Job 3
1 After this, opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.
After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
2 So then Job began, and said:
And this is what he said:
3 Perish, the day wherein I was born, and the night it was said, Lo! a manchild!
“May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, ‘A boy is conceived.’
4 That day, be it darkness, —Let not God enquire after it from above, May there shine upon it no clear beam:
If only that day had turned to darkness! May God above disregard it; may no light shine upon it.
5 Let darkness and death-shade buy it back, May there settle down upon it a cloud, Let a day’s dark eclipse cause it terror:
May darkness and gloom reclaim it, and a cloud settle over it; may the blackness of the day overwhelm it.
6 That night, darkness take it, —May it not rejoice among the days of the year, Into the number of months, let it not enter.
If only darkness had taken that night away! May it not appear among the days of the year; may it never be entered in any of the months.
7 Lo! that night, be it barren, Let no joyous shouting enter therein:
Behold, may that night be barren; may no joyful voice come into it.
8 Let day-cursers denounce it, Those skilled in rousing the dragon of the sky:
May it be cursed by those who curse the day — those prepared to rouse Leviathan.
9 Darkened be the stars of its twilight, —Let it wait for light, and there be none, neither let it see the eyelashes of the dawn:
May its morning stars grow dark; may it wait in vain for daylight; may it not see the breaking of dawn.
10 Because it closed not the doors of the womb wherein I was, and so hid trouble from mine eyes.
For that night did not shut the doors of the womb to hide the sorrow from my eyes.
11 Wherefore, in the womb, did I not die? From the womb, come forth and cease to breathe?
Why did I not perish at birth; why did I not die as I came from the womb?
12 For what reason, were there prepared for me—knees? and why—breasts, that I might suck?
Why were there knees to receive me, and breasts that I should be nursed?
13 Surely, at once, had I lain down, and been quiet, I had fallen asleep, then, had I been at rest:
For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest
14 With kings, and counselors of the earth, who had built them pyramids:
with kings and counselors of the earth, who built for themselves cities now in ruins,
15 Or with rulers possessing, gold, —Who had filled their houses with silver:
or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.
16 Or that, like an untimely birth hidden away, I had not come into being, like infants that never saw light:
Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, like an infant who never sees daylight?
17 There, the lawless, cease from raging, and there the toil-worn are at rest:
There the wicked cease from raging, and there the weary find rest.
18 At once are prisoners at peace, they hear not the voice of a driver:
The captives enjoy their ease; they do not hear the voice of the oppressor.
19 Small and great, there, they are, and, the slave, is free from his master.
Both small and great are there, and the slave is freed from his master.
20 Wherefore give, to the wretched, light? Or, life, to the embittered in soul?—
Why is light given to the miserable, and life to the bitter of soul,
21 Who long for death, and it is not, And have digged for it, beyond hid treasures:
who long for death that does not come, and search for it like hidden treasure,
22 Who rejoice unto exultation, Are glad, when they can find the grave:
who rejoice and greatly exult when they can find the grave?
23 To a man, whose way is concealed, And GOD hath straitly enclosed him?
Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?
24 For, in the face of my food, my sighing, cometh in, and, poured out like the water, are my groans:
I sigh when food is put before me, and my groans pour out like water.
25 For, a dread, I dreaded, and it hath come upon me, and, that from which I shrank, hath overtaken me.
For the thing I feared has overtaken me, and what I dreaded has befallen me.
26 I was not careless, nor was I secure, nor had I settled down, —when there came—consternation!
I am not at ease or quiet; I have no rest, for trouble has come.”
