Job 3

1 After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.

After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed his day.

2 And Job answered and said:

And Job answered and said,

3 Let the day perish wherein I was born, And the night which said, There is a man-child conceived.

Let the day perish in which I was born, and the night that said, There is a man child conceived.

4 Let that day be darkness; Let not God from above seek for it, Neither let the light shine upon it.

That day — let it be darkness, let not God care for it from above, neither let light shine upon it:

5 Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own; Let a cloud dwell upon it; Let all that maketh black the day terrify it.

Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it; let clouds dwell upon it; let darkeners of 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.

That night — let gloom 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 therein.

Behold, let that night be barren; let no joyful sound come therein;

8 Let them curse it that curse the day, Who are ready to rouse up leviathan.

Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to rouse Leviathan;

9 Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark: Let it look for light, but have none; Neither let it behold the eyelids of the morning:

Let the stars of its twilight be dark; let it wait for light, and have none, neither let it see the eyelids of the dawn:

10 Because it shut not up the doors of my [mother’s] womb, Nor hid trouble from mine eyes.

Because it shut not up the doors of the womb that bore me, and hid not trouble from mine eyes.

11 Why died I not from the womb? Why did I not give up the ghost when my mother bare me?

Wherefore did I not die from the womb, — come forth from the belly and expire?

12 Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breasts, that I should suck?

Why did the knees meet me? and wherefore the breasts, that I should suck?

13 For now should I have lain down and been quiet; I should have slept; then had I been at rest,

For now should I have lain down and been quiet; I should have slept: then had I been at rest,

14 With kings and counsellors of the earth, Who built up waste places for themselves;

With kings and counsellors of the earth, who build desolate places for themselves,

15 Or with princes that had gold, Who filled their houses with silver:

Or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver;

16 Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been, As infants that never saw light.

Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants that have not seen the light.

17 There the wicked cease from troubling; And there the weary are at rest.

There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the wearied are at rest.

18 There the prisoners are at ease together; They hear not the voice of the taskmaster.

The prisoners together are at ease; they hear not the voice of the taskmaster.

19 The small and the great are there: And the servant is free from his master.

The small and great are there, and the bondman freed from his master.

20 Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, And life unto the bitter in soul;

Wherefore is light given to him that is in trouble, and life to those bitter of soul,

21 Who long for death, but it cometh 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 hidden treasures;

22 Who rejoice exceedingly, And are glad, when they can find the grave?

Who rejoice even exultingly and are glad when they find the grave? —

23 [Why is light given] to a man whose way is hid, And whom God hath hedged in?

To the man whose way is hidden, and whom God hath hedged in?

24 For my sighing cometh before I eat, And my groanings are poured out like water.

For my sighing cometh before my bread, and my groanings are poured out like the waters.

25 For the thing which I fear cometh upon me, And that which I am afraid of cometh unto me.

For I feared a fear, and it hath come upon me, and that which I dreaded hath come to me.

26 I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither have I rest; But trouble cometh.

I was not in safety, neither had I quietness, neither was I at rest, and trouble came.