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Job chapter 21 in Hebrew and English

34 verses, about 3 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:

שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ מִלָּתִי וּתְהִי־זֹאת תַּנְחוּמֹֽתֵיכֶֽם׃

Hear diligently my speech; And let this be your consolations.

שָׂאוּנִי וְאָנֹכִי אֲדַבֵּר וְאַחַר דַּבְּרִי תַלְעִֽיג׃

Suffer me, that I may speak; And after that I have spoken, mock on.

הֶאָנֹכִי לְאָדָם שִׂיחִי וְאִם־מַדּוּעַ לֹא־תִקְצַר רוּחִֽי׃

As for me, is my complaint to man? Or why should I not be impatient?

פְּנוּ־אֵלַי וְהָשַׁמּוּ וְשִׂימוּ יָד עַל־פֶּֽה׃

Turn unto me, and be astonished, And lay your hand upon your mouth.

וְאִם־זָכַרְתִּי וְנִבְהָלְתִּי וְאָחַז בְּשָׂרִי פַּלָּצֽוּת׃

Even when I remember I am affrighted, And horror hath taketh hold on my flesh.

מַדּוּעַ רְשָׁעִים יִחְיוּ עָתְקוּ גַּם־גָּבְרוּ חָֽיִל׃

Wherefore do the wicked live, Become old, yea, wax mighty in power?

זַרְעָם נָכוֹן לִפְנֵיהֶם עִמָּם וְצֶאֱצָאֵיהֶם לְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃

Their seed is established in their sight with them, And their offspring before their eyes.

בָּתֵּיהֶם שָׁלוֹם מִפָּחַד וְלֹא שֵׁבֶט אֱלוֹהַּ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

Their houses are safe, without fear, Neither is the rod of God upon them.

שׁוֹרוֹ עִבַּר וְלֹא יַגְעִל תְּפַלֵּט פָּרָתוֹ וְלֹא תְשַׁכֵּֽל׃

Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; Their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.

יְשַׁלְּחוּ כַצֹּאן עֲוִילֵיהֶם וְיַלְדֵיהֶם יְרַקֵּדֽוּן׃

They send forth their little ones like a flock, And their children dance.

יִשְׂאוּ כְּתֹף וְכִנּוֹר וְיִשְׂמְחוּ לְקוֹל עוּגָֽב׃

They sing to the timbrel and harp, And rejoice at the sound of the pipe.

יְכַלּוּ בַטּוֹב יְמֵיהֶם וּבְרֶגַע שְׁאוֹל יֵחָֽתּוּ׃

They spend their days in prosperity, And peacefully they go down to the grave.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ לָאֵל סוּר מִמֶּנּוּ וְדַעַת דְּרָכֶיךָ לֹא חָפָֽצְנוּ׃

Yet they said unto God: ‘Depart from us; For we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways.

מַה־שַׁדַּי כִּי־נַעַבְדֶנּוּ וּמַה־נּוֹעִיל כִּי נִפְגַּע־בּֽוֹ׃

What is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit should we have, if we pray unto Him?’ -

הֵן לֹא בְיָדָם טוּבָם עֲצַת רְשָׁעִים רָחֲקָה מֶֽנִּי׃

Lo, their prosperity is not in their hand; The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

כַּמָּה נֵר־רְשָׁעִים יִדְעָךְ וְיָבֹא עָלֵימוֹ אֵידָם חֲבָלִים יְחַלֵּק בְּאַפּֽוֹ׃

How oft is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out? That their calamity cometh upon them? That He distributeth pains in His anger?

יִהְיוּ כְּתֶבֶן לִפְנֵי־רוּחַ וּכְמֹץ גְּנָבַתּוּ סוּפָֽה׃

That they are as stubble before the wind, And as chaff that the storm stealeth away?

אֱלוֹהַּ יִצְפֹּן־לְבָנָיו אוֹנוֹ יְשַׁלֵּם אֵלָיו וְיֵדָֽע׃

’God layeth up his iniquity for his children! ’ - Let Him recompense it unto himself, that he may know it.

יִרְאוּ עֵינָיו כִּידוֹ וּמֵחֲמַת שַׁדַּי יִשְׁתֶּֽה׃

Let his own eyes see his destruction, And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

כִּי מַה־חֶפְצוֹ בְּבֵיתוֹ אַחֲרָיו וּמִסְפַּר חֳדָשָׁיו חֻצָּֽצוּ׃

For what pleasure hath he in his house after him? Seeing the number of his months is determined.

הַלְאֵל יְלַמֶּד־דָּעַת וְהוּא רָמִים יִשְׁפּֽוֹט׃

Shall any teach God knowledge? Seeing it is He that judgeth those that are high.

זֶה יָמוּת בְּעֶצֶם תֻּמּוֹ כֻּלּוֹ שַׁלְאֲנַן וְשָׁלֵֽיו׃

One dieth in his full strength, Being wholly at ease and quiet;

עֲטִינָיו מָלְאוּ חָלָב וּמֹחַ עַצְמוֹתָיו יְשֻׁקֶּֽה׃

His pails are full of milk, And the marrow of his bones is moistened.

וְזֶה יָמוּת בְּנֶפֶשׁ מָרָה וִלֹא־אָכַל בַּטּוֹבָֽה׃

And another dieth in bitterness of soul, And hath never tasted of good.

יַחַד עַל־עָפָר יִשְׁכָּבוּ וְרִמָּה תְּכַסֶּה עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

They lie down alike in the dust, And the worm covereth them.

הֵן יָדַעְתִּי מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵיכֶם וּמְזִמּוֹת עָלַי תַּחְמֹֽסוּ׃

Behold, I know your thoughts, And the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.

כִּי תֹאמְרוּ אַיֵּה בֵית־נָדִיב וְאַיֵּה אֹהֶל מִשְׁכְּנוֹת רְשָׁעִֽים׃

For ye say: ‘Where is the house of the prince? And where is the tent wherein the wicked dwelt?’

הֲלֹא שְׁאֶלְתֶּם עוֹבְרֵי דָרֶךְ וְאֹתֹתָם לֹא תְנַכֵּֽרוּ׃

Have ye not asked them that go by the way; And will ye misdeem their tokens,

כִּי לְיוֹם אֵיד יֵחָשֶׂךְ רָע לְיוֹם עֲבָרוֹת יוּבָֽלוּ׃

That the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity, That they are led forth to the day of wrath?

מִי־יַגִּיד עַל־פָּנָיו דַּרְכּוֹ וְהוּא־עָשָׂה מִי יְשַׁלֶּם־לֽוֹ׃

But who shall declare his way to his face? And who shall repay him what he hath done?

וְהוּא לִקְבָרוֹת יוּבָל וְעַל־גָּדִישׁ יִשְׁקֽוֹד׃

For he is borne to the grave, And watch is kept over his tomb.

מָתְקוּ־לוֹ רִגְבֵי נָחַל וְאַחֲרָיו כָּל־אָדָם יִמְשׁוֹךְ וּלְפָנָיו אֵין מִסְפָּֽר׃

The clods of the valley are sweet unto him, And all men draw after him, As there were innumerable before him.

וְאֵיךְ תְּנַחֲמוּנִי הָבֶל וּתְשׁוּבֹתֵיכֶם נִשְׁאַר־מָֽעַל׃

How then comfort ye me in vain? And as for your answers, there remaineth only faithlessness?

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 21 of the 42 chapters of Job
  • Job is one of the Writings
  • 34 verses, 240 words, about 3 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 21 have?

Job chapter 21 has 34 verses and 240 words.

How does Job chapter 21 begin?

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

Where does Job chapter 21 stand in the Tanakh?

It is chapter 21 of the 42 chapters of Job, which is one of the Writings.

How long does it take to read Job chapter 21?

About 3 minutes, at a steady pace.