Job 10
1 I am weary of my life; I will give free expression to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
My soul is disgusted with my life; I will give free vent to my complaint over myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2 I will say to God, 'Do not merely condemn me; show me why you accuse me.
I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; let me know for what cause thou contendest against me.
3 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?
Is it well for thee that thou shouldst oppress, that thou shouldst reject the labor of thy hands, and shed light upon the counsel of the wicked?
4 Do you have eyes of flesh? Do you see like a man sees?
Hast thou eyes of flesh? or wilt thou see as a mortal seeth?
5 Are your days like the days of mankind or your years like the years of people,
Are thy days as the days of a mortal, or are thy years as the days of a man,
6 that you inquire after my iniquity and search after my sin,
That thou inquirest after my iniquity, and searchest after my sin?
7 although you know I am not guilty and there is no one who can rescue me from your hand?
Still it is within thy knowledge that I am not wicked, and there is none that can deliver me out of thy hand.
8 Your hands have framed and fashioned me together round about, yet you are destroying me.
Thy hands have carefully fashioned me and made me; every thing is in harmony all round about; and yet thou dost destroy me!
9 Call to mind, I beg you, that you have fashioned me like clay; will you bring me into dust again?
Remember, I beseech thee, that as though I were clay hast thou made me; and wilt thou cause me to return again unto the dust?
10 Have you not poured me out like milk and curdled me like cheese?
Behold, like milk didst thou pour me out, and like cheese didst thou curdle me.
11 You have clothed me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews.
With skin and flesh didst thou clothe me, and with bones and sinews didst thou cover me.
12 You have granted me life and covenant faithfulness; your help has guarded my spirit.
Life and kindness didst thou grant me, and thy providence watched over my spirit.
13 Yet these things you hid in your heart— I know that this is what you were thinking:
And yet these things hadst thou treasured up in thy heart: I know that this was [resolved] within thee.
14 that if I sinned, you would notice it; you would not acquit me of my iniquity.
If I have sinned, then dost thou watch me, and from my iniquity thou wilt not declare me guiltless.
15 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!
If I be wicked, woe unto me: and if I be righteous, I can still not lift up my head; I am sated with disgrace, and ever seeing my affliction;
16 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.
And it constantly increaseth; like a fierce lion dost thou hunt for me; and again thou showest thyself continually wonderful on me;
17 You bring new witnesses against me and increase your anger against me; you attack me with fresh armies.
Thou ever renewest thy witnesses against me, and causest thy indignation to grow strong against me; changes and multitudes [of sufferings] are around me.
18 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.
Wherefore then didst thou bring me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had perished, and that no eye had seen me!
19 I would have been as though I had never existed; I would have been carried from the womb to the grave.
That I were as though I had not been, —had been borne from the womb to the grave.
20 Are not my days only a few? Stop then, let me alone, so that I may have a little rest
Lo! my days are but few: cease, then, withdraw from me [thy hand], that I may recover my cheerfulness a little.
21 before I go from where I will not return, to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death,
Before I go, and return not, to the land of darkness and the shadow of death,
22 the land that is as dark as midnight, the land of the shadow of death, without any order, where the light is like midnight.'”
A land of utter gloom, as of the darkness of the shadow of death, without any order, and the light of which is like utter gloom.
