Job 10
1 My soul hath been weary of my life, I leave off my talking to myself, I speak in the bitterness of my soul.
My soul is tired of life; I will let my sad thoughts go free in words; my soul will make a bitter outcry.
2 I say unto God, 'Do not condemn me, Let me know why Thou dost strive [with] me.
I will say to God, Do not put me down as a sinner; make clear to me what you have against me.
3 Is it good for Thee that Thou dost oppress? That Thou despisest the labour of Thy hands, And on the counsel of the wicked hast shone?
What profit is it to you to be cruel, to give up the work of your hands, looking kindly on the design of evil-doers?
4 Eyes of flesh hast Thou? As man seeth — seest Thou?
Have you eyes of flesh, or do you see as man sees?
5 As the days of man [are] Thy days? Thy years as the days of a man?
Are your days as the days of man, or your years like his,
6 That Thou inquirest for mine iniquity, And for my sin seekest?
That you take note of my sin, searching after my wrongdoing,
7 For Thou knowest that I am not wicked, And there is no deliverer from Thy hand.
Though you see that I am not an evil-doer; and there is no one who is able to take a man out of your hands?
8 Thy hands have taken pains about me, And they make me together round about, And Thou swallowest me up!
Your hands made me, and I was formed by you, but then, changing your purpose, you gave me up to destruction.
9 Remember, I pray Thee, That as clay Thou hast made me, And unto dust Thou dost bring me back.
O keep in mind that you made me out of earth; and will you send me back again to dust?
10 Dost Thou not as milk pour me out? And as cheese curdle me?
Was I not drained out like milk, becoming hard like cheese?
11 Skin and flesh Thou dost put on me, And with bones and sinews dost fence me.
By you I was clothed with skin and flesh, and joined together with bones and muscles.
12 Life and kindness Thou hast done with me. And Thy inspection hath preserved my spirit.
You have been kind to me, and your grace has been with me, and your care has kept my spirit safe.
13 And these Thou hast laid up in Thy heart, I have known that this [is] with Thee.
But you kept these things in the secret of your heart; I am certain this was in your thoughts:
14 If I sinned, then Thou hast observed me, And from mine iniquity dost not acquit me,
That, if I did wrong, you would take note of it, and would not make me clear from sin:
15 If I have done wickedly — woe to me, And righteously — I lift not up my head, Full of shame — then see my affliction,
That, if I was an evil-doer, the curse would come on me; and if I was upright, my head would not be lifted up, being full of shame and overcome with trouble.
16 And it riseth — as a lion Thou huntest me. And Thou turnest back — Thou shewest Thyself wonderful in me.
And that if there was cause for pride, you would go after me like a lion; and again put out your wonders against me:
17 Thou renewest Thy witnesses against me, And dost multiply Thine anger with me, Changes and warfare [are] with me.
That you would send new witnesses against me, increasing your wrath against me, and letting loose new armies on me.
18 And why from the womb Hast Thou brought me forth? I expire, and the eye doth not see me.
Why then did you make me come out of my mother's body? It would have been better for me to have taken my last breath, and for no eye to have seen me,
19 As I had not been, I am, From the belly to the grave I am brought,
And for me to have been as if I had not been; to have been taken from my mother's body straight to my last resting-place.
20 Are not my days few? Cease then, and put from me, And I brighten up a little,
Are not the days of my life small in number? Let your eyes be turned away from me, so that I may have a little pleasure,
21 Before I go, and return not, Unto a land of darkness and death-shade,
Before I go to the place from which I will not come back, to the land where all is dark and black,
22 A land of obscurity as thick darkness, Death-shade — and no order, And the shining [is] as thick darkness.'
A land of thick dark, without order, where the very light is dark.
