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 he said:

And Job answered and said:

3 Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said: A man child is conceived.

Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night which said, There is a man child 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 regard it from above, neither let 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 claim it for their own; let a cloud dwell upon it; let all that maketh black 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 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 Let that night be solitary, and not worthy of praise.

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

8 Let them curse it who curse the day. who are ready to raise up a leviathan:

Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to rouse up 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 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, nor took away evils from my eyes.

Because it shut not up the doors of my [mother’s] womb, nor hid 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 from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?

12 Why received upon the knees? why suckled at the breasts?

Why did the knees receive me? or why the breasts, that I should suck?

13 For now I should have been asleep and still, and should have rest in my sleep.

For now should I have lain down and been quiet; I should have slept; then had I been at rest:

14 With kings and consuls of the earth, who build themselves solitudes:

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

15 Or with princes, that possess gold, and All their houses with silver:

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

17 There the wicked cease from tumult, and there the wearied in strength are at rest.

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

18 And they sometime bound together without disquiet, have not heard the voice of the oppressor.

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

19 The small and great are there, and the servant is free from his master.

The small and 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?

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

21 That look for death, and it cometh not, as they that dig for a treasure:

Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;

22 And they rejoice exceedingly when they have found the grave.

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

23 To a man whose way is hidden, and God hath surrounded him with darkness?

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

26 Have I not dissembled? have I not kept silence? have I not been quiet? and indignation is come upon me.

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