Job 10
1 “My soul has been weary of my life, I leave off my talking to myself, I speak in the bitterness of my soul.
“I loathe my own life; I will express my complaint and speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2 I say to God, Do not condemn me, Let me know why You strive [with] me.
I will say to God: Do not condemn me! Let me know why You prosecute me.
3 Is it good for You that You oppress? That You despise the labor of Your hands, And shine on the counsel of the wicked?
Does it please You to oppress me, to reject the work of Your hands and favor the schemes of the wicked?
4 Do you have eyes of flesh? Do You see as man sees?
Do You have eyes of flesh? Do You see as man sees?
5 [Are] Your days as the days of man? Your years as the days of a man?
Are Your days like those of a mortal, or Your years like those of a man,
6 That You inquire for my iniquity, And seek for my sin?
that You should seek my iniquity and search out my sin—
7 For You know that I am not wicked, And there is no deliverer from Your hand.
though You know that I am not guilty, and there is no deliverance from Your hand?
8 Your hands have taken pains about me, And they make me together all around, And You swallow me up!
Your hands shaped me and altogether formed me. Would You now turn and destroy me?
9 Please remember That You have made me as clay, And You bring me back to dust.
Please remember that You molded me like clay. Would You now return me to dust?
10 Do You not pour me out as milk? And curdle me as cheese?
Did You not pour me out like milk, and curdle me like cheese?
11 Skin and flesh You put on me, And fence me with bones and sinews.
You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews.
12 Life and kindness You have done with me. And Your inspection has preserved my spirit.
You have granted me life and loving devotion, and Your care has preserved my spirit.
13 And these You have laid up in Your heart, I have known that this [is] with You.
Yet You concealed these things in Your heart, and I know that this was in Your mind:
14 If I sinned, then You have observed me, And do not acquit me from my iniquity,
If I sinned, You would take note, and would not acquit me of my iniquity.
15 If I have done wickedly—woe to me, And righteously—I do not lift up my head, Full of shame—then see my affliction,
If I am guilty, woe to me! And even if I am righteous, I cannot lift my head. I am full of shame and aware of my affliction.
16 And it rises—as a lion You hunt me. And You turn back—You show Yourself wonderful in me.
Should I hold my head high, You would hunt me like a lion, and again display Your power against me.
17 You renew Your witnesses against me, and multiply Your anger with me, Changes and warfare [are] with me.
You produce new witnesses against me and multiply Your anger toward me. Hardships assault me in wave after wave.
18 And why from the womb Have You brought me forth? I expire, and the eye does not see me.
Why then did You bring me from the womb? Oh, that I had died, and no eye had seen me!
19 I am as [if] I had not been, I am brought from the belly to the grave,
If only I had never come to be, but had been carried from the womb to the grave.
20 Are my days not few? Cease then, and put from me, And I brighten up a little,
Are my days not few? Withdraw from me, that I may have a little comfort,
21 Before I go, and do not return, To a land of darkness and death-shade,
before I go—never to return— to a land of darkness and gloom,
22 A land of obscurity as thick darkness, Death-shade—and no order, And the shining [is] as thick darkness.”
to a land of utter darkness, of deep shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness.”
