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Job chapter 34 in Hebrew and English

37 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 אֱלִיהוּא וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Moreover Elihu answered and said:

שִׁמְעוּ חֲכָמִים מִלָּי וְיֹדְעִים הַאֲזִינוּ לִֽי׃

Hear my words, ye wise men; And give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

כִּי־אֹזֶן מִלִּין תִּבְחָן וְחֵךְ יִטְעַם לֶאֱכֹֽל׃

For the ear trieth words, As the palate tasteth food.

מִשְׁפָּט נִבְחֲרָה־לָּנוּ נֵדְעָה בֵינֵינוּ מַה־טּֽוֹב׃

Let us choose for us that which is right; Let us know among ourselves what is good.

כִּי־אָמַר אִיּוֹב צָדַקְתִּי וְאֵל הֵסִיר מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃

For Job hath said: ‘I am righteous, And God hath taken away my right;

עַל־מִשְׁפָּטִי אֲכַזֵּב אָנוּשׁ חִצִּי בְלִי־פָֽשַׁע׃

Notwithstanding my right I am accounted a liar; My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’

מִי־גֶבֶר כְּאִיּוֹב יִשְׁתֶּה־לַּעַג כַּמָּֽיִם׃

What man is like Job, Who drinketh up scorning like water?

וְאָרַח לְחֶבְרָה עִם־פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן וְלָלֶכֶת עִם־אַנְשֵׁי־רֶֽשַׁע׃

Who goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, And walketh with wicked men.

כִּי־אָמַר לֹא יִסְכָּן־גָּבֶר בִּרְצֹתוֹ עִם־אֱלֹהִֽים׃

For he hath said: ‘It profiteth a man nothing That he should be in accord with God.’

לָכֵן אַנֲשֵׁי לֵבָב שִׁמְעוּ לִי חָלִלָה לָאֵל מֵרֶשַׁע וְשַׁדַּי מֵעָֽוֶל׃

Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: Far be it from God, that He should do wickedness; And from the Almighty, that He should commit iniquity.

כִּי פֹעַל אָדָם יְשַׁלֶּם־לוֹ וּכְאֹרַח אִישׁ יַמְצִאֶֽנּוּ׃

For the work of a man will He requite unto him, And cause every man to find according to his ways.

אַף־אָמְנָם אֵל לֹא־יַרְשִׁיעַ וְשַׁדַּי לֹא־יְעַוֵּת מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

Yea, of a surety, God will not do wickedly, Neither will the Almighty pervert justice.

מִי־פָקַד עָלָיו אָרְצָה וּמִי שָׂם תֵּבֵל כֻּלָּֽהּ׃

Who gave Him a charge over the earth? Or who hath disposed the whole world?

אִם־יָשִׂים אֵלָיו לִבּוֹ רוּחוֹ וְנִשְׁמָתוֹ אֵלָיו יֶאֱסֹֽף׃

If He set His heart upon man, If He gather unto Himself his spirit and his breath;

יִגְוַע כָּל־בָּשָׂר יָחַד וְאָדָם עַל־עָפָר יָשֽׁוּב׃

All flesh shall perish together, And man shall return unto dust.

וְאִם־בִּינָה שִׁמְעָה־זֹּאת הַאֲזִינָה לְקוֹל מִלָּֽי׃

If now thou hast understanding, hear this; Hearken to the voice of my words.

הַאַף שׂוֹנֵא מִשְׁפָּט יַחֲבוֹשׁ וְאִם־צַדִּיק כַּבִּיר תַּרְשִֽׁיעַ׃

Shall even one that hateth right govern? And wilt thou condemn Him that is just and mighty -

הַאֲמֹר לְמֶלֶךְ בְּלִיָּעַל רָשָׁע אֶל־נְדִיבִֽים׃

Is it fit to say to a king: ‘Thou art base’? Or to nobles: ‘Ye are wicked’? -

אֲשֶׁר לֹא־נָשָׂא פְּנֵי שָׂרִים וְלֹא נִּכַּר־שׁוֹעַ לִפְנֵי־דָל כִּי־מַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו כֻּלָּֽם׃

That respecteth not the persons of princes, Nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? For they all are the work of His hands.

רֶגַע יָמֻתוּ וַחֲצוֹת לָיְלָה יְגֹעֲשׁוּ עָם וְיַעֲבֹרוּ וְיָסִירוּ אַבִּיר לֹא בְיָֽד׃

In a moment they die, even at midnight; The people are shaken and pass away, And the mighty are taken away without hand. .

כִּי־עֵינָיו עַל־דַּרְכֵי־אִישׁ וְכָל־צְעָדָיו יִרְאֶֽה׃

For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, And He seeth all his goings.

אֵין־חֹשֶׁךְ וְאֵין צַלְמָוֶת לְהִסָּתֶר שָׁם פֹּעֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃

There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

כִּי לֹא עַל־אִישׁ יָשִׂים עוֹד לַהֲלֹךְ אֶל־אֵל בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

For He doth not appoint a time unto any man, When he should go before God in judgment.

יָרֹעַ כַּבִּירִים לֹא־חֵקֶר וַיַּעֲמֵד אֲחֵרִים תַּחְתָּֽם׃

He breaketh in pieces mighty men without inquisition, And setteth others in their stead.

לָכֵן יַכִּיר מַעְבָּדֵיהֶם וְהָפַךְ לַיְלָה וְיִדַּכָּֽאוּ׃

Therefore He taketh knowledge of their works; And He overturneth them in the night, so that they are crushed.

תַּחַת־רְשָׁעִים סְפָקָם בִּמְקוֹם רֹאִֽים׃

He striketh them as wicked men In the open sight of others;

אֲשֶׁר עַל־כֵּן סָרוּ מֵאַחֲרָיו וְכָל־דְּרָכָיו לֹא הִשְׂכִּֽילוּ׃

Because they turned aside from following Him, And would not have regard to any of His ways;

לְהָבִיא עָלָיו צַעֲקַת־דָּל וְצַעֲקַת עֲנִיִּים יִשְׁמָֽע׃

So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto Him, And He heareth the cry of the afflicted.

וְהוּא יַשְׁקִט וּמִי יַרְשִׁעַ וְיַסְתֵּר פָּנִים וּמִי יְשׁוּרֶנּוּ וְעַל־גּוֹי וְעַל־אָדָם יָֽחַד׃

When He giveth quietness, who then can condemn? And when He hideth His face, who then can behold Him? Whether it be done unto a nation, or unto a man, alike;

מִמְּלֹךְ אָדָם חָנֵף מִמֹּקְשֵׁי עָֽם׃

That the godless man reign not, That there be none to ensnare the people.

כִּי־אֶל־אֵל הֶאָמַר נָשָׂאתִי לֹא אֶחְבֹּֽל׃

For hath any said unto God: ‘I have borne chastisement, though I offend not;

בִּלְעֲדֵי אֶחֱזֶה אַתָּה הֹרֵנִי אִם־עָוֶל פָּעַלְתִּי לֹא אֹסִֽיף׃

That which I see not teach Thou me; If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?

הַמֵעִמְּךָ יְשַׁלְמֶנָּה כִּי־מָאַסְתָּ כִּי־אַתָּה תִבְחַר וְלֹא־אָנִי וּמַה־יָדַעְתָּ דַבֵּֽר׃

Shall His recompense be as thou wilt? For thou loathest it, So that thou must choose, and not I; Therefore speak what thou knowest.

אַנְשֵׁי לֵבָב יֹאמְרוּ לִי וְגֶבֶר חָכָם שֹׁמֵעַ לִֽי׃

Men of understanding will say unto me, Yea, every wise man that heareth me:

אִיּוֹב לֹא־בְדַעַת יְדַבֵּר וּדְבָרָיו לֹא בְהַשְׂכֵּֽיל׃

’Job speaketh without knowledge, And his words are without discernment.’

אָבִי יִבָּחֵן אִיּוֹב עַד־נֶצַח עַל־תְּשֻׁבֹת בְּאַנְשֵׁי־אָֽוֶן׃

Would that Job were tried unto the end, Because of his answering like wicked men.

כִּי יֹסִיף עַל־חַטָּאתוֹ פֶשַׁע בֵּינֵינוּ יִסְפּוֹק וְיֶרֶב אֲמָרָיו לָאֵֽל׃

For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, He clappeth his hands among us, And multiplieth his words against God.

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 34 of the 42 chapters of Job
  • Job is one of the Writings
  • 37 verses, 297 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 34 have?

Job chapter 34 has 37 verses and 297 words.

How does Job chapter 34 begin?

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

Where does Job chapter 34 stand in the Tanakh?

It is chapter 34 of the 42 chapters of Job, which is one of the Writings.

How long does it take to read Job chapter 34?

About 3 minutes, at a steady pace.