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Job chapter 4 in Hebrew and English

21 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 אֱלִיפַז הַתֵּימָנִי וַיֹּאמַֽר׃

Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:

הֲנִסָּה דָבָר אֵלֶיךָ תִּלְאֶה וַעְצֹר בְּמִלִּין מִי יוּכָֽל׃

If one venture a word unto thee, wilt thou be weary? But who can withhold himself from speaking?

הִנֵּה יִסַּרְתָּ רַבִּים וְיָדַיִם רָפוֹת תְּחַזֵּֽק׃

Behold, thou hast instructed many, And thou hast strengthened the weak hands.

כּוֹשֵׁל יְקִימוּן מִלֶּיךָ וּבִרְכַּיִם כֹּרְעוֹת תְּאַמֵּֽץ׃

Thy words have upholden him that was falling, And thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.

כִּי עַתָּה תָּבוֹא אֵלֶיךָ וַתֵּלֶא תִּגַּע עָדֶיךָ וַתִּבָּהֵֽל׃

But now it is come upon thee, and thou art weary; It toucheth thee, and thou art affrighted.

הֲלֹא יִרְאָתְךָ כִּסְלָתֶךָ תִּקְוָתְךָ וְתֹם דְּרָכֶֽיךָ׃

Is not thy fear of God thy confidence, And thy hope the integrity of thy ways?

זְכָר־נָא מִי הוּא נָקִי אָבָד וְאֵיפֹה יְשָׁרִים נִכְחָֽדוּ׃

Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? Or where were the upright cut off?

כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי חֹרְשֵׁי אָוֶן וְזֹרְעֵי עָמָל יִקְצְרֻֽהוּ׃

According as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, And sow mischief, reap the same.

מִנִּשְׁמַת אֱלוֹהַ יֹאבֵדוּ וּמֵרוּחַ אַפּוֹ יִכְלֽוּ׃

By the breath of God they perish, And by the blast of His anger are they consumed.

שַׁאֲגַת אַרְיֵה וְקוֹל שָׁחַל וְשִׁנֵּי כְפִירִים נִתָּֽעוּ׃

The lion roareth, and the fierce lion howleth - Yet the teeth of the young lions are broken.

לַיִשׁ אֹבֵד מִבְּלִי־טָרֶף וּבְנֵי לָבִיא יִתְפָּרָֽדוּ׃

The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, And the whelps of the lioness are scattered abroad.

וְאֵלַי דָּבָר יְגֻנָּב וַתִּקַּח אָזְנִי שֵׁמֶץ מֶֽנְהֽוּ׃

Now a word was secretly brought to me, And mine ear received a whisper thereof.

בִּשְׂעִפִּים מֵחֶזְיֹנוֹת לָיְלָה בִּנְפֹל תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל־אֲנָשִֽׁים׃

In thoughts from the visions of the night, When deep sleep falleth on men,

פַּחַד קְרָאַנִי וּרְעָדָה וְרֹב עַצְמוֹתַי הִפְחִֽיד׃

Fear came upon me, and trembling, And all my bones were made to shake. .

וְרוּחַ עַל־פָּנַי יַחֲלֹף תְּסַמֵּר שַׂעֲרַת בְּשָׂרִֽי׃

Then a spirit passed before my face, That made the hair of my flesh to stand up.

יַעֲמֹד וְלֹא־אַכִּיר מַרְאֵהוּ תְּמוּנָה לְנֶגֶד עֵינָי דְּמָמָה וָקוֹל אֶשְׁמָֽע׃

It stood still, but I could not discern the appearance thereof; A form was before mine eyes; I heard a still voice:

הַאֱנוֹשׁ מֵאֱלוֹהַ יִצְדָּק אִם מֵעֹשֵׂהוּ יִטְהַר־גָּֽבֶר׃

’Shall mortal man be just before God? Shall a man be pure before his Maker?

הֵן בַּעֲבָדָיו לֹא יַאֲמִין וּבְמַלְאָכָיו יָשִׂים תָּהֳלָֽה׃

Behold, He putteth no trust in His servants, And His angels He chargeth with folly;

אַף שֹׁכְנֵי בָתֵּי־חֹמֶר אֲשֶׁר־בֶּעָפָר יְסוֹדָם יְדַכְּאוּם לִפְנֵי־עָֽשׁ׃

How much more them that dwell in houses of clay, Whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed before the moth!

מִבֹּקֶר לָעֶרֶב יֻכַּתּוּ מִבְּלִי מֵשִׂים לָנֶצַח יֹאבֵֽדוּ׃

Betwixt morning and evening they are shattered; They perish for ever without any regarding it.

הֲלֹא־נִסַּע יִתְרָם בָּם יָמוּתוּ וְלֹא בְחָכְמָֽה׃

Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them? They die, and that without wisdom.’

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 4 of the 42 chapters of Job
  • Job is one of the Writings
  • 21 verses, 149 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 4 have?

Job chapter 4 has 21 verses and 149 words.

How does Job chapter 4 begin?

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

Where does Job chapter 4 stand in the Tanakh?

It is chapter 4 of the 42 chapters of Job, which is one of the Writings.

How long does it take to read Job chapter 4?

About 2 minutes, at a steady pace.