< 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.
My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint on myself; I will 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; show me why you contend with 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?
Is it good to you that you should oppress, that you should despise the work of your hands, and shine on the counsel of the wicked?
4 Do you have eyes of flesh? Do You see as man sees?
Have you eyes of flesh? or see you as man sees?
5 [Are] Your days as the days of man? Your years as the days of a man?
Are your days as the days of man? are your years as man’s days,
6 That You inquire for my iniquity, And seek for my sin?
That you enquire after my iniquity, and search after my sin?
7 For You know that I am not wicked, And there is no deliverer from Your hand.
You know that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of your hand.
8 Your hands have taken pains about me, And they make me together all around, And You swallow me up!
Your hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet you do destroy me.
9 Please remember That You have made me as clay, And You bring me back to dust.
Remember, I beseech you, that you have made me as the clay; and will you bring me into dust again?
10 Do You not pour me out as milk? And curdle me as cheese?
Have you not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?
11 Skin and flesh You put on me, And fence me with bones and sinews.
You have clothed me with skin and flesh, and have fenced me 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 favor, and your visitation has preserved my spirit.
13 And these You have laid up in Your heart, I have known that this [is] with You.
And these things have you hid in your heart: I know that this is with you.
14 If I sinned, then You have observed me, And do not acquit me from my iniquity,
If I sin, then you mark me, and you will not acquit me from 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 be wicked, woe to me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see you my affliction;
16 And it rises—as a lion You hunt me. And You turn back—You show Yourself wonderful in me.
For it increases. You hunt me as a fierce lion: and again you show yourself marvelous on me.
17 You renew Your witnesses against me, and multiply Your anger with me, Changes and warfare [are] with me.
You renew your witnesses against me, and increase your indignation on me; changes and war are against me.
18 And why from the womb Have You brought me forth? I expire, and the eye does not see me.
Why then have you brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!
19 I am as [if] I had not been, I am brought from the belly to the grave,
I should have been as though I had not been; I should have 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 not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,
21 Before I go, and do not return, To a land of darkness and death-shade,
Before I go from where I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;
22 A land of obscurity as thick darkness, Death-shade—and no order, And the shining [is] as thick darkness.”
A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.