< Job 3 >

1 After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day,
After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day.
2 And he said:
And Job spoke, and said,
3 Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said: A man child is conceived.
Let the day perish in which I was born, and the night [in which] it was said, There is a man child conceived.
4 Let that day be turned into darkness, let not God regard it from above, and let not the light shine upon it.
Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.
5 Let darkness, and the shadow of death cover it, let a mist overspread it, and let it be wrapped up in bitterness.
Let darkness and the shades of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.
6 Let a darksome whirlwind seize upon that night, let it not be counted in the days of the year, nor numbered in the months.
As [for] that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined to the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months.
7 Let that night be solitary, and not worthy of praise.
Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein.
8 Let them curse it who curse the day. who are ready to raise up a leviathan:
Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning.
9 Let the stars be darkened with the mist thereof: let it expect light and not see it, nor the rising of the dawning of the day:
Let the stars of its twilight be dark; let it look for light, but [have] none; neither let it see the dawning of the day:
10 Because it shut not up the doors of the womb that bore me, nor took away evils from my eyes.
Because it prevented not my birth, nor hid sorrow from my eyes.
11 Why did I not die in the womb, why did I not perish when I came out of the belly?
Why died I not from the womb? [why] did I [not] expire at the time of my birth?
12 Why received upon the knees? why suckled at the breasts?
Why did the knees receive me? or why the breasts that I should be nursed?
13 For now I should have been asleep and still, and should have rest in my sleep.
For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest,
14 With kings and consuls of the earth, who build themselves solitudes:
With kings and counselors of the earth, who built desolate places for themselves;
15 Or with princes, that possess gold, and All their houses with silver:
Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver:
16 Or as a hidden untimely birth I should not be, or as they that being conceived have not seen the light.
Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants [which] never saw light.
17 There the wicked cease from tumult, and there the wearied in strength are at rest.
There the wicked cease [from] troubling; and there the weary are at rest.
18 And they sometime bound together without disquiet, have not heard the voice of the oppressor.
[There] the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.
19 The small and great are there, and the servant is free from his master.
The small and great are there; and the servant [is] free from his master.
20 Why is light given to him that is in misery, and life to them that are in bitterness of soul?
Why is light given to him that is in misery, and life to the bitter [in] soul;
21 That look for death, and it cometh not, as they that dig for a treasure:
Who long for death, but it [cometh] not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;
22 And they rejoice exceedingly when they have found the grave.
Who rejoice exceedingly, [and] are glad, when they can find the grave?
23 To a man whose way is hidden, and God hath surrounded him with darkness?
[Why is light given] to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?
24 Before I eat I sigh: and as overflowing waters, so is my roaring:
For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.
25 For the fear which I feared hath come upon me: and that which I was afraid of, hath befallen me.
For the thing which I greatly feared hath come upon me, and that which I dreaded hath come to me.
26 Have I not dissembled? have I not kept silence? have I not been quiet? and indignation is come upon me.
I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.

< Job 3 >