Job 3

1 At length Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day of his birth.

After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day,

2 And Job spake and said:

saying,

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, and that night in which they said, Behold a man-child!

4 Let that day be darkness; Let not God seek it from above; Yea, let not the light shine upon it!

Let that night be darkness, and let not the Lord regard it from above, neither let light come upon it.

5 Let darkness and the shadow of death redeem it; Let a cloud dwell upon it; Let whatever darkeneth the day terrify it!

But let darkness and the shadow of death seize it; let blackness come upon 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!

let that day and night be cursed, let darkness carry them away; let it not come into the days of the year, neither let it be numbered with the days of the months.

7 O let that night be unfruitful! Let there be in it no voice of joy;

But let that night be pain, and let not mirth come upon it, nor joy.

8 Let them that curse the day curse it, Who are skilful to stir up the leviathan!

But let him that curses that day curse it, [even] he that is ready to attack the great whale.

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 that night be darkened; let it remain [dark], and not come into light; and let it not see the morning star arise:

10 Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, And hid not trouble from mine eyes.

because it shut not up the gates of my mother's womb, for [so] it would have removed sorrow from my eyes.

11 Why died I not at my birth? Why did I not expire when I came forth from the womb?

For why died I not in the belly? and [why] did I not come forth from the womb and die immediately?

12 Why did the knees receive me, And why the breasts, that I might suck?

and why did the knees support me? and why did I suck the breasts?

13 For now should I lie down and be quiet; I should sleep; then should I be at rest,

Now I should have lain down and been quiet, I should have slept and been at rest,

14 With kings and counsellors of the earth, Who built up for themselves—ruins!

with kings [and] councillors of the earth, who gloried in [their] swords;

15 Or with princes that had gold, And filled their houses with silver;

or with rulers, whose gold was abundant, who filled their houses with silver:

16 Or, as a hidden untimely birth, I had perished; As infants which never saw the light.

or [I should have been] as an untimely birth proceeding from his mother's womb, or as infants who never saw light.

17 There the wicked cease from troubling; There the weary are at rest.

There the ungodly have burnt out the fury of rage; there the wearied in body rest.

18 There the prisoners rest together; They hear not the voice of the oppressor.

And the men of old time have together ceased to hear the exactor's voice.

19 The small and the great are there, And the servant is free from his master.

The small and great are there, and the servant that feared his lord.

20 Why giveth He light to him that is in misery, And life to the bitter in soul,

For why is light given to those who are in bitterness, and life to those souls which are in griefs?

21 Who long for death, and it cometh not, And dig for it more than for hid treasures;

who desire death, and obtain it not, digging [for it] as [for] treasures;

22 Who rejoice exceedingly, Yea, exult, when they can find a grave?

and would be very joyful if they should gain it?

23 Why is light given to a man from whom the way is hid, And whom God hath hedged in?

Death [is] rest to [such] a man, for God has hedged him in.

24 For my sighing cometh before I eat, And my groans are poured out like water.

For my groaning comes before my food, and I weep being beset with terror.

25 For that which I dread overtaketh me; That at which I shudder cometh upon me.

For the terror of which I meditated has come upon me, and that which I had feared has befallen me.

26 I have no peace, nor quiet, nor respite: Misery cometh upon me continually.

I was not at peace, nor quiet, nor had I rest; yet wrath came upon me.