JOB
CHAPTER 3

Job Speaks

¹ After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. ² He said:

³ "May the day of my birth perish,
and the night it was said, 'A boy is born!'
⁴ That day-may it turn to darkness;
may God above not care about it;
may no light shine upon it.
⁵ May darkness and deep shadow ^[1] claim it once more;
may a cloud settle over it;
may blackness overwhelm its light.
⁶ That night-may thick darkness seize it;
may it not be included among the days of the year
nor be entered in any of the months.
⁷ May that night be barren;
may no shout of joy be heard in it.
⁸ May those who curse days ^[2] curse that day,
those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.
⁹ May its morning stars become dark;
may it wait for daylight in vain
and not see the first rays of dawn,
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?
¹² Why were there knees to receive me
and breasts that I might be nursed?
¹³ For now I would be lying down in peace;
I would be asleep and at rest
¹⁴ with kings and counselors of the earth,
who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,
¹⁵ with rulers who had gold,
who filled their houses with silver.
¹⁶ Or why was I not hidden in the ground like a stillborn child,
like an infant who never saw the light of day?
¹⁷ There the wicked cease from turmoil,
and there the weary are at rest.
¹⁸ Captives also enjoy their ease;
they no longer hear the slave driver's shout.
¹⁹ The small and the great are there,
and the slave is freed from his master.

²⁰ "Why is light given to those in misery,
and life to the bitter of soul,
²¹ to those who long for death that does not come,
who search for it more than for hidden treasure,
²² who are filled with gladness
and rejoice when they reach the grave?
²³ Why is life given to a man
whose way is hidden,
whom God has hedged in?
²⁴ For sighing comes to me instead of food;
my groans pour out like water.
²⁵ What I feared has come upon me;
what I dreaded has happened to me.
²⁶ I have no peace, no quietness;
I have no rest, but only turmoil."

Footnotes

1. 3:5 Or and the shadow of death
2. 3:8 Or the sea

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Bible text from Gospelcom.net.  Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

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