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Job Laments His Birth

After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day of his birth. Job said:

“Let the day perish in which I was born
    and the night in which it was said, ‘A male child is conceived.’
As for that day, let it be darkness;
    let God above not regard it;
    and let not light shine upon it.
Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it;
    let a cloud settle on it;
    let the blackness of the day terrify it.
As for that night, let darkness capture it;
    let it not rejoice among the days of the year;
    let it not come into the number of the months.
Yes, as for that night, let it be barren!
    Let no joyful cry come into it!
Let them curse it who curse any day,
    those who are prepared to rouse Leviathan.
Let its morning stars be dark;
    let it look for light, but have none;
    let it not see the rays of dawn,
10 because it did not shut the doors of my mother’s womb,
    nor hide trouble from my eyes.

11 “Why did I not die at birth?
    Why did I not expire when I came out of the womb?
12 Why did her knees receive me?
    And why her breasts that I should nurse?
13 For now I would be lying down and would be at peace;
    I would have slept; then there would be rest for me,
14 with kings and counselors of the earth,
    who built ruins for themselves,
15 or with princes who had gold,
    who filled their houses with silver.
16 Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child,
    like infants who never saw light?
17 There the wicked will have stopped causing trouble,
    and there the exhausted will rest.
18 Captives will relax together;
    they do not hear the voice of the oppressor.
19 The small and great, they are there,
    and the servant is free from his master.

20 “Why is light given to the miserable,
    and life unto the bitter in soul,
21 who look for death, but it is not there;
    and they search for it more than for hidden treasures;
22 who rejoice exceedingly,
    and they are glad when they find the grave?
23 And why is light given to a man
    whose way is hidden,
    whom God has hedged in?
24 For my sighing comes before I eat,
    and my groaning pours forth like the waters.
25 For the thing which I greatly feared has happened to me,
    and that which I dreaded has come to me.
26 I am not at peace; I have no quiet,
    I cannot rest, and turmoil has come.”

Job Speaks

After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.(A) He said:

“May the day of my birth perish,
    and the night that said, ‘A boy is conceived!’(B)
That day—may it turn to darkness;
    may God above not care about it;
    may no light shine on it.
May gloom and utter darkness(C) claim it once more;
    may a cloud settle over it;
    may blackness overwhelm it.
That night—may thick darkness(D) seize it;
    may it not be included among the days of the year
    nor be entered in any of the months.
May that night be barren;
    may no shout of joy(E) be heard in it.
May those who curse days[a] curse that day,(F)
    those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.(G)
May its morning stars become dark;
    may it wait for daylight in vain
    and not see the first rays of dawn,(H)
10 for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me
    to hide trouble from my eyes.

11 “Why did I not perish at birth,
    and die as I came from the womb?(I)
12 Why were there knees to receive me(J)
    and breasts that I might be nursed?
13 For now I would be lying down(K) in peace;
    I would be asleep and at rest(L)
14 with kings and rulers of the earth,(M)
    who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,(N)
15 with princes(O) who had gold,
    who filled their houses with silver.(P)
16 Or why was I not hidden away in the ground like a stillborn child,(Q)
    like an infant who never saw the light of day?(R)
17 There the wicked cease from turmoil,(S)
    and there the weary are at rest.(T)
18 Captives(U) also enjoy their ease;
    they no longer hear the slave driver’s(V) shout.(W)
19 The small and the great are there,(X)
    and the slaves are freed from their owners.

20 “Why is light given to those in misery,
    and life to the bitter of soul,(Y)
21 to those who long for death that does not come,(Z)
    who search for it more than for hidden treasure,(AA)
22 who are filled with gladness
    and rejoice when they reach the grave?(AB)
23 Why is life given to a man
    whose way is hidden,(AC)
    whom God has hedged in?(AD)
24 For sighing(AE) has become my daily food;(AF)
    my groans(AG) pour out like water.(AH)
25 What I feared has come upon me;
    what I dreaded(AI) has happened to me.(AJ)
26 I have no peace,(AK) no quietness;
    I have no rest,(AL) but only turmoil.”(AM)

Footnotes

  1. Job 3:8 Or curse the sea