Job 10

1 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.

Weary in my soul, I will pour my words with groans upon him: I will speak being straitened in the bitterness of my soul.

2 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; let me know for what cause thou contendest against me.

And I will say to the Lord, Do not teach me to be impious; and therefore have you thus judged me?

3 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?

Is it good before you if I be unrighteous? for you have disowned the work of your hands, and attended to the counsel of the ungodly.

4 Hast thou eyes of flesh? or wilt thou see as a mortal seeth?

Or do you see as a mortal sees? or will you look as a man sees?

5 Are thy days as the days of a mortal, or are thy years as the days of a man,

Or is your life human, or your years [the years] of a man,

6 That thou inquirest after my iniquity, and searchest after my sin?

that you have enquired into mine iniquity, and searched out my sins?

7 Still it is within thy knowledge that I am not wicked, and there is none that can deliver me out of thy hand.

For you know that I have not committed iniquity: but who is he that can deliver out of your hands?

8 Thy hands have carefully fashioned me and made me; every thing is in harmony all round about; and yet thou dost destroy me!

Your hands have formed me and made me; afterwards you did change [your mind], and strike me.

9 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?

Remember that you have made me [as] clay, and you do turn me again to earth.

10 Behold, like milk didst thou pour me out, and like cheese didst thou curdle me.

Hast you not poured me out like milk, and curdled me like cheese?

11 With skin and flesh didst thou clothe me, and with bones and sinews didst thou cover me.

And you did clothe me with skin and flesh, and frame me with bones and sinews.

12 Life and kindness didst thou grant me, and thy providence watched over my spirit.

And you did bestow upon me life and mercy, and your oversight has preserved my spirit.

13 And yet these things hadst thou treasured up in thy heart: I know that this was [resolved] within thee.

Having these things in yourself, I know that you can do all things; for nothing is impossible with you.

14 If I have sinned, then dost thou watch me, and from my iniquity thou wilt not declare me guiltless.

And if I should sin, you watch me; and you have not cleared me from iniquity.

15 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;

Or if I should be ungodly, woe is me: and if I should be righteous, I can’t lift myself up, for I am full of dishonor.

16 And it constantly increaseth; like a fierce lion dost thou hunt for me; and again thou showest thyself continually wonderful on me;

For I am hunted like a lion for slaughter; for again you have changed and are terribly destroying me;

17 Thou ever renewest thy witnesses against me, and causest thy indignation to grow strong against me; changes and multitudes [of sufferings] are around me.

renewing against me my torture: and you have dealt with me in great anger, and you have brought trials upon me.

18 Wherefore then didst thou bring me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had perished, and that no eye had seen me!

Why then did you bring me out of the womb? and why did I not die, and no eye see me,

19 That I were as though I had not been, —had been borne from the womb to the grave.

and I become as if I had not been? for why was I not carried from the womb to the grave?

20 Lo! my days are but few: cease, then, withdraw from me [thy hand], that I may recover my cheerfulness a little.

Is not the time of my life short? suffer me to rest a little,

21 Before I go, and return not, to the land of darkness and the shadow of death,

before I go whence I shall not return, to a land of darkness and gloominess;

22 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.

to a land of perpetual darkness, where there is no light, neither [can any one] see the life of mortals.