Job 10
1 “I loathe my own life; I will express my complaint and speak in the bitterness of my soul.
My soul is disgusted with my life; I will give free vent to my complaint over myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2 I will say to God: Do not condemn me! Let me know why You prosecute me.
I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; let me know for what cause thou contendest against me.
3 Does it please You to oppress me, to reject the work of Your hands and favor the schemes of the wicked?
Is it well for thee that thou shouldst oppress, that thou shouldst reject the labor of thy hands, and shed light upon the counsel of the wicked?
4 Do You have eyes of flesh? Do You see as man sees?
Hast thou eyes of flesh? or wilt thou see as a mortal seeth?
5 Are Your days like those of a mortal, or Your years like those of a man,
Are thy days as the days of a mortal, or are thy years as the days of a man,
6 that You should seek my iniquity and search out my sin—
That thou inquirest after my iniquity, and searchest after my sin?
7 though You know that I am not guilty, and there is no deliverance from Your hand?
Still it is within thy knowledge that I am not wicked, and there is none that can deliver me out of thy hand.
8 Your hands shaped me and altogether formed me. Would You now turn and destroy me?
Thy hands have carefully fashioned me and made me; every thing is in harmony all round about; and yet thou dost destroy me!
9 Please remember that You molded me like clay. Would You now return me to dust?
Remember, I beseech thee, that as though I were clay hast thou made me; and wilt thou cause me to return again unto the dust?
10 Did You not pour me out like milk, and curdle me like cheese?
Behold, like milk didst thou pour me out, and like cheese didst thou curdle me.
11 You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews.
With skin and flesh didst thou clothe me, and with bones and sinews didst thou cover me.
12 You have granted me life and loving devotion, and Your care has preserved my spirit.
Life and kindness didst thou grant me, and thy providence watched over my spirit.
13 Yet You concealed these things in Your heart, and I know that this was in Your mind:
And yet these things hadst thou treasured up in thy heart: I know that this was [resolved] within thee.
14 If I sinned, You would take note, and would not acquit me of my iniquity.
If I have sinned, then dost thou watch me, and from my iniquity thou wilt not declare me guiltless.
15 If I am guilty, woe to me! And even if I am righteous, I cannot lift my head. I am full of shame and aware of my affliction.
If I be wicked, woe unto me: and if I be righteous, I can still not lift up my head; I am sated with disgrace, and ever seeing my affliction;
16 Should I hold my head high, You would hunt me like a lion, and again display Your power against me.
And it constantly increaseth; like a fierce lion dost thou hunt for me; and again thou showest thyself continually wonderful on me;
17 You produce new witnesses against me and multiply Your anger toward me. Hardships assault me in wave after wave.
Thou ever renewest thy witnesses against me, and causest thy indignation to grow strong against me; changes and multitudes [of sufferings] are around me.
18 Why then did You bring me from the womb? Oh, that I had died, and no eye had seen me!
Wherefore then didst thou bring me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had perished, and that no eye had seen me!
19 If only I had never come to be, but had been carried from the womb to the grave.
That I were as though I had not been, —had been borne from the womb to the grave.
20 Are my days not few? Withdraw from me, that I may have a little comfort,
Lo! my days are but few: cease, then, withdraw from me [thy hand], that I may recover my cheerfulness a little.
21 before I go—never to return— to a land of darkness and gloom,
Before I go, and return not, to the land of darkness and the shadow of death,
22 to a land of utter darkness, of deep shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness.”
A land of utter gloom, as of the darkness of the shadow of death, without any order, and the light of which is like utter gloom.
