Job 3

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

After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day,

2 And Job commenced, and said,

saying,

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, and that night in which they said, Behold a boy!

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 night be darkness, and let not the Lord regard it from above, neither let light come upon 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.

But let darkness and the shadow of death seize it; let blackness come upon 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.

let that day and night be cursed, let darkness carry them away; let it not come into the days of the year, neither let it be numbered with the days of the months.

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

But let that night be pain, and let not mirth come upon it, nor joy.

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

But let him that curses that day curse it, [even] he that is ready to attack the great whale.

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 that night be darkened; let it remain [dark], and not come into light; and let it not see the morning star arise:

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

because it shut not up the gates of my mother's womb, for [so] it would have removed sorrow 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?

For why died I not in the belly? and [why] did I not come forth from the womb and die immediately?

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

and why did the knees support me? and why did I suck the breasts?

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

Now I should have lain down and been quiet, I should have slept and been at rest,

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

with kings [and] councillors of the earth, who gloried in [their] swords;

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

or with rulers, whose gold was abundant, 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 [I should have been] as an untimely birth proceeding from his mother's womb, or as infants who never saw light.

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

There the ungodly have burnt out the fury of rage; there the wearied in body rest.

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

And the men of old time have together ceased to hear the exactor's voice.

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

The small and great are there, and the servant that feared his lord.

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

For why is light given to those who are in bitterness, and life to those souls which are in griefs?

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

who desire death, and obtain it not, digging [for it] as [for] treasures;

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

and would be very joyful if they should gain it?

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

Death [is] rest to [such] a man, for God has hedged him in.

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

For my groaning comes before my food, and I weep being beset with terror.

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

For the terror of which I meditated has come upon me, and that which I had feared has befallen me.

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

I was not at peace, nor quiet, nor had I rest; yet wrath came upon me.