Job 10

1 "My soul is weary of my life. I will give free course to my complaint. I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

I hate my life! Let me speak freely about my complaints—I can't keep my bitterness to myself.

2 I will tell God, 'Do not condemn me. Show me why you contend with me.

I will tell God, “Don't just condemn me—tell me what you have against me.

3 Is it good to you that you should oppress, that you should despise the work of your hands, and smile on the counsel of the wicked?

Do you enjoy accusing me? Why do you reject me, someone you made with your own hands, and yet smile on the scheming of the wicked?

4 Do you have eyes of flesh? Or do you see as man sees?

Do you have human eyes? Do you see like human beings do?

5 Are your days as the days of mortals, or your years as man's years,

Is your life as short as mortal beings? Are your years as brief as those of humanity,

6 that you inquire after my iniquity, and search after my sin?

that you have to examine my wrongs and investigate my sins?

7 Although you know that I am not wicked, there is no one who can deliver out of your hand.

Even though you know I'm not guilty, no one can save me from you.

8 "'Your hands have framed me and fashioned me altogether, yet you destroy me.

You made me and shaped me with your own hands, and yet you destroy me.

9 Remember, I beg you, that you have fashioned me as clay. Will you bring me into dust again?

Remember that you shaped me like a piece of clay—are you now going to turn me back into dust?

10 Haven't you poured me out like milk, and curdled me like cheese?

You poured me out like milk, you curdled me like cheese.

11 You have clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews.

You clothed me with skin and flesh; you wove my body together with bones and muscles.

12 You have granted me life and loving kindness. Your visitation has preserved my spirit.

You granted me life and showed me your kindness; you have taken great care of me.

13 Yet you hid these things in your heart. I know that this is with you:

But you kept these things hidden in your heart. I know your purpose was

14 if I sin, then you mark me. You will not acquit me from my iniquity.

to watch me, and if I sinned, then you would not forgive my wrongs.

15 If I am wicked, woe to me. If I am righteous, I still shall not lift up my head, being filled with disgrace, and conscious of my affliction.

If I'm guilty I'm in trouble, if I'm innocent I can't hold my head high because I'm totally disgraced as I look at my sufferings.

16 And if I lift myself up, you hunt me like a lion. Again you show yourself powerful to me.

If I do hold my head high you hunt me down like a lion, showing how powerful you are in hurting me.

17 You renew your witnesses against me, and increase your indignation on me. Changes and warfare are with me.

You repeat your arguments against me, you pour out more and more of your anger against me, you send fresh armies against me.

18 "'Why, then, have you brought me forth out of the womb? I wish I had given up the spirit, and no eye had seen me.

So why did you allow me to be born? I wish that I had died, and nobody had ever seen me!

19 I should have been as though I had not been. I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

It would have been better if I had never existed, taken straight from the womb to the grave.

20 Aren't my days few? Cease then. Leave me alone, that I may find a little comfort,

I only have a few days left, so why don't you leave me alone so I can have a little peace

21 before I go where I shall not return from, to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death;

before I go to where I shall never return from, the land of darkness and the shadow of death—

22 the land dark as midnight, of the shadow of death, without any order, where the light is as midnight.'"

the land of total darkness where death's shadow lies, a place of chaos where light itself is darkness.”