Job 10
1 I hate my life! Let me speak freely about my complaints—I can't keep my bitterness to myself.
My soul is disgusted with my life; I will give free vent to my complaint over myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2 I will tell God, “Don't just condemn me—tell me what you have against me.
I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; let me know for what cause thou contendest against me.
3 Do you enjoy accusing me? Why do you reject me, someone you made with your own hands, and yet smile on the scheming of the wicked?
Is it well for thee that thou shouldst oppress, that thou shouldst reject the labor of thy hands, and shed light upon the counsel of the wicked?
4 Do you have human eyes? Do you see like human beings do?
Hast thou eyes of flesh? or wilt thou see as a mortal seeth?
5 Is your life as short as mortal beings? Are your years as brief as those of humanity,
Are thy days as the days of a mortal, or are thy years as the days of a man,
6 that you have to examine my wrongs and investigate my sins?
That thou inquirest after my iniquity, and searchest after my sin?
7 Even though you know I'm not guilty, no one can save me from you.
Still it is within thy knowledge that I am not wicked, and there is none that can deliver me out of thy hand.
8 You made me and shaped me with your own hands, and yet you destroy me.
Thy hands have carefully fashioned me and made me; every thing is in harmony all round about; and yet thou dost destroy me!
9 Remember that you shaped me like a piece of clay—are you now going to turn me back into dust?
Remember, I beseech thee, that as though I were clay hast thou made me; and wilt thou cause me to return again unto the dust?
10 You poured me out like milk, you curdled me like cheese.
Behold, like milk didst thou pour me out, and like cheese didst thou curdle me.
11 You clothed me with skin and flesh; you wove my body together with bones and muscles.
With skin and flesh didst thou clothe me, and with bones and sinews didst thou cover me.
12 You granted me life and showed me your kindness; you have taken great care of me.
Life and kindness didst thou grant me, and thy providence watched over my spirit.
13 But you kept these things hidden in your heart. I know your purpose was
And yet these things hadst thou treasured up in thy heart: I know that this was [resolved] within thee.
14 to watch me, and if I sinned, then you would not forgive my wrongs.
If I have sinned, then dost thou watch me, and from my iniquity thou wilt not declare me guiltless.
15 If I'm guilty I'm in trouble, if I'm innocent I can't hold my head high because I'm totally disgraced as I look at my sufferings.
If I be wicked, woe unto me: and if I be righteous, I can still not lift up my head; I am sated with disgrace, and ever seeing my affliction;
16 If I do hold my head high you hunt me down like a lion, showing how powerful you are in hurting me.
And it constantly increaseth; like a fierce lion dost thou hunt for me; and again thou showest thyself continually wonderful on me;
17 You repeat your arguments against me, you pour out more and more of your anger against me, you send fresh armies against me.
Thou ever renewest thy witnesses against me, and causest thy indignation to grow strong against me; changes and multitudes [of sufferings] are around me.
18 So why did you allow me to be born? I wish that I had died, and nobody had ever seen me!
Wherefore then didst thou bring me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had perished, and that no eye had seen me!
19 It would have been better if I had never existed, taken straight from the womb to the grave.
That I were as though I had not been, —had been borne from the womb to the grave.
20 I only have a few days left, so why don't you leave me alone so I can have a little peace
Lo! my days are but few: cease, then, withdraw from me [thy hand], that I may recover my cheerfulness a little.
21 before I go to where I shall never return from, the land of darkness and the shadow of death—
Before I go, and return not, to the land of darkness and the shadow of death,
22 the land of total darkness where death's shadow lies, a place of chaos where light itself is darkness.”
A land of utter gloom, as of the darkness of the shadow of death, without any order, and the light of which is like utter gloom.
