Chapter 3

1Afterward, Iyov began to speak and cursed the day of his birth.

a-kha-ray KHAYN pa-TAKH i-YOV et PEE-hu vai-ka-LAYL et yo-MO

אאַחֲרֵי־כֵן פָּתַח אִיּוֹב אֶת־פִּיהוּ וַיְקַלֵּל אֶת־יוֹמוֹ׃

2Iyov spoke up and said:

בוַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמַר׃

3Perish the day on which I was born, And the night it was announced, “A male has been conceived!”

גיֹאבַד יוֹם אִוָּלֶד בּוֹ וְהַלַּיְלָה אָמַר הֹרָה גָבֶר׃

4May that day be darkness; May Hashem above have no concern for it; May light not shine on it;

דהַיּוֹם הַהוּא יְהִי חֹשֶׁךְ אַל־יִדְרְשֵׁהוּ אֱלוֹהַּ מִמָּעַל וְאַל־תּוֹפַע עָלָיו נְהָרָה׃

5May darkness and deep gloom reclaim it; May a pall lie over it; May what blackens the day terrify it.

היִגְאָלֻהוּ חֹשֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָוֶת תִּשְׁכָּן־עָלָיו עֲנָנָה יְבַעֲתֻהוּ כִּמְרִירֵי יוֹם׃

6May obscurity carry off that night; May it not be counted among the days of the year; May it not appear in any of its months;

והַלַּיְלָה הַהוּא יִקָּחֵהוּ אֹפֶל אַל־יִחַדְּ בִּימֵי שָׁנָה בְּמִסְפַּר יְרָחִים אַל־יָבֹא׃

7May that night be desolate; May no sound of joy be heard in it;

זהִנֵּה הַלַּיְלָה הַהוּא יְהִי גַלְמוּד אַל־תָּבֹא רְנָנָה בוֹ׃

8May those who cast spells upon the day damn it, Those prepared to disable Leviathan;

חיִקְּבֻהוּ אֹרְרֵי־יוֹם הָעֲתִידִים עֹרֵר לִוְיָתָן׃

9May its twilight stars remain dark; May it hope for light and have none; May it not see the glimmerings of the dawn—

טיֶחְשְׁכוּ כּוֹכְבֵי נִשְׁפּוֹ יְקַו־לְאוֹר וָאַיִן וְאַל־יִרְאֶה בְּעַפְעַפֵּי־שָׁחַר׃

10Because it did not block my mother's womb, And hide trouble from my eyes.

יכִּי לֹא סָגַר דַּלְתֵי בִטְנִי וַיַּסְתֵּר עָמָל מֵעֵינָי׃

11Why did I not die at birth, Expire as I came forth from the womb?

יאלָמָּה לֹּא מֵרֶחֶם אָמוּת מִבֶּטֶן יָצָאתִי וְאֶגְוָע׃

12Why were there knees to receive me, Or breasts for me to suck?

יבמַדּוּעַ קִדְּמוּנִי בִרְכָּיִם וּמַה־שָּׁדַיִם כִּי אִינָק׃

13For now would I be lying in repose, asleep and at rest,

יגכִּי־עַתָּה שָׁכַבְתִּי וְאֶשְׁקוֹט יָשַׁנְתִּי אָז יָנוּחַ לִי׃

14With the world's kings and counselors who rebuild ruins for themselves,

ידעִם־מְלָכִים וְיֹעֲצֵי אָרֶץ הַבֹּנִים חֳרָבוֹת לָמוֹ׃

15Or with nobles who possess gold and who fill their houses with silver.

טואוֹ עִם־שָׂרִים זָהָב לָהֶם הַמְמַלְאִים בָּתֵּיהֶם כָּסֶף׃

16Or why was I not like a buried stillbirth, Like babies who never saw the light?

טזאוֹ כְנֵפֶל טָמוּן לֹא אֶהְיֶה כְּעֹלְלִים לֹא־רָאוּ אוֹר׃

17There the wicked cease from troubling; There rest those whose strength is spent.

יזשָׁם רְשָׁעִים חָדְלוּ רֹגֶז וְשָׁם יָנוּחוּ יְגִיעֵי כֹחַ׃

18Prisoners are wholly at ease; They do not hear the taskmaster's voice.

יחיַחַד אֲסִירִים שַׁאֲנָנוּ לֹא שָׁמְעוּ קוֹל נֹגֵשׂ׃

19Small and great alike are there, And the slave is free of his master.

יטקָטֹן וְגָדוֹל שָׁם הוּא וְעֶבֶד חָפְשִׁי מֵאֲדֹנָיו׃

20Why does He give light to the sufferer And life to the bitter in spirit;

כלָמָּה יִתֵּן לְעָמֵל אוֹר וְחַיִּים לְמָרֵי נָפֶשׁ׃

21To those who wait for death but it does not come, Who search for it more than for treasure,

כאהַמְחַכִּים לַמָּוֶת וְאֵינֶנּוּ וַיַּחְפְּרֻהוּ מִמַּטְמוֹנִים׃

22Who rejoice to exultation, And are glad to reach the grave;

כבהַשְּׂמֵחִים אֱלֵי־גִיל יָשִׂישׂוּ כִּי יִמְצְאוּ־קָבֶר׃

23To the man who has lost his way, Whom Hashem has hedged about?

כגלְגֶבֶר אֲשֶׁר־דַּרְכּוֹ נִסְתָּרָה וַיָּסֶךְ אֱלוֹהַּ בַּעֲדוֹ׃

24My groaning serves as my bread; My roaring pours forth as water.

כדכִּי־לִפְנֵי לַחְמִי אַנְחָתִי תָבֹא וַיִּתְּכוּ כַמַּיִם שַׁאֲגֹתָי׃

25For what I feared has overtaken me; What I dreaded has come upon me.

כהכִּי פַחַד פָּחַדְתִּי וַיֶּאֱתָיֵנִי וַאֲשֶׁר יָגֹרְתִּי יָבֹא לִי׃

26I had no repose, no quiet, no rest, And trouble came.

כולֹא שָׁלַוְתִּי וְלֹא שָׁקַטְתִּי וְלֹא־נָחְתִּי וַיָּבֹא רֹגֶז׃