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Job chapter 16 in Hebrew and English

22 verses, about 2 minutes to read aloud. The Hebrew has its vowel points and the English stands under each verse.

The whole chapter is here, a verse to a line.

וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then Job answered and said:

שָׁמַעְתִּי כְאֵלֶּה רַבּוֹת מְנַחֲמֵי עָמָל כֻּלְּכֶֽם׃

I have heard many such things; Sorry comforters are ye all.

הֲקֵץ לְדִבְרֵי־רוּחַ אוֹ מַה־יַּמְרִיצְךָ כִּי תַעֲנֶֽה׃

Shall windy words have an end? Or what provoketh thee that thou answerest?

גַּם אָנֹכִי כָּכֶם אֲדַבֵּרָה לוּ־יֵשׁ נַפְשְׁכֶם תַּחַת נַפְשִׁי אַחְבִּירָה עֲלֵיכֶם בְּמִלִּים וְאָנִיעָה עֲלֵיכֶם בְּמוֹ רֹאשִֽׁי׃

I also could speak as ye do; If your soul were in my soul’s stead, I could join words together against you, And shake my head at you.

אֲאַמִּצְכֶם בְּמוֹ־פִי וְנִיד שְׂפָתַי יַחְשֹֽׂךְ׃

I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the moving of my lips would assuage your grief.

אִם־אֲדַבְּרָה לֹא־יֵחָשֵׂךְ כְּאֵבִי וְאַחְדְּלָה מַה־מִנִּי יַהֲלֹֽךְ׃

Though I speak, my pain is not assuaged; And though I forbear, what am I eased?

אַךְ־עַתָּה הֶלְאָנִי הֲשִׁמּוֹתָ כָּל־עֲדָתִֽי׃

But now He hath made me weary; Thou hast made desolate all my company.

וַתִּקְמְטֵנִי לְעֵד הָיָה וַיָּקָם בִּי כַחֲשִׁי בְּפָנַי יַעֲנֶֽה׃

And Thou hast shrivelled me up, which is a witness against me; And my leanness riseth up against me, it testifieth to my face.

אַפּוֹ טָרַף וַיִּשְׂטְמֵנִי חָרַק עָלַי בְּשִׁנָּיו צָרִי יִלְטוֹשׁ עֵינָיו לִֽי׃

He hath torn me in His wrath, and hated me; He hath gnashed upon me with His teeth; Mine adversary sharpeneth his eyes upon me.

פָּעֲרוּ עָלַי בְּפִיהֶם בְּחֶרְפָּה הִכּוּ לְחָיָי יַחַד עָלַי יִתְמַלָּאֽוּן׃

They have gaped upon me with their mouth; They have smitten me upon the cheek scornfully; They gather themselves together against me.

יַסְגִּירֵנִי אֵל אֶל עֲוִיל וְעַל־יְדֵי רְשָׁעִים יִרְטֵֽנִי׃

God delivereth me to the ungodly, And casteth me into the hands of the wicked.

שָׁלֵו הָיִיתִי וַיְפַרְפְּרֵנִי וְאָחַז בְּעָרְפִּי וַיְפַצְפְּצֵנִי וַיְקִימֵנִי לוֹ לְמַטָּרָֽה׃

I was at ease, and He broke me asunder; Yea, He hath taken me by the neck, and dashed me to pieces; He hath also set me up for His mark.

יָסֹבּוּ עָלַי רַבָּיו יְפַלַּח כִּלְיוֹתַי וְלֹא יַחְמוֹל יִשְׁפֹּךְ לָאָרֶץ מְרֵרָֽתִי׃

His archers compass me round about, He cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; He poureth out my gall upon the ground.

יִפְרְצֵנִי פֶרֶץ עַל־פְּנֵי־פָרֶץ יָרֻץ עָלַי כְּגִבּֽוֹר׃

He breaketh me with breach upon breach; He runneth upon me like a giant.

שַׂק תָּפַרְתִּי עֲלֵי גִלְדִּי וְעֹלַלְתִּי בֶעָפָר קַרְנִֽי׃

I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, And have laid my horn in the dust.

פָּנַי חֳמַרְמְרוּ מִנִּי־בֶכִי וְעַל עַפְעַפַּי צַלְמָֽוֶת׃

My face is reddened with weeping, And on my eyelids is the shadow of death;

עַל לֹא־חָמָס בְּכַפָּי וּתְפִלָּתִי זַכָּֽה׃

Although there is no violence in my hands, And my prayer is pure.

אֶרֶץ אַל־תְּכַסִּי דָמִי וְאַל־יְהִי מָקוֹם לְזַעֲקָתִֽי׃

O earth, cover not thou my blood, And let my cry have no resting-place.

גַּם־עַתָּה הִנֵּה־בַשָּׁמַיִם עֵדִי וְשָׂהֲדִי בַּמְּרוֹמִֽים׃

Even now, behold, my Witness is in heaven, And He that testifieth of me is on high.

מְלִיצַי רֵעָי אֶל־אֱלוֹהַּ דָּלְפָה עֵינִֽי׃

Mine inward thoughts are my intercessors, Mine eye poureth out tears unto God;

וְיוֹכַח לְגֶבֶר עִם־אֱלוֹהַּ וּבֶן־אָדָם לְרֵעֵֽהוּ׃

That He would set aright a man contending with God, As a son of man setteth aright his neighbour! .

כִּי־שְׁנוֹת מִסְפָּר יֶאֱתָיוּ וְאֹרַח לֹא־אָשׁוּב אֶהֱלֹֽךְ׃

For the years that are few are coming on, And I shall go the way whence I shall not return.

The Hebrew is the Leningrad Codex, free to view and copy, compared letter by letter with a second edition, Miqra according to the Masorah, under the CC BY-SA licence. The English is the Jewish Publication Society translation of 1917, in the public domain.

Where this chapter stands in the Tanakh.

  • Chapter 16 of the 42 chapters of Job
  • Job is one of the Writings
  • 22 verses, 172 words, about 2 minutes to read

Job has 42 chapters, and each one has its own page.

All of Job·All the books of the Tanakh·Psalms and prayers

Questions about this chapter

How many verses does Job chapter 16 have?

Job chapter 16 has 22 verses and 172 words.

How does Job chapter 16 begin?

The first verse begins in Hebrew with the words ויען איוב ויאמר.

Where does Job chapter 16 stand in the Tanakh?

It is chapter 16 of the 42 chapters of Job, which is one of the Writings.

How long does it take to read Job chapter 16?

About 2 minutes, at a steady pace.