| 1 וַיַּעַן אִיֹּוב וַיֹּאמַר | 1 Then Job answered: |
| 2 אָמְנָם כִּי אַתֶּם־עָם וְעִמָּכֶם תָּמוּת חָכְמָה | 2 "No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you. |
| 3 גַּם־לִי לֵבָב ׀ כְּמֹוכֶם לֹא־נֹפֵל אָנֹכִי מִכֶּם וְאֶת־מִי־אֵין כְּמֹו־אֵלֶּה | 3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these? |
| 4 שְׂחֹק לְרֵעֵהוּ ׀ אֶהְיֶה קֹרֵא לֶאֱלֹוהַּ וַיַּעֲנֵהוּ חֹוק צַדִּיק תָּמִים | 4 I am a laughingstock to my friends; I, who called upon God and he answered me, a just and blameless man, am a laughingstock. |
| 5 לַפִּיד בּוּז לְעַשְׁתּוּת שַׁאֲנָן נָכֹון לְמֹועֲדֵי רָגֶל | 5 In the thought of one who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune; it is ready for those whose feet slip. |
| 6 יִשְׁלָיוּ אֹהָלִים ׀ לְשֹׁדְדִים וּבַטֻּחֹות לְמַרְגִּיזֵי אֵל לַאֲשֶׁר הֵבִיא אֱלֹוהַּ בְּיָדֹו | 6 The tents of robbers are at peace, and those who provoke God are secure, who bring their god in their hand. |
| 7 וְאוּלָם שְׁאַל־נָא בְהֵמֹות וְתֹרֶךָּ וְעֹוף הַשָּׁמַיִם וְיַגֶּד־לָךְ | 7 "But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will tell you; |
| 8 אֹו שִׂיחַ לָאָרֶץ וְתֹרֶךָּ וִיסַפְּרוּ לְךָ דְּגֵי הַיָּם | 8 or the plants of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. |
| 9 מִי לֹא־יָדַע בְּכָל־אֵלֶּה כִּי יַד־יְהוָה עָשְׂתָה זֹּאת | 9 Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? |
| 10 אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדֹו נֶפֶשׁ כָּל־חָי וְרוּחַ כָּל־בְּשַׂר־אִישׁ | 10 In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. |
| 11 הֲלֹא־אֹזֶן מִלִּין תִּבְחָן וְחֵךְ אֹכֶל יִטְעַם־לֹו | 11 Does not the ear try words as the palate tastes food? |
| 12 בִּישִׁישִׁים חָכְמָה וְאֹרֶךְ יָמִים תְּבוּנָה | 12 Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days. |
| 13 עִמֹּו חָכְמָה וּגְבוּרָה לֹו עֵצָה וּתְבוּנָה | 13 "With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding. |
| 14 הֵן יַהֲרֹוס וְלֹא יִבָּנֶה יִסְגֹּר עַל־אִישׁ וְלֹא יִפָּתֵחַ | 14 If he tears down, none can rebuild; if he shuts a man in, none can open. |
| 15 הֵן יַעְצֹר בַּמַּיִם וְיִבָשׁוּ וִישַׁלְּחֵם וְיַהַפְכוּ אָרֶץ | 15 If he withholds the waters, they dry up; if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land. |
| 16 עִמֹּו עֹז וְתוּשִׁיָּה לֹו שֹׁגֵג וּמַשְׁגֶּה | 16 With him are strength and wisdom; the deceived and the deceiver are his. |
| 17 מֹולִיךְ יֹועֲצִים שֹׁולָל וְשֹׁפְטִים יְהֹולֵל | 17 He leads counselors away stripped, and judges he makes fools. |
| 18 מוּסַר מְלָכִים פִּתֵּחַ וַיֶּאְסֹר אֵזֹור בְּמָתְנֵיהֶם | 18 He looses the bonds of kings, and binds a waistcloth on their loins. |
| 19 מֹולִיךְ כֹּהֲנִים שֹׁולָל וְאֵתָנִים יְסַלֵּף | 19 He leads priests away stripped, and overthrows the mighty. |
| 20 מֵסִיר פָה לְנֶאֱמָנִים וְטַעַם זְקֵנִים יִקָּח | 20 He deprives of speech those who are trusted, and takes away the discernment of the elders. |
| 21 שֹׁופֵךְ בּוּז עַל־נְדִיבִים וּמְזִיחַ אֲפִיקִים רִפָּה | 21 He pours contempt on princes, and looses the belt of the strong. |
| 22 מְגַלֶּה עֲמֻקֹות מִנִּי־חֹשֶׁךְ וַיֹּצֵא לָאֹור צַלְמָוֶת | 22 He uncovers the deeps out of darkness, and brings deep darkness to light. |
| 23 מַשְׂגִּיא לַגֹּויִם וַיְאַבְּדֵם שֹׁטֵחַ לַגֹּויִם וַיַּנְחֵם | 23 He makes nations great, and he destroys them: he enlarges nations, and leads them away. |
| 24 מֵסִיר לֵב רָאשֵׁי עַם־הָאָרֶץ וַיַּתְעֵם בְּתֹהוּ לֹא־דָרֶךְ | 24 He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth, and makes them wander in a pathless waste. |
| 25 יְמַשְׁשׁוּ־חֹשֶׁךְ וְלֹא־אֹור וַיַּתְעֵם כַּשִּׁכֹּור | 25 They grope in the dark without light; and he makes them stagger like a drunken man. |
