Job 3
1 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
After this Job has opened his mouth, and reviles his day.
2 And this is what he said:
And Job answers and says:
3 “May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, ‘A boy is conceived.’
“Let the day perish in which I am born, And the night that has said: A man-child has been conceived.
4 If only that day had turned to darkness! May God above disregard it; may no light shine upon it.
That day—let it be darkness, Do not let God require it from above, Nor let light shine on 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 death-shade redeem it, Let a cloud dwell on it, Let them terrify it as the most bitter of days.
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.
That night—let thick darkness take it, Let it not be united to days of the year, Let it not come into the number of months.
7 Behold, may that night be barren; may no joyful voice come into it.
Behold! That night—let it be barren, Let no singing come into it.
8 May it be cursed by those who curse the day — those prepared to rouse Leviathan.
Let the cursers of day mark it, Who are ready to wake up 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 of its twilight be dark, Let it wait for light, and there is none, And let it not look on the eyelids of the dawn.
10 For that night did not shut the doors of the womb to hide the sorrow from my eyes.
Because it has not shut the doors Of the womb that was mine! And hide misery from my eyes.
11 Why did I not perish at birth; why did I not die as I came from the womb?
Why do I not die from the womb? I have come forth from the belly and gasp!
12 Why were there knees to receive me, and breasts that I should be nursed?
Why have knees been before me? And what [are] breasts, that I suck?
13 For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest
For now, I have lain down, and am quiet, I have slept—then there is rest to me,
14 with kings and counselors of the earth, who built for themselves cities now in ruins,
With kings and counselors of earth, These building ruins for themselves.
15 or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.
Or with princes—they have gold, They are filling their houses [with] silver.
16 Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, like an infant who never sees daylight?
(Or I am not as a hidden abortion, As infants—they have not seen light.)
17 There the wicked cease from raging, and there the weary find rest.
There the wicked have ceased troubling, And there the wearied rest in power.
18 The captives enjoy their ease; they do not hear the voice of the oppressor.
Together prisoners have been at ease, They have not heard the voice of an exactor,
19 Both small and great are there, and the slave is freed from his master.
Small and great [are] the same there. And a servant [is] free from his lord.
20 Why is light given to the miserable, and life to the bitter of soul,
Why does He give light to the miserable, and life to the bitter soul?
21 who long for death that does not come, and search for it like hidden treasure,
Who are waiting for death, and it is not, And they seek it above hid treasures.
22 who rejoice and greatly exult when they can find the grave?
Who are glad—to joy, They rejoice when they find a grave.
23 Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?
To a man whose way has been hidden, And whom God shuts up?
24 I sigh when food is put before me, and my groans pour out like water.
For before my food, my sighing comes, And my roarings [are] poured out as waters.
25 For the thing I feared has overtaken me, and what I dreaded has befallen me.
For I feared a fear and it meets me, And what I was afraid of comes to me.
26 I am not at ease or quiet; I have no rest, for trouble has come.”
I was not safe—nor was I quiet—Nor was I at rest—and trouble comes!”
