< Job 10 >
1 My soul is weary of my life: I will give free course to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
My soule is cut off though I liue: I wil leaue my complaint vpon my selfe, and wil speake in the bitternesse of my soule.
2 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou strivest with me.
I will say vnto God, Condemne mee not: shew me, wherefore thou contendest with mee.
3 Doth it please thee to oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thy hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?
Thinkest thou it good to oppresse me, and to cast off the labour of thine handes, and to fauour the counsel of the wicked?
4 Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?
Hast thou carnall eyes? or doest thou see as man seeth?
5 Are thy days as the days of a mortal? are thy years as a man's days,
Are thy dayes as mans dayes? or thy yeres, as the time of man,
6 That thou searchest after mine iniquity, and inquirest into my sin;
That thou inquirest of mine iniquitie, and searchest out my sinne?
7 Since thou knowest that I am not wicked, and that there is none that delivereth out of thy hand?
Thou knowest that I can not do wickedly: for none can deliuer me out of thine hand.
8 Thy hands have bound me together and made me as one, round about; yet dost thou swallow me up!
Thine handes haue made me, and fashioned mee wholy rounde about, and wilt thou destroy me?
9 Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as clay, and wilt bring me into dust again.
Remember, I pray thee, that thou hast made me as the clay, and wilt thou bring me into dust againe?
10 Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?
Hast thou not powred me out as milke? and turned me to cruds like cheese?
11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews;
Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and ioyned me together with bones and sinewes.
12 Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy care hath preserved my spirit;
Thou hast giuen me life, and grace: and thy visitation hath preserued my spirit.
13 And these things didst thou hide in thy heart; I know that this was with thee.
Though thou hast hid these things in thine heart, yet I knowe that it is so with thee.
14 If I sinned, thou wouldest mark me, and thou wouldest not acquit me of mine iniquity.
If I haue sinned, then thou wilt streightly looke vnto me, and wilt not holde mee giltlesse of mine iniquitie.
15 If I were wicked, woe unto me! and righteous, I will not lift up my head, being [so] full of shame, and beholding mine affliction; —
If I haue done wickedly, wo vnto me: if I haue done righteously, I will not lift vp mine head, being full of confusion, because I see mine affliction.
16 And it increaseth: thou huntest me as a fierce lion; and ever again thou shewest thy marvellous power upon me.
But let it increase: hunt thou me as a lyon: returne and shew thy selfe marueilous vpon me.
17 Thou renewest thy witnesses before me and increasest thy displeasure against me; successions [of evil] and a time of toil are with me.
Thou renuest thy plagues against me, and thou increasest thy wrath against me: changes and armies of sorowes are against me.
18 And wherefore didst thou bring me forth out of the womb? I had expired, and no eye had seen me.
Wherfore then hast thou brought me out of the wombe? Oh that I had perished, and that none eye had seene me!
19 I should be as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.
And that I were as I had not bene, but brought from the wombe to the graue!
20 Are not my days few? cease then and let me alone, that I may revive a little,
Are not my dayes fewe? let him cease, and leaue off from me, that I may take a litle comfort,
21 Before I go, and never to return, — to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;
Before I goe and shall not returne, euen to the land of darkenesse and shadow of death:
22 A land of gloom, as darkness itself; of the shadow of death, without any order, where the light is as thick darkness.
Into a land, I say, darke as darknes it selfe, and into the shadow of death, where is none order, but the light is there as darkenesse.