Job 3
1 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed his day,
2 And this is what he said:
and this is what he said:
3 “May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, ‘A boy is conceived.’
May the day perish on which I was born, and the night, in which it was said, “A man has been conceived.”
4 If only that day had turned to darkness! May God above disregard it; may no light shine upon it.
May that day be turned into darkness, may God not seek it from above, and may light not illuminate it.
5 May darkness and gloom reclaim it, and a cloud settle over it; may the blackness of the day overwhelm it.
Let darkness and the shadow of death obscure it, let a fog overtake it, and let it be enveloped in bitterness.
6 If only darkness had taken that night away! May it not appear among the days of the year; may it never be entered in any of the months.
Let a whirlwind of darkness take hold of that night, let it not be counted in the days of the year, nor numbered in the months.
7 Behold, may that night be barren; may no joyful voice come into it.
May that night be alone and unworthy of praise.
8 May it be cursed by those who curse the day — those prepared to rouse Leviathan.
May they curse it, who curse the day, who are prepared to awaken a leviathan.
9 May its morning stars grow dark; may it wait in vain for daylight; may it not see the breaking of dawn.
Let the stars be concealed with its darkness. Let it expect light, and not see it, nor the rising of the dawn in the East.
10 For that night did not shut the doors of the womb to hide the sorrow from my eyes.
For it did not close the doors of the womb that bore me, nor take away evils from my eyes.
11 Why did I not perish at birth; why did I not die as I came from the womb?
Why did I not die in the womb? Having left the womb, why did I not immediately perish?
12 Why were there knees to receive me, and breasts that I should be nursed?
Why was I received upon the knees? Why was I suckled at the breasts?
13 For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest
For by now, I should have been sleeping silently, and taking rest in my sleep
14 with kings and counselors of the earth, who built for themselves cities now in ruins,
with the kings and consuls of the earth, who build themselves solitudes,
15 or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.
either with princes, who possess gold and fill their houses with silver,
16 Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, like an infant who never sees daylight?
or, like a hidden miscarriage, I should not have continued, just like those who, being conceived, have not seen the light.
17 There the wicked cease from raging, and there the weary find rest.
There the impious cease from rebellion, and there the wearied in strength take rest.
18 The captives enjoy their ease; they do not hear the voice of the oppressor.
And at such times, having been bound together without difficulty, they have not heard the voice of the bailiff.
19 Both small and great are there, and the slave is freed from his master.
The small and great are there, and the servant is free from his master.
20 Why is light given to the miserable, and life to the bitter of soul,
Why is light given to the miserable, and life to those who are in bitterness of soul,
21 who long for death that does not come, and search for it like hidden treasure,
who expect death, and it does not arrive, like those who dig for treasure
22 who rejoice and greatly exult when they can find the grave?
and who rejoice greatly when they have found the grave,
23 Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?
to a man whose way is hidden and whom God has surrounded with darkness?
24 I sigh when food is put before me, and my groans pour out like water.
Before I eat, I sigh; and like overflowing waters, so is my howl,
25 For the thing I feared has overtaken me, and what I dreaded has befallen me.
for the terror that I feared has happened to me, and so has the dread befallen me.
26 I am not at ease or quiet; I have no rest, for trouble has come.”
Have I not remained hidden? Have I not kept silence? Have I not remained calm? Yet indignation has overcome me.
