Job 3
1 After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.
After this time Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day.
2 And Job spoke, and said:
And Job commenced, and said,
3 Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night wherein it was said: 'A man-child is brought forth.'
Oh that the day whereon I was born might perish, and the night when it was said, There hath been a male child conceived.
4 Let that day be darkness; let not God inquire after it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.
May that day be [covered with] darkness; may not God from above inquire for it, and may no light beam upon it.
5 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.
Oh that darkness and the shadow of death might defile it; may a cloud rest upon it; may the blackness of the day terrify it.
6 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.
Yon night — let darkness seize upon it; let it not be united to the days of the year; let it not come into the number of the [periods lighted by the] moon.
7 Lo, let that night be desolate; let no joyful voice come therein.
Lo, may that night be solitary, let no song of joy occur thereon.
8 Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to rouse up leviathan.
Let those denounce it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning cry.
9 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;
Let the stars of its twilight be darkened; let it hope for light, and there be none; and let it not behold the eyelids of the morning-dawn;
10 Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid trouble from mine eyes.
Because God closed not against me the doors of the womb, and thus concealed trouble from my eyes.
11 Why died I not from the womb? Why did I not perish at birth?
Why did I not die [the moment I issued] from the womb, and [why] was I not born merely to perish at once?
12 Why did the knees receive me? And wherefore the breasts, that I should suck?
Wherefore were knees ready to receive me? and for what purpose were breasts there that I might suck?
13 For now should I have lain still and been quiet; I should have slept; then had I been at rest —
For now should I be lying still and be quiet; I should sleep: then would I be at rest,
14 With kings and counsellors of the earth, who built up waste places for themselves;
With kings and counsellors of the earth, who build up ruined places for themselves;
15 Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver;
Or with princes possessing gold, who fill their houses with silver;
16 Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants that never saw light.
Or as an untimely birth, hidden [from view] I should not exist; as infants that never have seen the light;
17 There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary are at rest.
There [where] the wicked cease from troubling; and where the exhausted weary are at rest;
18 There the prisoners are at ease together; they hear not the voice of the taskmaster.
[Where] the prisoners repose together, [and] they hear no more the taskmaster's voice.
19 The small and great are there alike; and the servant is free from his master.
The small with the great is there, and the servant free from his master.
20 Wherewith is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul —
Wherefore giveth He now light to the labor-laden, and life unto the bitter in soul?
21 Who long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;
Who wait for death, which [cometh] not; and who dig for it sooner than for hidden treasures;
22 Who rejoice unto exultation, and are glad, when they can find the grave? —
Who would rejoice even to exulting, who would be glad could they but find a grave?
23 To a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?
[Why is light given] to a man whose way is hidden, and around whom God hath placed a fence?
24 For my sighing cometh instead of my food, and my roarings are poured out like water.
For before my food cometh my groaning, and like the water are poured forth my loud complaints.
25 For the thing which I did fear is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of hath overtaken me.
Because what I greatly dreaded is come upon me, and what I apprehended is come unto me.
26 I was not at ease, neither was I quiet, neither had I rest; but trouble came.
I have had no safety, and no quiet, and no rest; and [now] harrowing trouble is come.
