Job 10

1 My soul is weary of my life. I will release my words against myself. I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

My soul is weary of my life; I will give free course to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

2 I will say to God: Do not be willing to condemn me. Reveal to me why you judge me this way.

I will say unto God: Do not condemn me; make me know wherefore Thou contendest with me.

3 Does it seem good to you, if you find fault with me and oppress me, the work of your own hands, and assist the counsel of the impious?

Is it good unto Thee that Thou shouldest oppress, that Thou shouldest despise the work of Thy hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

4 Do you have bodily eyes? Or, just as man sees, will you see?

Hast Thou eyes of flesh? or seest Thou as man seeth?

5 Are your days just like the days of man, and are your years as the times of humans,

Are Thy days as the days of man, or Thy years as a man's days,

6 so that you would inquire about my iniquity and examine my sin?

That Thou inquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin,

7 And you know that I have done nothing impious, yet there is no one who can deliver from your hand.

Although Thou knowest that I shall not be condemned; and there is none that can deliver out of Thy hand?

8 Your hands have made me and formed me all around, and, in this way, do you suddenly throw me away?

Thy hands have framed me and fashioned me together round about; yet Thou dost destroy me!

9 Remember, I ask you, that you have fashioned me like clay, and you will reduce me to dust.

Remember, I beseech Thee, that Thou hast fashioned me as clay; and wilt Thou bring me into dust again?

10 Have you not extracted me like milk and curdled me like cheese?

Hast Thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?

11 You have clothed me with skin and flesh. You have put me together with bones and nerves.

Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews.

12 You have assigned to me life and mercy, and your visitation has preserved my spirit.

Thou hast granted me life and favour, and Thy providence hath preserved my spirit.

13 Though you may conceal this in your heart, yet I know that you remember everything.

Yet these things Thou didst hide in Thy heart; I know that this is with Thee;

14 If I have sinned, and you have spared me for an hour, why do you not endure me to be clean from my iniquity?

If I sin, then Thou markest me, and Thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.

15 And if I should be impious, woe to me, and if I should be just, I will not lift up my head, being drenched with affliction and misery.

If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet shall I not lift up my head — being filled with ignominy and looking upon mine affliction.

16 And because of pride, you will seize me like a lioness, and having returned, you torment me to an extraordinary degree.

And if it exalt itself, Thou huntest me as a lion; and again Thou showest Thyself marvellous upon me.

17 You renew your testimony against me, and you multiply your wrath against me, and these punishments make war within me.

Thou renewest Thy witnesses against me, and increasest Thine indignation upon me; host succeeding host against me.

18 Why did you lead me out of the womb? If only I had been consumed, so that no eye would ever see me!

Wherefore then hast Thou brought me forth out of the womb? Would that I had perished, and no eye had seen me!

19 I should have been as if I had not been: transferred from the womb to the tomb.

I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

20 Will not my few days be completed soon? Release me, therefore, so that I may lament my sorrows a little,

Are not my days few? Cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,

21 before I depart and return no more to a land that is dark and covered with the fog of death,

Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death;

22 a land of misery and darkness, where the shadow of death, and nothing else but everlasting horror, dwells.

A land of thick darkness, as darkness itself; a land of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.