Job 3

1 Afterward Iob opened his mouth, and cursed his day.

After this Job has opened his mouth, and reviles his day.

2 And Iob cryed out, and sayd,

And Job answers and says:

3 Let the day perish, wherein I was borne, and the night when it was sayde, There is a man childe conceiued.

“Let the day perish in which I am born, And the night that has said: A man-child has been conceived.

4 Let that day bee darkenesse, let not God regarde it from aboue, neyther let the light shine vpon it,

That day—let it be darkness, Do not let God require it from above, Nor let light shine on it.

5 But let darkenesse, and the shadowe of death staine it: let the cloude remayne vpon it, and let them make it fearefull as a bitter day.

Let darkness and death-shade redeem it, Let a cloud dwell on it, Let them terrify it as the most bitter of days.

6 Let darkenesse possesse that night, let it not be ioyned vnto the dayes of the yeere, nor let it come into the count of the moneths.

That night—let thick darkness take it, Let it not be united to days of the year, Let it not come into the number of months.

7 Yea, desolate be that night, and let no ioy be in it.

Behold! That night—let it be barren, Let no singing come into it.

8 Let them that curse the day, (being readie to renue their mourning) curse it.

Let the cursers of day mark it, Who are ready to wake up Leviathan.

9 Let the starres of that twilight be dimme through darkenesse of it: let it looke for light, but haue none: neither let it see the dawning of the day,

Let the stars of its twilight be dark, Let it wait for light, and there is none, And let it not look on the eyelids of the dawn.

10 Because it shut not vp the dores of my mothers wombe: nor hid sorowe from mine eyes.

Because it has not shut the doors Of the womb that was mine! And hide misery from my eyes.

11 Why died I not in the birth? or why dyed I not, when I came out of the wombe?

Why do I not die from the womb? I have come forth from the belly and gasp!

12 Why did the knees preuent me? and why did I sucke the breasts?

Why have knees been before me? And what [are] breasts, that I suck?

13 For so shoulde I now haue lyen and bene quiet, I should haue slept then, and bene at rest,

For now, I have lain down, and am quiet, I have slept—then there is rest to me,

14 With the Kings and counselers of the earth, which haue buylded themselues desolate places:

With kings and counselors of earth, These building ruins for themselves.

15 Or with the princes that had golde, and haue filled their houses with siluer.

Or with princes—they have gold, They are filling their houses [with] silver.

16 Or why was I not hid, as an vntimely birth, either as infants, which haue not seene the light?

(Or I am not as a hidden abortion, As infants—they have not seen light.)

17 The wicked haue there ceased from their tyrannie, and there they that laboured valiantly, are at rest.

There the wicked have ceased troubling, And there the wearied rest in power.

18 The prisoners rest together, and heare not the voyce of the oppressour.

Together prisoners have been at ease, They have not heard the voice of an exactor,

19 There are small and great, and the seruant is free from his master.

Small and great [are] the same there. And a servant [is] free from his lord.

20 Wherefore is the light giuen to him that is in miserie? and life vnto them that haue heauie hearts?

Why does He give light to the miserable, and life to the bitter soul?

21 Which long for death, and if it come not, they would euen search it more then treasures:

Who are waiting for death, and it is not, And they seek it above hid treasures.

22 Which ioy for gladnes, and reioyce, when they can finde the graue.

Who are glad—to joy, They rejoice when they find a grave.

23 Why is the light giuen to the man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?

To a man whose way has been hidden, And whom God shuts up?

24 For my sighing commeth before I eate, and my roarings are powred out like the water.

For before my food, my sighing comes, And my roarings [are] poured out as waters.

25 For the thing I feared, is come vpon me, and the thing that I was afraid of, is come vnto me.

For I feared a fear and it meets me, And what I was afraid of comes to me.

26 I had no peace, neither had I quietnesse, neither had I rest, yet trouble is come.

I was not safe—nor was I quiet—Nor was I at rest—and trouble comes!”