Job 3

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

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

2 And he said:

Job answered:

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, the night which said, ‘There is a boy 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. Don’t let God from above seek for it, neither let the light shine on 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 shadow of death claim it for their own. Let a cloud dwell on it. Let all that makes the day black 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 thick darkness seize on it. Let it not rejoice amongst 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.

Behold, let that night be barren. 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 who curse the day, who are ready to rouse up leviathan.

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 eyelids of the morning,

10 Because it shut not up the doors of the womb that bore me, nor took away evils from my eyes.

because it didn’t shut up the doors of my mother’s womb, nor did it hide trouble 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 didn’t I die from the womb? Why didn’t I give up the spirit when my mother bore me?

12 Why received upon the knees? why suckled at the breasts?

Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breast, that I should nurse?

13 For now I should have been asleep and still, and should have rest in my sleep.

For now I should have lain down and been quiet. I should have slept, then I would have been at rest,

14 With kings and consuls of the earth, who build themselves solitudes:

with kings and counsellors of the earth, who built up waste places for themselves;

15 Or with princes, that possess gold, and All their houses with silver:

or with princes who 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 who 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. 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 are at ease together. They don’t hear the voice of the taskmaster.

19 The small and great are there, and the servant is free from his master.

The small and the great are there. 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 who is in misery, 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 doesn’t come; and dig for it more than for hidden 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 hidden, whom God has hedged in?

24 Before I eat I sigh: and as overflowing waters, so is my roaring:

For my sighing comes before I eat. My groanings are poured out like water.

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 fear comes on me, that which I am afraid of comes to me.

26 Have I not dissembled? have I not kept silence? have I not been quiet? and indignation is come upon me.

I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither do I have rest; but trouble comes.”