Job 3

1 After this time Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day.

After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day of his birth.

2 And Job commenced, and said,

Job answered:

3 Oh that the day whereon I was born might perish, and the night when it was said, There hath been a male child conceived.

“Let the day perish in which I was born, the night which said, ‘There is a boy conceived.’

4 May that day be [covered with] darkness; may not God from above inquire for it, and may no light beam upon it.

Let that day be darkness. Do not let God from above seek for it, neither let the light shine on it.

5 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.

Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own. Let a cloud dwell on it. Let all that makes the day black terrify it.

6 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.

As for that night, let thick darkness seize on it. Let it not rejoice among the days of the year. Let it not come into the number of the months.

7 Lo, may that night be solitary, let no song of joy occur thereon.

Behold, let that night be barren. Let no joyful voice come therein.

8 Let those denounce it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning cry.

Let them curse it who curse the day, who are ready to rouse up leviathan.

9 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;

Let the stars of its twilight be dark. Let it look for light, but have none, neither let it see the eyelids of the morning,

10 Because God closed not against me the doors of the womb, and thus concealed trouble from my eyes.

because it did not shut up the doors of my mother’s womb, nor did it hide trouble from my eyes.

11 Why did I not die [the moment I issued] from the womb, and [why] was I not born merely to perish at once?

“Why did not I die from the womb? Why did not I give up the spirit when my mother bore me?

12 Wherefore were knees ready to receive me? and for what purpose were breasts there that I might suck?

Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breast, that I should nurse?

13 For now should I be lying still and be quiet; I should sleep: then would I be at rest,

For now I should have lain down and been quiet. I should have slept, then I would have been at rest,

14 With kings and counsellors of the earth, who build up ruined places for themselves;

with kings and counselors of the earth, who built up waste places for themselves;

15 Or with princes possessing gold, who fill their houses with silver;

or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver;

16 Or as an untimely birth, hidden [from view] I should not exist; as infants that never have seen the light;

or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been, as infants who never saw light.

17 There [where] the wicked cease from troubling; and where the exhausted weary are at rest;

There the wicked cease from troubling. There the weary are at rest.

18 [Where] the prisoners repose together, [and] they hear no more the taskmaster's voice.

There the prisoners are at ease together. They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster.

19 The small with the great is there, and the servant free from his master.

The small and the great are there. The servant is free from his master.

20 Wherefore giveth He now light to the labor-laden, and life unto the bitter in soul?

“Why is light given to him who is in misery, life to the bitter in soul,

21 Who wait for death, which [cometh] not; and who dig for it sooner than for hidden treasures;

who long for death, but it does not come; and dig for it more than for hidden treasures,

22 Who would rejoice even to exulting, who would be glad could they but find a grave?

who rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?

23 [Why is light given] to a man whose way is hidden, and around whom God hath placed a fence?

Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?

24 For before my food cometh my groaning, and like the water are poured forth my loud complaints.

For my sighing comes before I eat. My groanings are poured out like water.

25 Because what I greatly dreaded is come upon me, and what I apprehended is come unto me.

For the thing which I fear comes on me, that which I am afraid of comes to me.

26 I have had no safety, and no quiet, and no rest; and [now] harrowing trouble is come.

I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither do I have rest; but trouble comes.”