TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 42

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1Iyov said in reply to Hashem:

אוַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב אֶת־יְהֹוָה וַיֹּאמַר׃

2I know that You can do everything, That nothing you propose is impossible for You.

בידעת [יָדַעְתִּי] כִּי־כֹל תּוּכָל וְלֹא־יִבָּצֵר מִמְּךָ מְזִמָּה׃

3Who is this who obscures counsel without knowledge? Indeed, I spoke without understanding Of things beyond me, which I did not know.

גמִי זֶה מַעְלִים עֵצָה בְּלִי דָעַת לָכֵן הִגַּדְתִּי וְלֹא אָבִין נִפְלָאוֹת מִמֶּנִּי וְלֹא אֵדָע׃

4Hear now, and I will speak; I will ask, and You will inform me.

דשְׁמַע־נָא וְאָנֹכִי אֲדַבֵּר אֶשְׁאָלְךָ וְהוֹדִיעֵנִי׃

5I had heard You with my ears, But now I see You with my eyes;

הלְשֵׁמַע־אֹזֶן שְׁמַעְתִּיךָ וְעַתָּה עֵינִי רָאָתְךָ׃

6Therefore, I recant and relent, Being but dust and ashes.

ועַל־כֵּן אֶמְאַס וְנִחַמְתִּי עַל־עָפָר וָאֵפֶר׃

7After Hashem had spoken these words to Iyov, Hashem said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am incensed at you and your two friends, for you have not spoken the truth about Me as did My servant Iyov.

זוַיְהִי אַחַר דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֶל־אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־אֱלִיפַז הַתֵּימָנִי חָרָה אַפִּי בְךָ וּבִשְׁנֵי רֵעֶיךָ כִּי לֹא דִבַּרְתֶּם אֵלַי נְכוֹנָה כְּעַבְדִּי אִיּוֹב׃

8Now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to My servant Iyov and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. And let Iyov, My servant, pray for you; for to him I will show favor and not treat you vilely, since you have not spoken the truth about Me as did My servant Iyov.”

v'-a-TAH k'-KHU la-KHEM shiv-AH fa-REEM v'-shiv-AH ay-LEEM ul-KHU el av-DEE i-YOV v'-ha-a-lee-TEM o-LAH ba-ad-KHEM v'-i-YOV av-DEE yit-pa-LAYL a-lay-KHEM KEE im pa-NAV e-SA l'-vil-TEE a-SOT i-ma-KHEM n'-va-LAH KEE LO di-bar-TEM ay-LAI n'-kho-NAH k'-av-DEE i-YOV

חוְעַתָּה קְחוּ־לָכֶם שִׁבְעָה־פָרִים וְשִׁבְעָה אֵילִים וּלְכוּ אֶל־עַבְדִּי אִיּוֹב וְהַעֲלִיתֶם עוֹלָה בַּעַדְכֶם וְאִיּוֹב עַבְדִּי יִתְפַּלֵּל עֲלֵיכֶם כִּי אִם־פָּנָיו אֶשָּׂא לְבִלְתִּי עֲשׂוֹת עִמָּכֶם נְבָלָה כִּי לֹא דִבַּרְתֶּם אֵלַי נְכוֹנָה כְּעַבְדִּי אִיּוֹב׃

42:8   And let Iyov, My servant, pray for you

By praying for his friends who have sinned Iyov ultimately demonstrates compassion, thereby walking in the footsteps of Avraham. In Sefer Bereishit (chapter 20), Avraham’s wife Sara is taken by Abimelech, king of the Philistines, who thought she was Avraham’s sister. After Abimelech is punished and Sara is returned, Avraham prays for the Philistine king’s return to good health and the amelioration of the punishment Hashem had inflicted upon him. The inclination to be kind and forgiving is one of the reasons Avraham merited the Land of Israel as a permanent inheritance for himself and his descendants. By emulating these traits of kindness and compassion Iyov proves his righteousness, even in the face of his pain and suffering.

9Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as Hashem had told them, and Hashem showed favor to Iyov.

טוַיֵּלְכוּ אֱלִיפַז הַתֵּימָנִי וּבִלְדַּד הַשּׁוּחִי צֹפַר הַנַּעֲמָתִי וַיַּעֲשׂוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֲלֵיהֶם יְהֹוָה וַיִּשָּׂא יְהֹוָה אֶת־פְּנֵי אִיּוֹב׃

10Hashem restored Iyov's fortunes when he prayed on behalf of his friends, and Hashem gave Iyov twice what he had before.

יוַיהֹוָה שָׁב אֶת־שבית [שְׁבוּת] אִיּוֹב בְּהִתְפַּלְלוֹ בְּעַד רֵעֵהוּ וַיֹּסֶף יְהֹוָה אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר לְאִיּוֹב לְמִשְׁנֶה׃

11All his brothers and sisters and all his former friends came to him and had a meal with him in his house. They consoled and comforted him for all the misfortune that Hashem had brought upon him. Each gave him one kesita and each one gold ring.

יאוַיָּבֹאוּ אֵלָיו כָּל־אֶחָיו וְכָל־אחיתיו [אַחְיוֹתָיו] וְכָל־יֹדְעָיו לְפָנִים וַיֹּאכְלוּ עִמּוֹ לֶחֶם בְּבֵיתוֹ וַיָּנֻדוּ לוֹ וַיְנַחֲמוּ אֹתוֹ עַל כָּל־הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר־הֵבִיא יְהֹוָה עָלָיו וַיִּתְּנוּ־לוֹ אִישׁ קְשִׂיטָה אֶחָת וְאִישׁ נֶזֶם זָהָב אֶחָד׃

12Thus Hashem blessed the latter years of Iyov's life more than the former. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand she-asses.

יבוַיהֹוָה בֵּרַךְ אֶת־אַחֲרִית אִיּוֹב מֵרֵאשִׁתוֹ וַיְהִי־לוֹ אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר אֶלֶף צֹאן וְשֵׁשֶׁת אֲלָפִים גְּמַלִּים וְאֶלֶף־צֶמֶד בָּקָר וְאֶלֶף אֲתוֹנוֹת׃

13He also had seven sons and three daughters.

יגוַיְהִי־לוֹ שִׁבְעָנָה בָנִים וְשָׁלוֹשׁ בָּנוֹת׃

14The first he named Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch.

ידוַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם־הָאַחַת יְמִימָה וְשֵׁם הַשֵּׁנִית קְצִיעָה וְשֵׁם הַשְּׁלִישִׁית קֶרֶן הַפּוּךְ׃

15Nowhere in the land were women as beautiful as Iyov's daughters to be found. Their father gave them estates together with their brothers.

טווְלֹא נִמְצָא נָשִׁים יָפוֹת כִּבְנוֹת אִיּוֹב בְּכָל־הָאָרֶץ וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם אֲבִיהֶם נַחֲלָה בְּתוֹךְ אֲחֵיהֶם׃

16Afterward, Iyov lived one hundred and forty years to see four generations of sons and grandsons.

טזוַיְחִי אִיּוֹב אַחֲרֵי־זֹאת מֵאָה וְאַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה וירא [וַיִּרְאֶה] אֶת־בָּנָיו וְאֶת־בְּנֵי בָנָיו אַרְבָּעָה דֹּרוֹת׃

17So Iyov died old and contented.

יזוַיָּמָת אִיּוֹב זָקֵן וּשְׂבַע יָמִים׃