Authors
You wrote a novel, memoir or nonfiction book in Hebrew and want to reach English-speaking readers.
Hebrew → English
Hebrew to English book translation
Wrote a book in Hebrew and want it read in English? We translate whole books, keeping your voice and the same names and terms from first page to last.
- Every language pair, Hebrew includedWe translate between any two of our eight languages. For Hebrew, the engine handles what makes it hard: subjects hidden inside verbs, gendered forms, slang and spoken dialogue.
- One-time price based on lengthYou see the exact amount before you pay.
- A free sample of about five pagesNo credit card, no commitment.
Who it's for
Publishers and agents
You need a complete English manuscript to pitch a book abroad.
Family stories
You wrote your family's story in Hebrew and want relatives who only read English to be able to read it too.
What you get
One book, one voice
Before translation starts, we study the book: its characters, names, terms and tone. Those decisions are saved and carried through every chapter, so a character doesn't change name or gender halfway through.
Editing and quality checks
How much editing your book gets depends on the plan, and each plan lists its passes. On Pro+ and MAX, an automatic MQM-style check compares each chapter with the Hebrew original and repairs what it finds. MAX adds a full edit and a review of the whole book.
You review and decide
Depending on the plan, you see the book profile before translation starts: the names, terms and tone we found. You can correct it. On MAX, you also get a report of questions about your manuscript before the final version, and you decide each one.
Ready-to-use files
Upload a DOCX or TXT file. Your account shows the English files for your order: TXT, EPUB and PDF, depending on the plan and the source file.
How it works, step by step
Upload your manuscript, choose a plan, and then:
- Understand the manuscriptStyle, chapters, names and terminology.
- Translate and reviewTranslate every chapter, then fix what the checks find.
- Refine the wordingImprove phrasing while preserving meaning.
- Compare with the originalCheck every change against the original, so the meaning holds.
- Polish the languageReview rhythm, idioms and expressions.
- Review the whole bookCheck consistency across chapters.
- Review the findingsRead the quality report and resolve any questions.
- Receive your translationDownload the files included in your plan.
What it costs
You pay once, with no subscription. The price depends on the length of the book and the plan, and you see the exact amount before you pay. You can start with a free sample of about five pages.
Why not just paste it into ChatGPT or Claude?
You can, and for a short passage it often works well. A whole book is different. The conversation grows too long, and the early chapters drop out of what the model can see. Open a new chat, and it starts from scratch. A character's name can end up spelled two ways, a gender can flip, and the tone can drift from chapter to chapter.
Hebrew makes this easy to get wrong. The subject of a sentence often lives inside the verb, while English has to spell out he or she. Once the translation loses track of who's speaking, mistakes creep in.
At Targum, we build a profile of the book before translation starts: characters, names, terms and tone. That profile travels with every chapter, followed by editing and quality checks according to your plan. In a blind test on On the House, translated from Hebrew, a literary translator scored Targum's English 9.4 out of 10 and DeepL's 5.5.
You get the whole book back in one voice, with every name and term the same from the first chapter to the last. Start with a free sample of about five pages and judge it on your own text.
Questions about Hebrew to English translation
How much does it cost to translate a book from Hebrew to English?
You pay once, based on the length of the book and the plan you choose. For most books, prices run from about US$16 on the Basic plan to about US$700 on MAX. The exact price appears before payment, and you can start with a free sample of about five pages, with no credit card.
How long does it take?
Estimates by plan: Basic within one business day, Pro+ within 2–3 business days and MAX within 5–7 business days. The time also depends on the length of the book and the steps that need your approval, and your account shows where your book stands.
How do you handle Hebrew idioms, slang and spoken Hebrew?
Every expression is read in the context of your book. The aim is to carry the meaning to an English reader, not the words one by one. Slang and spoken Hebrew depend heavily on context, so the best test is your own text, in the free sample.
What about Jewish and Israeli references a reader abroad won't know?
Terms that recur in the book are saved in its glossary, so they are translated the same way every time. Whether to keep a word like Shabbat or miluim and explain it, or to translate it, is a style choice. In plans that include a book profile review, you see these terms before translation starts and can change them.
How will names be spelled in English?
Each character and place name is set once and saved in the book profile, so it is spelled the same way from the first chapter to the last. In plans that include a book profile review, you can check the English spelling and correct it before translation starts. Have a preferred spelling? Let us know.
What about poetry, rhyme and wordplay?
Wordplay that depends on the sound of a Hebrew word rarely survives into English as is, so the aim is to carry its intent and rhythm. If your book has a lot of poetry or rhyme, start with the free sample and see how it works on your own text.
Is my manuscript kept confidential?
We use your manuscript only to translate your book and deliver it to you. We don't use it to train our models, and we don't sell it. The rights to your book and its translation remain yours, and you can ask us to delete your files.
What will I need to review myself?
Depending on the plan, you review the book profile before translation starts. On MAX, you also get a report of questions about your manuscript to answer before the final version.
Want to see your book in English?
Start with a free sample of about five pages from your own manuscript. No credit card, no commitment.