Job 3

1 After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.

After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day,

2 And Job spake, and said,

saying,

3 Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night [in which] it was said, There is a man child conceived.

Let the day perish in which I was born, and that night in which they said, Behold a man-child!

4 Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.

Let that night be darkness, and let not the Lord regard it from above, neither let light come upon it.

5 Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.

But let darkness and the shadow of death seize it; let blackness come upon it;

6 As [for] that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months.

let that day and night be cursed, let darkness carry them away; let it not come into the days of the year, neither let it be numbered with the days of the months.

7 Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein.

But let that night be pain, and let not mirth come upon it, nor joy.

8 Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning.

But let him that curses that day curse it, [even] he that is ready to attack the great whale.

9 Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but [have] none; neither let it see the dawning of the day:

Let the stars of that night be darkened; let it remain [dark], and not come into light; and let it not see the morning star arise:

10 Because it shut not up the doors of my [mother’s] womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.

because it shut not up the gates of my mother's womb, for [so] it would have removed sorrow from my eyes.

11 Why died I not from the womb? [why] did I [not] give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?

For why died I not in the belly? and [why] did I not come forth from the womb and die immediately?

12 Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck?

and why did the knees support me? and why did I suck the breasts?

13 For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest,

Now I should have lain down and been quiet, I should have slept and been at rest,

14 With kings and counsellors of the earth, which built desolate places for themselves;

with kings [and] councillors of the earth, who gloried in [their] swords;

15 Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver:

or with rulers, whose gold was abundant, who filled their houses with silver:

16 Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants [which] never saw light.

or [I should have been] as an untimely birth proceeding from his mother's womb, or as infants who never saw light.

17 There the wicked cease [from] troubling; and there the weary be at rest.

There the ungodly have burnt out the fury of rage; there the wearied in body rest.

18 [There] the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.

And the men of old time have together ceased to hear the exactor's voice.

19 The small and great are there; and the servant [is] free from his master.

The small and great are there, and the servant that feared his lord.

20 Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter [in] soul;

For why is light given to those who are in bitterness, and life to those souls which are in griefs?

21 Which long for death, but it [cometh] not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;

who desire death, and obtain it not, digging [for it] as [for] treasures;

22 Which rejoice exceedingly, [and] are glad, when they can find the grave?

and would be very joyful if they should gain it?

23 [Why is light given] to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?

Death [is] rest to [such] a man, for God has hedged him in.

24 For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.

For my groaning comes before my food, and I weep being beset with terror.

25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.

For the terror of which I meditated has come upon me, and that which I had feared has befallen me.

26 I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.

I was not at peace, nor quiet, nor had I rest; yet wrath came upon me.