִ֣יתִי אֶהְיֶ֑ה מִ֝בֶּ֗טֶן לַקֶּ֥בֶר אוּבָֽל׃

20My days are few, so desist! Leave me alone, let me be diverted a while

ha-LO m'-a-AT ya-MAI (ya-KH'-dal) [va-cha-DAL] (yi-SHIT) [v'-SHIT] mi-ME-ni v'-av-li-GA m'-AT

כהֲלֹֽא־מְעַ֣ט יָמַ֣י (יחדל) [וַחֲדָ֑ל] (ישית) [וְשִׁ֥ית] מִ֝מֶּ֗נִּי וְאַבְלִ֥יגָה מְּעָֽט׃

21Before I depart—never to return— For the land of deepest gloom;

b'-TE-rem e-LEKH v'-lo a-SHUV el E-rets KHO-shekh v'-tzal-MA-vet

כאבְּטֶ֣רֶם אֵ֭לֵךְ וְלֹ֣א אָשׁ֑וּב אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃

22A land whose light is darkness, All gloom and disarray, Whose light is like darkness.”

E-retz e-FAT-a k'-MO o-FEL tzal-MA-vet v'-lo s'-da-RIM va-TO-fa k'-MO o-FEL.

כבאֶ֤רֶץ עֵפָ֨תָה ׀ כְּמ֥וֹ אֹ֗פֶל צַ֭לְמָוֶת וְלֹ֥א סְדָרִ֗ים וַתֹּ֥פַע כְּמוֹ־אֹֽפֶל׃