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 Job answered and said,
And Job spake and said:
3 Let the day perish in which I was born, and the night that said, There is a man child conceived.
Perish the day in which I was born, and the night which said, “A man-child is conceived!”
4 That day — let it be darkness, let not God care for it from above, neither let light shine upon 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 claim it; let clouds dwell upon it; let darkeners of the day terrify it.
Let darkness and the shadow of death redeem it; Let a cloud dwell upon it; Let whatever darkeneth the day terrify it!
6 That night — let gloom seize upon it; let it not rejoice among the days of the year; let it not come into the number of 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 Behold, let that night be barren; let no joyful sound come therein;
O let that night be unfruitful! Let there be in it no voice of joy;
8 Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to rouse Leviathan;
Let them that curse the day curse it, Who are skilful to stir up the leviathan!
9 Let the stars of its twilight be dark; let it wait for light, and have none, neither let it see the eyelids of the dawn:
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 Because it shut not up the doors of the womb that bore me, and hid not trouble from mine eyes.
Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, And hid not trouble from mine eyes.
11 Wherefore did I not die from the womb, — come forth from the belly and expire?
Why died I not at my birth? Why did I not expire when I came forth from the womb?
12 Why did the knees meet me? and wherefore the breasts, that I should suck?
Why did the knees receive me, And why the breasts, that I might suck?
13 For now should I have lain down and been quiet; I should have slept: then had I been at rest,
For now should I lie down and be quiet; I should sleep; then should I be at rest,
14 With kings and counsellors of the earth, who build desolate places for themselves,
With kings and counsellors of the earth, Who built up for themselves—ruins!
15 Or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver;
Or with princes that had gold, And filled their houses with silver;
16 Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants that have not seen the light.
Or, as a hidden untimely birth, I had perished; As infants which never saw the light.
17 There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the wearied are at rest.
There the wicked cease from troubling; There the weary are at rest.
18 The prisoners together are at ease; they hear not the voice of the taskmaster.
There the prisoners rest together; They hear not the voice of the oppressor.
19 The small and great are there, and the bondman freed from his master.
The small and the great are there, And the servant is free from his master.
20 Wherefore is light given to him that is in trouble, and life to those bitter of soul,
Why giveth He light to him that is in misery, And life to the bitter in soul,
21 Who long for death, and it [cometh] not, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures;
Who long for death, and it cometh not, And dig for it more than for hid treasures;
22 Who rejoice even exultingly and are glad when they find the grave? —
Who rejoice exceedingly, Yea, exult, when they can find a grave?
23 To the man whose way is hidden, and whom God hath hedged in?
Why is light given to a man from whom the way is hid, And whom God hath hedged in?
24 For my sighing cometh before my bread, and my groanings are poured out like the waters.
For my sighing cometh before I eat, And my groans are poured out like water.
25 For I feared a fear, and it hath come upon me, and that which I dreaded hath come to me.
For that which I dread overtaketh me; That at which I shudder cometh upon me.
26 I was not in safety, neither had I quietness, neither was I at rest, and trouble came.
I have no peace, nor quiet, nor respite: Misery cometh upon me continually.
