TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 9

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1Iyov said in reply:

אוַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַר׃

2Indeed I know that it is so: Man cannot win a suit against Hashem.

באָמְנָם יָדַעְתִּי כִי־כֵן וּמַה־יִּצְדַּק אֱנוֹשׁ עִם־אֵל׃

3If he insisted on a trial with Him, He would not answer one charge in a thousand.

גאִם־יַחְפֹּץ לָרִיב עִמּוֹ לֹא־יַעֲנֶנּוּ אַחַת מִנִּי־אָלֶף׃

4Wise of heart and mighty in power— Who ever challenged Him and came out whole?—

kha-KHAM lay-VAV v'-a-MEETZ KO-akh mee hik-SHAH ay-LAV va-yish-LAM

דחֲכַם לֵבָב וְאַמִּיץ כֹּחַ מִי־הִקְשָׁה אֵלָיו וַיִּשְׁלָם׃

9:4   Wise of heart and mighty in power

The words in this verse, translated as “wise of heart,” are understood by the Sages to mean “wise about hearts,” or “wise about innermost thoughts.” This means that Hashem knows what is in people’s hearts, and judges them accordingly. While man has the capacity to judge his fellow only by what is obvious to the human eye, Hashem knows what is really in a person’s heart. Iyov’s friends understand this in a negative sense; while Iyov seems righteous externally, he must have committed sins in secret. However, the opposite is also true. Someone might seem evil on the outside, but might have good intentions in his heart. It is man’s challenge to behave as God does, and instead of making assumptions solely on the basis of external appearances, to understand that there is more in a person’s heart that might not be apparent from the outside. We are therefore called upon to judge others favorably by always giving them the benefit of the doubt.

5Him who moves mountains without their knowing it, Who overturns them in His anger;

ההַמַּעְתִּיק הָרִים וְלֹא יָדָעוּ אֲשֶׁר הֲפָכָם בְּאַפּוֹ׃

6Who shakes the earth from its place, Till its pillars quake;

והַמַּרְגִּיז אֶרֶץ מִמְּקוֹמָהּ וְעַמּוּדֶיהָ יִתְפַלָּצוּן׃

7Who commands the sun not to shine; Who seals up the stars;

זהָאֹמֵר לַחֶרֶס וְלֹא יִזְרָח וּבְעַד כּוֹכָבִים יַחְתֹּם׃

8Who by Himself spread out the heavens, And trod on the back of the sea;

חנֹטֶה שָׁמַיִם לְבַדּוֹ וְדוֹרֵךְ עַל־בָּמֳתֵי יָם׃

9Who made the Bear and Orion, Pleiades, and the chambers of the south wind;

טעֹשֶׂה־עָשׁ כְּסִיל וְכִימָה וְחַדְרֵי תֵמָן׃

10Who performs great deeds which cannot be fathomed, And wondrous things without number.

יעֹשֶׂה גְדֹלוֹת עַד־אֵין חֵקֶר וְנִפְלָאוֹת עַד־אֵין מִסְפָּר׃

11He passes me by—I do not see Him; He goes by me, but I do not perceive Him.

יאהֵן יַעֲבֹר עָלַי וְלֹא אֶרְאֶה וְיַחֲלֹף וְלֹא־אָבִין לוֹ׃

12He snatches away—who can stop Him? Who can say to Him, “What are You doing?”

יבהֵן יַחְתֹּף מִי יְשִׁיבֶנּוּ מִי־יֹאמַר אֵלָיו מַה־תַּעֲשֶׂה׃

13Hashem does not restrain His anger; Under Him Rahab's helpers sink down.

יגאֱלוֹהַּ לֹא־יָשִׁיב אַפּוֹ תחתו [תַּחְתָּיו] שָׁחֲחוּ עֹזְרֵי רָהַב׃

14How then can I answer Him, Or choose my arguments against Him?

ידאַף כִּי־אָנֹכִי אֶעֱנֶנּוּ אֶבְחֲרָה דְבָרַי עִמּוֹ׃

15Though I were in the right, I could not speak out, But I would plead for mercy with my judge.

טואֲשֶׁר אִם־צָדַקְתִּי לֹא אֶעֱנֶה לִמְשֹׁפְטִי אֶתְחַנָּן׃

16If I summoned Him and He responded, I do not believe He would lend me His ear.

טזאִם־קָרָאתִי וַיַּעֲנֵנִי לֹא־אַאֲמִין כִּי־יַאֲזִין קוֹלִי׃

17For He crushes me for a hair; He wounds me much for no cause.

יזאֲשֶׁר־בִּשְׂעָרָה יְשׁוּפֵנִי וְהִרְבָּה פְצָעַי חִנָּם׃

18He does not let me catch my breath, But sates me with bitterness.

יחלֹא־יִתְּנֵנִי הָשֵׁב רוּחִי כִּי יַשְׂבִּעַנִי מַמְּרֹרִים׃

19If a trial of strength—He is the strong one; If a trial in court—who will summon Him for me?

יטאִם־לְכֹחַ אַמִּיץ הִנֵּה וְאִם־לְמִשְׁפָּט מִי יוֹעִידֵנִי׃

20Though I were innocent, My mouth would condemn me; Though I were blameless, He would prove me crooked.

כאִם־אֶצְדָּק פִּי יַרְשִׁיעֵנִי תָּם־אָנִי וַיַּעְקְשֵׁנִי׃

21I am blameless—I am distraught; I am sick of life.

כאתָּם־אָנִי לֹא־אֵדַע נַפְשִׁי אֶמְאַס חַיָּי׃

22It is all one; therefore I say, “He destroys the blameless and the guilty.”

כבאַחַת הִיא עַל־כֵּן אָמַרְתִּי תָּם וְרָשָׁע הוּא מְכַלֶּה׃

23When suddenly a scourge brings death, He mocks as the innocent fail.

כגאִם־שׁוֹט יָמִית פִּתְאֹם לְמַסַּת נְקִיִּם יִלְעָג׃

24The earth is handed over to the wicked one; He covers the eyes of its judges. If it is not He, then who?

כדאֶרֶץ נִתְּנָה בְיַד־רָשָׁע פְּנֵי־שֹׁפְטֶיהָ יְכַסֶּה אִם־לֹא אֵפוֹא מִי־הוּא׃

25My days fly swifter than a runner; They flee without seeing happiness;

כהוְיָמַי קַלּוּ מִנִּי־רָץ בָּרְחוּ לֹא־רָאוּ טוֹבָה׃

26They pass like reed-boats, Like an eagle swooping onto its prey.

כוחָלְפוּ עִם־אֳנִיּוֹת אֵבֶה כְּנֶשֶׁר יָטוּשׂ עֲלֵי־אֹכֶל׃

27If I say, “I will forget my complaint; Abandon my sorrow and be diverted,”

כזאִם־אָמְרִי אֶשְׁכְּחָה שִׂיחִי אֶעֶזְבָה פָנַי וְאַבְלִיגָה׃

28I remain in dread of all my suffering; I know that You will not acquit me.

כחיָגֹרְתִּי כָל־עַצְּבֹתָי יָדַעְתִּי כִּי־לֹא תְנַקֵּנִי׃

29It will be I who am in the wrong; Why then should I waste effort?

כטאָנֹכִי אֶרְשָׁע לָמָּה־זֶּה הֶבֶל אִיגָע׃

30If I washed with soap, Cleansed my hands with lye,

לאִם־הִתְרָחַצְתִּי במו־[בְמֵי־] שָׁלֶג וַהֲזִכּוֹתִי בְּבֹר כַּפָּי׃

31You would dip me in muck Till my clothes would abhor me.

לאאָז בַּשַּׁחַת תִּטְבְּלֵנִי וְתִעֲבוּנִי שַׂלְמוֹתָי׃

32He is not a man, like me, that I can answer Him, That we can go to law together.

לבכִּי־לֹא־אִישׁ כָּמֹנִי אֶעֱנֶנּוּ נָבוֹא יַחְדָּו בַּמִּשְׁפָּט׃

33No arbiter is between us To lay his hand on us both.

לגלֹא יֵשׁ־בֵּינֵינוּ מוֹכִיחַ יָשֵׁת יָדוֹ עַל־שְׁנֵינוּ׃

34If He would only take His rod away from me And not let His terror frighten me,

לדיָסֵר מֵעָלַי שִׁבְטוֹ וְאֵמָתוֹ אַל־תְּבַעֲתַנִּי׃

35Then I would speak out without fear of Him; For I know myself not to be so.

להאַדַבְּרָה וְלֹא אִירָאֶנּוּ כִּי לֹא־כֵן אָנֹכִי עִמָּדִי׃