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Job chapter 23 in Hebrew and English

17 verses, about 1 minute 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:

גַּם־הַיּוֹם מְרִי שִׂחִי יָדִי כָּבְדָה עַל־אַנְחָתִֽי׃

Even to-day is my complaint bitter; My hand is become heavy because of my groaning.

מִי־יִתֵּן יָדַעְתִּי וְאֶמְצָאֵהוּ אָבוֹא עַד־תְּכוּנָתֽוֹ׃

Oh that I knew where I might find Him, That I might come even to His seat!

אֶעֶרְכָה לְפָנָיו מִשְׁפָּט וּפִי אֲמַלֵּא תוֹכָחֽוֹת׃

I would order my cause before Him, And fill my mouth with arguments.

אֵדְעָה מִלִּים יַעֲנֵנִי וְאָבִינָה מַה־יֹּאמַר לִֽי׃

I would know the words which He would answer me, And understand what He would say unto me.

הַבְּרָב־כֹּחַ יָרִיב עִמָּדִי לֹא אַךְ־הוּא יָשִׂם בִּֽי׃

Would He contend with me in His great power? Nay; but He would give heed unto me.

שָׁם יָשָׁר נוֹכָח עִמּוֹ וַאֲפַלְּטָה לָנֶצַח מִשֹּׁפְטִֽי׃

There the upright might reason with Him; So should I be delivered for ever from my Judge.

הֵן קֶדֶם אֶהֱלֹךְ וְאֵינֶנּוּ וְאָחוֹר וְלֹא־אָבִין לֽוֹ׃

Behold, I go forward, but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;

שְׂמֹאול בַּעֲשֹׂתוֹ וְלֹא־אָחַז יַעְטֹף יָמִין וְלֹא אֶרְאֶֽה׃

On the left hand, when He doth work, but I cannot behold Him, He turneth Himself to the right hand, but I cannot see Him.

כִּי־יָדַע דֶּרֶךְ עִמָּדִי בְּחָנַנִי כַּזָּהָב אֵצֵֽא׃

For He knoweth the way that I take; When He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

בַּאֲשֻׁרוֹ אָחֲזָה רַגְלִי דַּרְכּוֹ שָׁמַרְתִּי וְלֹא־אָֽט׃

My foot hath held fast to His steps, His way have I kept, and turned not aside.

מִצְוַת שְׂפָתָיו וְלֹא אָמִישׁ מֵחֻקִּי צָפַנְתִּי אִמְרֵי־פִֽיו׃

I have not gone back from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured up the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.

וְהוּא בְאֶחָד וּמִי יְשִׁיבֶנּוּ וְנַפְשׁוֹ אִוְּתָה וַיָּֽעַשׂ׃

But He is at one with Himself, and who can turn Him? And what His soul desireth, even that He doeth. .

כִּי יַשְׁלִים חֻקִּי וְכָהֵנָּה רַבּוֹת עִמּֽוֹ׃

For He will perform that which is appointed for me; And many such things are with Him.

עַל־כֵּן מִפָּנָיו אֶבָּהֵל אֶתְבּוֹנֵן וְאֶפְחַד מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

Therefore am I affrighted at His presence; When I consider, I am afraid of Him.

וְאֵל הֵרַךְ לִבִּי וְשַׁדַּי הִבְהִילָֽנִי׃

Yea, God hath made my heart faint, And the Almighty hath affrighted me;

כִּי־לֹא נִצְמַתִּי מִפְּנֵי־חֹשֶׁךְ וּמִפָּנַי כִּסָּה־אֹֽפֶל׃

Because I was not cut off before the darkness, Neither did He cover the thick darkness from my face.

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 23 of the 42 chapters of Job
  • Job is one of the Writings
  • 17 verses, 118 words, about 1 minute 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 23 have?

Job chapter 23 has 17 verses and 118 words.

How does Job chapter 23 begin?

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

Where does Job chapter 23 stand in the Tanakh?

It is chapter 23 of the 42 chapters of Job, which is one of the Writings.

How long does it take to read Job chapter 23?

About 1 minute, at a steady pace.