Job 3

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

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

2 saying,

And Job spake, and said,

3 Let the day perish in which I was born, and that night in which they said, Behold a man-child!

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

4 Let that night be darkness, and let not the Lord regard it from above, neither let light come upon it.

Let that day be darkness; let not Eloah regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.

5 But let darkness and the shadow of death seize it; let blackness come upon it;

Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.

6 let that day and night be cursed, let darkness carry them away; let it not come into the days of the year, neither let it be numbered with the days of the months.

As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months.

7 But let that night be pain, and let not mirth come upon it, nor joy.

Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein.

8 But let him that curses that day curse it, [even] he that is ready to attack the great whale.

Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning.

9 Let the stars of that night be darkened; let it remain [dark], and not come into light; and let it not see the morning star arise:

Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day:

10 because it shut not up the gates of my mother's womb, for [so] it would have removed sorrow from my eyes.

Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.

11 For why died I not in the belly? and [why] did I not come forth from the womb and die immediately?

Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?

12 and why did the knees support me? and why did I suck the breasts?

Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck?

13 Now I should have lain down and been quiet, I should have slept and been at rest,

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

14 with kings [and] councillors of the earth, who gloried in [their] swords;

With kings and counsellers of the earth, which built desolate places for themselves;

15 or with rulers, whose gold was abundant, who filled their houses with silver:

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

16 or [I should have been] as an untimely birth proceeding from his mother's womb, or as infants who never saw light.

Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light.

17 There the ungodly have burnt out the fury of rage; there the wearied in body rest.

There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.

18 And the men of old time have together ceased to hear the exactor's voice.

There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.

19 The small and great are there, and the servant that feared his lord.

The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master.

20 For why is light given to those who are in bitterness, and life to those souls which are in griefs?

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

21 who desire death, and obtain it not, digging [for it] as [for] treasures;

Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;

22 and would be very joyful if they should gain it?

Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?

23 Death [is] rest to [such] a man, for God has hedged him in.

Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom Eloah hath hedged in?

24 For my groaning comes before my food, and I weep being beset with terror.

For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.

25 For the terror of which I meditated has come upon me, and that which I had feared has befallen me.

For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.

26 I was not at peace, nor quiet, nor had I rest; yet wrath came upon me.

I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.