Job 3
1 At length Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day of his birth.
After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day of his birth.
2 And Job spake and said:
Job answered:
3 Perish the day in which I was born, and the night which said, “A man-child is conceived!”
“Let the day perish in which I was born, the night which said, ‘There is a boy conceived.’
4 Let that day be darkness; Let not God seek it from above; Yea, let not the light shine upon it!
Let that day be darkness. Do not let God from above seek for it, neither let the light shine on it.
5 Let darkness and the shadow of death redeem it; Let a cloud dwell upon it; Let whatever darkeneth the day terrify it!
Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own. Let a cloud dwell on it. Let all that makes the day black terrify it.
6 As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; Let it not rejoice among the days of the year; Let it not come into the number of the months!
As for that night, let thick darkness seize on it. Let it not rejoice among the days of the year. Let it not come into the number of the months.
7 O let that night be unfruitful! Let there be in it no voice of joy;
Behold, let that night be barren. Let no joyful voice come therein.
8 Let them that curse the day curse it, Who are skilful to stir up the leviathan!
Let them curse it who curse the day, who are ready to rouse up leviathan.
9 Let the stars of its twilight be darkened; Let it long for light, and have none; Neither let it see the eyelashes of the morning!
Let the stars of its twilight be dark. Let it look for light, but have none, neither let it see the eyelids of the morning,
10 Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, And hid not trouble from mine eyes.
because it did not shut up the doors of my mother’s womb, nor did it hide trouble from my eyes.
11 Why died I not at my birth? Why did I not expire when I came forth from the womb?
“Why did not I die from the womb? Why did not I give up the spirit when my mother bore me?
12 Why did the knees receive me, And why the breasts, that I might suck?
Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breast, that I should nurse?
13 For now should I lie down and be quiet; I should sleep; then should I be at rest,
For now I should have lain down and been quiet. I should have slept, then I would have been at rest,
14 With kings and counsellors of the earth, Who built up for themselves—ruins!
with kings and counselors of the earth, who built up waste places for themselves;
15 Or with princes that had gold, And filled their houses with silver;
or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver;
16 Or, as a hidden untimely birth, I had perished; As infants which never saw the light.
or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been, as infants who never saw light.
17 There the wicked cease from troubling; There the weary are at rest.
There the wicked cease from troubling. There the weary are at rest.
18 There the prisoners rest together; They hear not the voice of the oppressor.
There the prisoners are at ease together. They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster.
19 The small and the great are there, And the servant is free from his master.
The small and the great are there. The servant is free from his master.
20 Why giveth He light to him that is in misery, And life to the bitter in soul,
“Why is light given to him who is in misery, life to the bitter in soul,
21 Who long for death, and it cometh not, And dig for it more than for hid treasures;
who long for death, but it does not come; and dig for it more than for hidden treasures,
22 Who rejoice exceedingly, Yea, exult, when they can find a grave?
who rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?
23 Why is light given to a man from whom the way is hid, And whom God hath hedged in?
Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?
24 For my sighing cometh before I eat, And my groans are poured out like water.
For my sighing comes before I eat. My groanings are poured out like water.
25 For that which I dread overtaketh me; That at which I shudder cometh upon me.
For the thing which I fear comes on me, that which I am afraid of comes to me.
26 I have no peace, nor quiet, nor respite: Misery cometh upon me continually.
I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither do I have rest; but trouble comes.”
