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 am weary of my life; I will give free expression to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

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

I will say to God, 'Do not merely condemn me; show me why you accuse 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?

Is it good to you that you should oppress me, to despise the work of your hands while you smile on the plans of the wicked?

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

Do you have eyes of flesh? Do you see like a man sees?

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

Are your days like the days of mankind or your years like the years of people,

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

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

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

although you know I am not guilty and there is no one who can rescue me from your hand?

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

Your hands have framed and fashioned me together round about, yet you are destroying me.

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

Call to mind, I beg you, that you have fashioned me like clay; will you bring me into dust again?

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

Have you not poured me out like milk and curdled me like cheese?

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

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

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

You have granted me life and covenant faithfulness; your help has guarded my spirit.

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

Yet these things you hid in your heart— I know that this is what you were thinking:

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

that if I sinned, you would notice it; you would not acquit me of my iniquity.

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 have acted wickedly, woe to me; and even if I acted righteously, I could not lift up my head, since I am filled with disgrace— see my affliction!

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

If my head were lifted up, you would stalk me like a lion; and again you would show yourself with marvellous acts of power against me.

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

You bring new witnesses against me and increase your anger against me; you attack me with fresh armies.

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.

Why, then, have you brought me out of the womb? I wish I had given up my spirit and that no eye 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.

I would have been as though I had never existed; I would have been carried from the womb to the grave.

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

Are not my days only a few? Stop then, let me alone, so that I may have a little rest

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

before I go from where I will not return, to the land of darkness and of 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 that is as dark as midnight, the land of the shadow of death, without any order, where the light is like midnight.'”