< Job 3 >

1 After this time Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day.
μετὰ τοῦτο ἤνοιξεν Ιωβ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ
2 And Job commenced, and said,
καὶ κατηράσατο τὴν ἡμέραν αὐτοῦ λέγων
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.
ἀπόλοιτο ἡ ἡμέρα ἐν ᾗ ἐγεννήθην καὶ ἡ νύξ ἐν ᾗ εἶπαν ἰδοὺ ἄρσεν
4 May that day be [covered with] darkness; may not God from above inquire for it, and may no light beam upon it.
ἡ ἡμέρα ἐκείνη εἴη σκότος καὶ μὴ ἀναζητήσαι αὐτὴν ὁ κύριος ἄνωθεν μηδὲ ἔλθοι εἰς αὐτὴν φέγγος
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.
ἐκλάβοι δὲ αὐτὴν σκότος καὶ σκιὰ θανάτου ἐπέλθοι ἐπ’ αὐτὴν γνόφος
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.
καταραθείη ἡ ἡμέρα καὶ ἡ νὺξ ἐκείνη ἀπενέγκαιτο αὐτὴν σκότος μὴ εἴη εἰς ἡμέρας ἐνιαυτοῦ μηδὲ ἀριθμηθείη εἰς ἡμέρας μηνῶν
7 Lo, may that night be solitary, let no song of joy occur thereon.
ἀλλὰ ἡ νὺξ ἐκείνη εἴη ὀδύνη καὶ μὴ ἔλθοι ἐπ’ αὐτὴν εὐφροσύνη μηδὲ χαρμονή
8 Let those denounce it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning cry.
ἀλλὰ καταράσαιτο αὐτὴν ὁ καταρώμενος τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην ὁ μέλλων τὸ μέγα κῆτος χειρώσασθαι
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;
σκοτωθείη τὰ ἄστρα τῆς νυκτὸς ἐκείνης ὑπομείναι καὶ εἰς φωτισμὸν μὴ ἔλθοι καὶ μὴ ἴδοι ἑωσφόρον ἀνατέλλοντα
10 Because God closed not against me the doors of the womb, and thus concealed trouble from my eyes.
ὅτι οὐ συνέκλεισεν πύλας γαστρὸς μητρός μου ἀπήλλαξεν γὰρ ἂν πόνον ἀπὸ ὀφθαλμῶν μου
11 Why did I not die [the moment I issued] from the womb, and [why] was I not born merely to perish at once?
διὰ τί γὰρ ἐν κοιλίᾳ οὐκ ἐτελεύτησα ἐκ γαστρὸς δὲ ἐξῆλθον καὶ οὐκ εὐθὺς ἀπωλόμην
12 Wherefore were knees ready to receive me? and for what purpose were breasts there that I might suck?
ἵνα τί δὲ συνήντησάν μοι γόνατα ἵνα τί δὲ μαστοὺς ἐθήλασα
13 For now should I be lying still and be quiet; I should sleep: then would I be at rest,
νῦν ἂν κοιμηθεὶς ἡσύχασα ὑπνώσας δὲ ἀνεπαυσάμην
14 With kings and counsellors of the earth, who build up ruined places for themselves;
μετὰ βασιλέων βουλευτῶν γῆς οἳ ἠγαυριῶντο ἐπὶ ξίφεσιν
15 Or with princes possessing gold, who fill their houses with silver;
ἢ μετὰ ἀρχόντων ὧν πολὺς ὁ χρυσός οἳ ἔπλησαν τοὺς οἴκους αὐτῶν ἀργυρίου
16 Or as an untimely birth, hidden [from view] I should not exist; as infants that never have seen the light;
ἢ ὥσπερ ἔκτρωμα ἐκπορευόμενον ἐκ μήτρας μητρὸς ἢ ὥσπερ νήπιοι οἳ οὐκ εἶδον φῶς
17 There [where] the wicked cease from troubling; and where the exhausted weary are at rest;
ἐκεῖ ἀσεβεῖς ἐξέκαυσαν θυμὸν ὀργῆς ἐκεῖ ἀνεπαύσαντο κατάκοποι τῷ σώματι
18 [Where] the prisoners repose together, [and] they hear no more the taskmaster's voice.
ὁμοθυμαδὸν δὲ οἱ αἰώνιοι οὐκ ἤκουσαν φωνὴν φορολόγου
19 The small with the great is there, and the servant free from his master.
μικρὸς καὶ μέγας ἐκεῖ ἐστιν καὶ θεράπων οὐ δεδοικὼς τὸν κύριον αὐτοῦ
20 Wherefore giveth He now light to the labor-laden, and life unto the bitter in soul?
ἵνα τί γὰρ δέδοται τοῖς ἐν πικρίᾳ φῶς ζωὴ δὲ ταῖς ἐν ὀδύναις ψυχαῖς
21 Who wait for death, which [cometh] not; and who dig for it sooner than for hidden treasures;
οἳ ὁμείρονται τοῦ θανάτου καὶ οὐ τυγχάνουσιν ἀνορύσσοντες ὥσπερ θησαυρούς
22 Who would rejoice even to exulting, who would be glad could they but find a grave?
περιχαρεῖς δὲ ἐγένοντο ἐὰν κατατύχωσιν
23 [Why is light given] to a man whose way is hidden, and around whom God hath placed a fence?
θάνατος ἀνδρὶ ἀνάπαυμα συνέκλεισεν γὰρ ὁ θεὸς κατ’ αὐτοῦ
24 For before my food cometh my groaning, and like the water are poured forth my loud complaints.
πρὸ γὰρ τῶν σίτων μου στεναγμός μοι ἥκει δακρύω δὲ ἐγὼ συνεχόμενος φόβῳ
25 Because what I greatly dreaded is come upon me, and what I apprehended is come unto me.
φόβος γάρ ὃν ἐφρόντισα ἦλθέν μοι καὶ ὃν ἐδεδοίκειν συνήντησέν μοι
26 I have had no safety, and no quiet, and no rest; and [now] harrowing trouble is come.
οὔτε εἰρήνευσα οὔτε ἡσύχασα οὔτε ἀνεπαυσάμην ἦλθεν δέ μοι ὀργή

< Job 3 >