Job 3
1 After this Job began speaking, cursing the day of his birth.
After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
2 He said,
And this is what he said:
3 “Wipe out the day I was born, and the night when it was announced that a boy had been conceived.
“May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, ‘A boy is conceived.’
4 Turn that day to darkness. God above should not remember it. Don't let light shine on it.
If only that day had turned to darkness! May God above disregard it; may no light shine upon it.
5 Take it back, darkness and death-shadow. A black cloud should overshadow it. It should be as terrifying as the darkness of an eclipse during the day.
May darkness and gloom reclaim it, and a cloud settle over it; may the blackness of the day overwhelm it.
6 Blot out that night as if it never existed. Don't count it on the calendar. Don't let it have a day in any month.
If only darkness had taken that night away! May it not appear among the days of the year; may it never be entered in any of the months.
7 Let that night be childless, with no sounds of happiness heard.
Behold, may that night be barren; may no joyful voice come into it.
8 Those who place curses on certain days should curse it, those who have the power to raise Leviathan.
May it be cursed by those who curse the day — those prepared to rouse Leviathan.
9 Its early morning stars should stay dark. Looking for light, may none come, may it not see the glimmer of dawn
May its morning stars grow dark; may it wait in vain for daylight; may it not see the breaking of dawn.
10 for it did not shut my mother's womb to prevent me from seeing trouble.
For that night did not shut the doors of the womb to hide the sorrow from my eyes.
11 Why wasn't I stillborn? Why didn't I die at birth?
Why did I not perish at birth; why did I not die as I came from the womb?
12 Why was there a lap for me to lie on, or breasts for me to suck?
Why were there knees to receive me, and breasts that I should be nursed?
13 For now I would be lying down in peace. I would be sleeping and at rest,
For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest
14 along with the kings of this world and their officials whose palaces now lie in ruins,
with kings and counselors of the earth, who built for themselves cities now in ruins,
15 or with noblemen who collected gold and filled their houses with silver.
or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.
16 Why wasn't I a miscarriage, buried in secret, a baby who never saw the light?
Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, like an infant who never sees daylight?
17 There in the grave the wicked give no more trouble, and those whose strength is gone have their rest.
There the wicked cease from raging, and there the weary find rest.
18 There prisoners take it easy—they don't hear the commands of their oppressors.
The captives enjoy their ease; they do not hear the voice of the oppressor.
19 Both small and great are there, and slaves are freed from their masters.
Both small and great are there, and the slave is freed from his master.
20 Why does God give life to those who are suffering, living bitterly miserable lives,
Why is light given to the miserable, and life to the bitter of soul,
21 those who are waiting for death that does not come and who are looking for death more desperately than hunting for treasure?
who long for death that does not come, and search for it like hidden treasure,
22 They're so incredibly happy when the reach the grave!
who rejoice and greatly exult when they can find the grave?
23 Why is light given to someone who doesn't know where they're going, someone God has fenced in?
Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?
24 My groans are the bread I eat; my raging tears are the water I drink.
I sigh when food is put before me, and my groans pour out like water.
25 For all that I feared has happened to me; everything that I dreaded has come upon me.
For the thing I feared has overtaken me, and what I dreaded has befallen me.
26 I have no peace, no quiet, no rest. All that comes is rage.”
I am not at ease or quiet; I have no rest, for trouble has come.”
