Job 3

1 Afterward Iob opened his mouth, and cursed his day.

Finally, Job spoke, and he cursed the day that he was born.

2 And Iob cryed out, and sayd,

He said,

3 Let the day perish, wherein I was borne, and the night when it was sayde, There is a man childe conceiued.

“I wish that the day when I was born could be eradicated, and also the night when I was conceived.

4 Let that day bee darkenesse, let not God regarde it from aboue, neyther let the light shine vpon it,

I wish that the day when I was born would have been covered in darkness. I wish that God who is in heaven [MTY] would have forgotten about that day, and that the sun would not have shone on it.

5 But let darkenesse, and the shadowe of death staine it: let the cloude remayne vpon it, and let them make it fearefull as a bitter day.

I wish that thick/intense darkness would have filled that day, and that a black cloud would have come over it and blotted out all light and caused people to be terrified.

6 Let darkenesse possesse that night, let it not be ioyned vnto the dayes of the yeere, nor let it come into the count of the moneths.

I wish that the night when I was conceived would be erased from the calendar, with the result that it would never again appear as one night in any month, and that it would not be included in any calendar.

7 Yea, desolate be that night, and let no ioy be in it.

I wish that no child would again be conceived on that night of the month [MET], and that no one would again be happy on that night.

8 Let them that curse the day, (being readie to renue their mourning) curse it.

I want those people who (curse/put evil spells on) days—those who know how to arouse/awaken the great sea monster—to curse that day.

9 Let the starres of that twilight be dimme through darkenesse of it: let it looke for light, but haue none: neither let it see the dawning of the day,

I wish that the stars that shone early in the morning on that day [after I was conceived] will not shine again. I want those stars to have wished in vain for light to shine; and that they would not have shone on that day.

10 Because it shut not vp the dores of my mothers wombe: nor hid sorowe from mine eyes.

[That was an evil day] because my mother was able to conceive; instead, I was born, and I have now experienced all these terrible things.

11 Why died I not in the birth? or why dyed I not, when I came out of the wombe?

“I wish that I had died [RHQ] when I was born— at the time I emerged from my mother’s womb.

12 Why did the knees preuent me? and why did I sucke the breasts?

I wish that my mother had not [RHQ] allowed me to live. I wish that she had not nursed me.

13 For so shoulde I now haue lyen and bene quiet, I should haue slept then, and bene at rest,

If I had died at the time when I was born, I would be asleep, resting peacefully [in the place where the dead people are].

14 With the Kings and counselers of the earth, which haue buylded themselues desolate places:

I would be resting with kings whose [beautiful palaces] that they built are now in ruins (OR, who rebuilt [palaces] that had previously been destroyed), and I would be resting with their officials [who have also died].

15 Or with the princes that had golde, and haue filled their houses with siluer.

I would be resting with princes who were wealthy, whose palaces were filled with gold and silver.

16 Or why was I not hid, as an vntimely birth, either as infants, which haue not seene the light?

I wish that I had been buried like a child who died in its mother’s womb and never lived to see the light.

17 The wicked haue there ceased from their tyrannie, and there they that laboured valiantly, are at rest.

After wicked people die, they do not cause any more troubles; those who are very tired now will rest.

18 The prisoners rest together, and heare not the voyce of the oppressour.

Those who were in prison rest peacefully [after they die]; they no longer have slave-drivers who curse them.

19 There are small and great, and the seruant is free from his master.

Rich people and poor people are alike after they die, and those who were slaves are no longer controlled by their masters.

20 Wherefore is the light giuen to him that is in miserie? and life vnto them that haue heauie hearts?

(“Why does God allow those who are suffering greatly [like me] to continue to remain alive?/I do not understand why God allows those who are suffering greatly [like me] to continue to remain alive.) [RHQ] Why does he allow those who are very miserable/distressed to keep living [RHQ]?

21 Which long for death, and if it come not, they would euen search it more then treasures:

They long/want to die, but they do not die. They desire to die more than people desire to find a hidden treasure.

22 Which ioy for gladnes, and reioyce, when they can finde the graue.

When they finally die and are buried, they are very happy.

23 Why is the light giuen to the man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?

Those who do not know where they are [eventually] going when they die [RHQ], people whom God has forced [MET] to continue to live in misery, (it is not right that they continue to live./why do they continue to live?) [RHQ]

24 For my sighing commeth before I eate, and my roarings are powred out like the water.

I continually cry very much; as a result, I cannot eat; and I can never stop groaning.

25 For the thing I feared, is come vpon me, and the thing that I was afraid of, is come vnto me.

Things that I always worried might happen to me, have happened to me; things that I always dreaded have happened to me.

26 I had no peace, neither had I quietnesse, neither had I rest, yet trouble is come.

Now I have no peace [in my inner being], I have no peace; I cannot rest; instead, I have only troubles.”