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Job: I Abhor My Life

10 “My soul loathes my life;
    I will freely give my complaint,
    I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
I will say to God, Do not condemn me;
    show me why You contend with me.
Is it good for You that You should oppress,
    that You should despise the work of Your hands
    and smile on the counsel of the wicked?
Do You have eyes of flesh?
    Or do You see as man sees?
Are Your days as the days of man?
    Are Your years as the days of a mortal,
that You inquire after my iniquity
    and search after my sin?
You know that I am not wicked,
    and there is none who can deliver out of Your hand.

“Your hands have shaped me and made me completely,
    yet You destroy me.
Remember, I pray,
    that You have made me as the clay.
    And would You return me to dust?
10 Have You not poured me out as milk
    and curdled me like cheese?
11 You have clothed me with skin and flesh,
    and have knit me together with bones and sinews.
12 You have granted me life and loyal love,
    and Your care has preserved my spirit.

13 “These things You have hid in Your heart.
    I know that this is with You.
14 If I have sinned, then You would watch me,
    and You would not acquit me from my iniquity.
15 If I am wicked, woe unto me;
    and if I am righteous, yet will I not lift up my head.
I am full of shame;
    look at my affliction!
16 For if my head is lifted up, You would hunt me like a lion,
    and again You show Yourself marvelous to me.
17 You renew Your witnesses against me
    and increase Your indignation upon me.
    Your troops come against me.

18 “Why then did You bring me forth out of the womb?
    Oh, that I had died, and 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.
20 Are not my days few? Stop then,
    and leave me alone that I may cheer up a little,
21 before I go and do not return,
    even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death,
22 a land of darkness, as darkness itself;
    and of the shadow of death, without any order,
    and where the light is as thick darkness.”

10 “I loathe my very life;(A)
    therefore I will give free rein to my complaint
    and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.(B)
I say to God:(C) Do not declare me guilty,
    but tell me what charges(D) you have against me.(E)
Does it please you to oppress me,(F)
    to spurn the work of your hands,(G)
    while you smile on the plans of the wicked?(H)
Do you have eyes of flesh?
    Do you see as a mortal sees?(I)
Are your days like those of a mortal
    or your years like those of a strong man,(J)
that you must search out my faults
    and probe after my sin(K)
though you know that I am not guilty(L)
    and that no one can rescue me from your hand?(M)

“Your hands shaped(N) me and made me.
    Will you now turn and destroy me?(O)
Remember that you molded me like clay.(P)
    Will you now turn me to dust again?(Q)
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
    and curdle me like cheese,
11 clothe me with skin and flesh
    and knit me together(R) with bones and sinews?
12 You gave me life(S) and showed me kindness,(T)
    and in your providence(U) watched over(V) my spirit.

13 “But this is what you concealed in your heart,
    and I know that this was in your mind:(W)
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me(X)
    and would not let my offense go unpunished.(Y)
15 If I am guilty(Z)—woe to me!(AA)
    Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head,(AB)
for I am full of shame
    and drowned in[a] my affliction.(AC)
16 If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion(AD)
    and again display your awesome power against me.(AE)
17 You bring new witnesses against me(AF)
    and increase your anger toward me;(AG)
    your forces come against me wave upon wave.(AH)

18 “Why then did you bring me out of the womb?(AI)
    I wish I had died before any eye saw me.(AJ)
19 If only I had never come into being,
    or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!(AK)
20 Are not my few days(AL) almost over?(AM)
    Turn away from me(AN) so I can have a moment’s joy(AO)
21 before I go to the place of no return,(AP)
    to the land of gloom and utter darkness,(AQ)
22 to the land of deepest night,
    of utter darkness(AR) and disorder,
    where even the light is like darkness.”(AS)

Footnotes

  1. Job 10:15 Or and aware of