| 1 וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃ | 1 Then Job replied and said: |
| 2 אׇמְנָם כִּי אַתֶּם־עָםוְעִמָּכֶם תָּמוּת חׇכְמָֽה׃ | 2 No doubt you are the intelligent folk, and with you wisdom shall die! |
| 3 גַּם־לִי לֵבָב ׀ כְּֽמוֹכֶםלֹא־נֹפֵל אָנֹכִי מִכֶּםוְאֶת־מִי־אֵין כְּמוֹ־אֵֽלֶּה׃ | 3 But I have intelligence as well as you; for who does not know such things as these? |
| 4 שְׂחֹק לְרֵעֵהוּ ׀ אֶהְיֶהקֹרֵא לֶאֱלוֹהַּ וַֽיַּעֲנֵהוּשְׂחוֹק צַדִּיק תָּמִֽים׃ | 4 I have become the sport of my neighbors: "The one whom God answers when he calls upon him, The just, the perfect man," is a laughing-stock; |
| 5 לַפִּיד בּוּז לְעַשְׁתּוּת שַׁאֲנָןנָכוֹן לְמוֹעֲדֵי רָֽגֶל׃ | 5 The undisturbed esteem my downfall a disgrace such as awaits unsteady feet; |
| 6 יִשְׁלָיוּ אֹהָלִים ׀ לְשֹׁדְדִיםוּֽבַטֻּחוֹת לְמַרְגִּיזֵי אֵללַאֲשֶׁר הֵבִיא אֱלוֹהַּ בְּיָדֽוֹ׃ | 6 Yet the tents of robbers are prosperous, and those who provoke God are secure. |
| 7 וְֽאוּלָם שְׁאַל־נָא בְהֵמוֹת וְתֹרֶךָּוְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וְיַגֶּד־לָֽךְ׃ | 7 But now ask the beasts to teach you, and the birds of the air to tell you; |
| 8 אוֹ שִׂיחַ לָאָרֶץ וְתֹרֶךָּוִיסַפְּרוּ לְךָ דְּגֵי הַיָּֽם׃ | 8 Or the reptiles on earth to instruct you, and the fish of the sea to inform you. |
| 9 מִי לֹא־יָדַע בְּכׇל־אֵלֶּהכִּי יַד־יְהֹוָה עָשְׂתָה זֹּֽאת׃ | 9 Which of all these does not know that the hand of God has done this? |
| 10 אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדוֹ נֶפֶשׁ כׇּל־חָיוְרוּחַ כׇּל־בְּשַׂר־אִֽישׁ׃ | 10 In his hand is the soul of every living thing, and the life breath of all mankind. |
| 11 הֲלֹא־אֹזֶן מִלִּין תִּבְחָןוְחֵךְ אֹכֶל יִטְעַם־לֽוֹ׃ | 11 Does not the ear judge words as the mouth tastes food? |
| 12 בִּישִׁישִׁים חׇכְמָהוְאֹרֶךְ יָמִים תְּבוּנָֽה׃ | 12 So with old age is wisdom, and with length of days understanding. |
| 13 עִמּוֹ חׇכְמָה וּגְבוּרָהלוֹ עֵצָה וּתְבוּנָֽה׃ | 13 With him are wisdom and might; his are counsel and understanding. |
| 14 הֵן יַהֲרוֹס וְלֹא יִבָּנֶהיִסְגֹּר עַל־אִישׁ וְלֹא יִפָּתֵֽחַ׃ | 14 If he breaks a thing down, there is no rebuilding; if he imprisons a man, there is no release. |
| 15 הֵן יַעְצֹר בַּמַּיִם וְיִבָשׁוּוִישַׁלְּחֵם וְיַהַפְכוּ אָֽרֶץ׃ | 15 He holds back the waters and there is drought; he sends them forth and they overwhelm the land. |
| 16 עִמּוֹ עֹז וְתוּשִׁיָּהלוֹ שֹׁגֵג וּמַשְׁגֶּֽה׃ | 16 With him are strength and prudence; the misled and the misleaders are his. |
| 17 מוֹלִיךְ יוֹעֲצִים שׁוֹלָלוְֽשֹׁפְטִים יְהוֹלֵֽל׃ | 17 He sends counselors away barefoot, and of judges he makes fools. |
| 18 מוּסַר מְלָכִים פִּתֵּחַוַיֶּאְסֹר אֵזוֹר בְּמׇתְנֵיהֶֽם׃ | 18 He loosens the bonds imposed by kings and leaves but a waistcloth to bind the king's own loins. |
| 19 מוֹלִיךְ כֹּהֲנִים שׁוֹלָלוְאֵתָנִים יְסַלֵּֽף׃ | 19 and lets their never-failing waters flow away. |
| 20 מֵסִיר שָׂפָה לְנֶאֱמָנִיםוְטַעַם זְקֵנִים יִקָּֽח׃ | 20 He silences the trusted adviser, and takes discretion from the aged. |
| 21 שׁוֹפֵךְ בּוּז עַל־נְדִיבִיםוּמְזִיחַ אֲפִיקִים רִפָּֽה׃ | 21 He breaks down the barriers of the streams |
| 22 מְגַלֶּה עֲמֻקוֹת מִנִּי־חֹשֶׁךְוַיֹּצֵא לָאוֹר צַלְמָֽוֶת׃ | 22 The recesses of the darkness he discloses, and brings the gloom forth to the light. |
| 23 מַשְׂגִּיא לַגּוֹיִם וַֽיְאַבְּדֵםשֹׁטֵחַ לַגּוֹיִם וַיַּנְחֵֽם׃ | 23 He makes nations great and he destroys them; he spreads peoples abroad and he abandons them. |
| 24 מֵסִיר לֵב רָאשֵׁי עַם־הָאָרֶץוַיַּתְעֵם בְּתֹהוּ לֹא־דָֽרֶךְ׃ | 24 He takes understanding from the leaders of the land, |
| 25 יְמַֽשְׁשׁוּ־חֹשֶׁךְ וְלֹא־אוֹרוַיַּתְעֵם כַּשִּׁכּֽוֹר׃ | 25 till they grope in the darkness without light; he makes them stagger like drunken men. |
