Job 3

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

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

2 And Job answered and said,

And Job answered and said:

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

Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night which said, There is a man child 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 regard it from above, neither let 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 claim it for their own; let a cloud dwell upon it; let all that maketh black 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 thick 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;

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

8 Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to rouse Leviathan;

Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to rouse up 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 the twilight thereof be dark: let it look for light, but have none; neither let it behold the eyelids 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, nor hid trouble from mine eyes.

11 Wherefore did I not die from the womb, — come forth from the belly and expire?

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

12 Why did the knees meet me? and wherefore the breasts, that I should suck?

Why did the knees receive me? or why the breasts, that I should 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 have lain down and been quiet; I should have slept; then had I been at rest:

14 With kings and counsellors of the earth, who build desolate places for themselves,

With kings and counsellors of the earth, which built up waste places for themselves;

15 Or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver;

Or with princes that had gold, who 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 an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light.

17 There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the wearied are at rest.

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

18 The prisoners together are at ease; they hear not the voice of the taskmaster.

There the prisoners are at ease together; they hear not the voice of the taskmaster.

19 The small and great are there, and the bondman freed from his master.

The small and 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,

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

21 Who long for death, and it [cometh] not, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures;

Which long for death, but 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? —

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

23 To the man whose way is hidden, and whom God hath hedged in?

[Why is light given] to a man whose 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 roarings 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 the thing which I fear cometh upon me, and that which I am afraid of cometh unto me.

26 I was not in safety, neither had I quietness, neither was I at rest, and trouble came.

I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither have I rest; but trouble cometh.