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.
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 tell God, ‘Do not condemn me. Show me why you contend with 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, that you should despise the work of your hands, and smile on the counsel 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? Or do you see as man sees?
Hast thou eyes of flesh? or wilt thou see as a mortal seeth?
5 Are your days as the days of mortals, or your years as man’s years,
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 that I am not wicked, there is no one who can deliver out of 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 me and fashioned me altogether, yet you destroy 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 Remember, I beg you, that you have fashioned me as 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 Haven’t you 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 loving kindness. Your visitation has preserved my spirit.
Life and kindness didst thou grant me, and thy providence watched over my spirit.
13 Yet you hid these things in your heart. I know that this is with you:
And yet these things hadst thou treasured up in thy heart: I know that this was [resolved] within thee.
14 if I sin, then you mark me. You will not acquit me from my iniquity.
If I have sinned, then dost thou watch me, and from my iniquity thou wilt not declare me guiltless.
15 If I am wicked, woe to me. If I am righteous, I still will not lift up my head, being filled with disgrace, and conscious of 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 is held high, you hunt me like a lion. Again you show yourself powerful to 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 renew your witnesses against me, and increase your indignation on me. Changes and warfare are with me.
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 the spirit, and no eye had 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 should have been as though I had not been. I should 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 Aren’t my days few? Stop! Leave me alone, that I may find a little comfort,
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 where I will not return from, 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 dark as midnight, of the shadow of death, without any order, where the light is as 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.
