Job 3
1 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed his day,
At length Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day of his birth.
2 and this is what he said:
And Job spake and said:
3 May the day perish on which I was born, and the night, in which it was said, “A man has been conceived.”
Perish the day in which I was born, and the night which said, “A man-child is conceived!”
4 May that day be turned into darkness, may God not seek it from above, and may light not illuminate it.
Let that day be darkness; Let not God seek it from above; Yea, let not the light shine upon it!
5 Let darkness and the shadow of death obscure it, let a fog overtake it, and let it be enveloped in bitterness.
Let darkness and the shadow of death redeem it; Let a cloud dwell upon it; Let whatever darkeneth the day terrify it!
6 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.
As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; Let it not rejoice among the days of the year; Let it not come into the number of the months!
7 May that night be alone and unworthy of praise.
O let that night be unfruitful! Let there be in it no voice of joy;
8 May they curse it, who curse the day, who are prepared to awaken a leviathan.
Let them that curse the day curse it, Who are skilful to stir up the leviathan!
9 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.
Let the stars of its twilight be darkened; Let it long for light, and have none; Neither let it see the eyelashes of the morning!
10 For it did not close the doors of the womb that bore me, nor take away evils from my eyes.
Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, And hid not trouble from mine eyes.
11 Why did I not die in the womb? Having left the womb, why did I not immediately perish?
Why died I not at my birth? Why did I not expire when I came forth from the womb?
12 Why was I received upon the knees? Why was I suckled at the breasts?
Why did the knees receive me, And why the breasts, that I might suck?
13 For by now, I should have been sleeping silently, and taking rest in my sleep
For now should I lie down and be quiet; I should sleep; then should I be at rest,
14 with the kings and consuls of the earth, who build themselves solitudes,
With kings and counsellors of the earth, Who built up for themselves—ruins!
15 either with princes, who possess gold and fill their houses with silver,
Or with princes that had gold, And filled their houses with silver;
16 or, like a hidden miscarriage, I should not have continued, just like those who, being conceived, have not seen the light.
Or, as a hidden untimely birth, I had perished; As infants which never saw the light.
17 There the impious cease from rebellion, and there the wearied in strength take rest.
There the wicked cease from troubling; There the weary are at rest.
18 And at such times, having been bound together without difficulty, they have not heard the voice of the bailiff.
There the prisoners rest together; They hear not the voice of the oppressor.
19 The small and great are there, and the servant is free from his master.
The small and the great are there, And the servant is free from his master.
20 Why is light given to the miserable, and life to those who are in bitterness of soul,
Why giveth He light to him that is in misery, And life to the bitter in soul,
21 who expect death, and it does not arrive, like those who dig for treasure
Who long for death, and it cometh not, And dig for it more than for hid treasures;
22 and who rejoice greatly when they have found the grave,
Who rejoice exceedingly, Yea, exult, when they can find a grave?
23 to a man whose way is hidden and whom God has surrounded with darkness?
Why is light given to a man from whom the way is hid, And whom God hath hedged in?
24 Before I eat, I sigh; and like overflowing waters, so is my howl,
For my sighing cometh before I eat, And my groans are poured out like water.
25 for the terror that I feared has happened to me, and so has the dread befallen me.
For that which I dread overtaketh me; That at which I shudder cometh upon me.
26 Have I not remained hidden? Have I not kept silence? Have I not remained calm? Yet indignation has overcome me.
I have no peace, nor quiet, nor respite: Misery cometh upon me continually.
