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 he said:
And Job spake and said:
3 Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said: A man child is conceived.
Perish the day in which I was born, and the night which said, “A man-child is conceived!”
4 Let that day be turned into darkness, let not God regard it from above, and let not the 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 cover it, let a mist overspread it, and let it be wrapped up 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 darksome whirlwind seize upon 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 Let that night be solitary, and not worthy of praise.
O let that night be unfruitful! Let there be in it no voice of joy;
8 Let them curse it who curse the day. who are ready to raise up a leviathan:
Let them that curse the day curse it, Who are skilful to stir up the leviathan!
9 Let the stars be darkened with the mist thereof: let it expect light and not see it, nor the rising of the dawning of the day:
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, nor took 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, why did I not perish when I came out of the belly?
Why died I not at my birth? Why did I not expire when I came forth from the womb?
12 Why received upon the knees? why suckled at the breasts?
Why did the knees receive me, And why the breasts, that I might suck?
13 For now I should have been asleep and still, and should have rest in my sleep.
For now should I lie down and be quiet; I should sleep; then should I be at rest,
14 With kings and consuls of the earth, who build themselves solitudes:
With kings and counsellors of the earth, Who built up for themselves—ruins!
15 Or with princes, that possess gold, and All their houses with silver:
Or with princes that had gold, And filled their houses with silver;
16 Or as a hidden untimely birth I should not be, or as they that 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 wicked cease from tumult, and there the wearied in strength are at rest.
There the wicked cease from troubling; There the weary are at rest.
18 And they sometime bound together without disquiet, have not heard the voice of the oppressor.
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 him that is in misery, and life to them that are in bitterness of soul?
Why giveth He light to him that is in misery, And life to the bitter in soul,
21 That look for death, and it cometh not, as they that dig for a treasure:
Who long for death, and it cometh not, And dig for it more than for hid treasures;
22 And they rejoice exceedingly 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 God hath surrounded him 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 as overflowing waters, so is my roaring:
For my sighing cometh before I eat, And my groans are poured out like water.
25 For the fear which I feared hath come upon me: and that which I was afraid of, hath befallen me.
For that which I dread overtaketh me; That at which I shudder cometh upon me.
26 Have I not dissembled? have I not kept silence? have I not been quiet? and indignation is come upon me.
I have no peace, nor quiet, nor respite: Misery cometh upon me continually.
