Job 3
1 After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day.
At length Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day of his birth.
2 And Job answered and said,
And Job spake and said:
3 Let the day perish in which I was born, and the night which said, There is a man-child conceived.
Perish the day in which I was born, and the night which said, “A man-child is conceived!”
4 Let that day be darkness. Let not God from above seek for it, nor let the light shine upon it.
Let that day be darkness; Let not God seek it from above; Yea, let not the light shine upon it!
5 Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own. Let a cloud dwell upon it. Let blackness come upon it.
Let darkness and the shadow of death redeem it; Let a cloud dwell upon it; Let whatever darkeneth the day terrify it!
6 As for that night, let thick darkness seize upon it. Let it not rejoice among the days of the year. Let it not come into the number of the months.
As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; Let it not rejoice among the days of the year; Let it not come into the number of the months!
7 Lo, let that night be barren. Let no joyful voice come in it.
O let that night be unfruitful! Let there be in it no voice of joy;
8 Let them curse it who curse the day, who are ready to rouse up leviathan.
Let them that curse the day curse it, Who are skilful to stir up the leviathan!
9 Let the stars of the twilight of it be dark. Let it look for light, but have none, nor let it behold the eyelids of the morning.
Let the stars of its twilight be darkened; Let it long for light, and have none; Neither let it see the eyelashes of the morning!
10 Because it did not shut up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hide trouble from my eyes.
Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, And hid not trouble from mine eyes.
11 Why did I not die from the womb? Why did I not give up the spirit when my mother bore me?
Why died I not at my birth? Why did I not expire when I came forth from the womb?
12 Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breast, that I should suck?
Why did the knees receive me, And why the breasts, that I might suck?
13 For now I should have lain down and been quiet. I should have slept. Then I would have been at rest
For now should I lie down and be quiet; I should sleep; then should I be at rest,
14 with kings and counselors of the earth, who built waste places for themselves,
With kings and counsellors of the earth, Who built up for themselves—ruins!
15 or with rulers who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.
Or with princes that had gold, And filled their houses with silver;
16 Or I should have been as a hidden untimely birth, as infants that never saw light.
Or, as a hidden untimely birth, I had perished; As infants which never saw the light.
17 There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary are at rest.
There the wicked cease from troubling; There the weary are at rest.
18 There the prisoners are at ease together. They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster.
There the prisoners rest together; They hear not the voice of the oppressor.
19 The small and the great are there. And the servant is free from his master.
The small and the great are there, And the servant is free from his master.
20 Why is light given to him who is in misery, and life to the bitter in soul,
Why giveth He light to him that is in misery, And life to the bitter in soul,
21 who long for death, but it comes not, and dig for it more than for hid treasures,
Who long for death, and it cometh not, And dig for it more than for hid treasures;
22 who rejoice exceedingly, and are glad when they can find the grave?
Who rejoice exceedingly, Yea, exult, when they can find a grave?
23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God has hedged in?
Why is light given to a man from whom the way is hid, And whom God hath hedged in?
24 For my sighing comes before I eat, and my groanings are poured out like water.
For my sighing cometh before I eat, And my groans are poured out like water.
25 For the thing which I fear comes upon me, and that which I am afraid of comes to me.
For that which I dread overtaketh me; That at which I shudder cometh upon me.
26 I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, neither have I rest, but trouble comes.
I have no peace, nor quiet, nor respite: Misery cometh upon me continually.
