Job 10

1 I am weary of my life; I will give free expression to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

2 I will say to God, 'Do not merely condemn me; show me why you accuse me.

I will say to God, Do not condemn me; show me why thou contendest with me.

3 Is it good to you that you should oppress me, to despise the work of your hands while you smile on the plans of the wicked?

Is it good to thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thy hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

4 Do you have eyes of flesh? Do you see like a man sees?

Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?

5 Are your days like the days of mankind or your years like the years of people,

Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man’s days,

6 that you inquire after my iniquity and search after my sin,

That thou enquirest after my iniquity, and searchest after my sin?

7 although you know I am not guilty and there is no one who can rescue me from your hand?

Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thy hand.

8 Your hands have framed and fashioned me together round about, yet you are destroying me.

Thy hands have made me and fashioned me in all my parts; yet thou dost destroy me.

9 Call to mind, I beg you, that you have fashioned me like clay; will you bring me into dust again?

Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?

10 Have you not poured me out like milk and curdled me like cheese?

Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?

11 You have clothed me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews.

Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.

12 You have granted me life and covenant faithfulness; your help has guarded my spirit.

Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy care hath preserved my spirit.

13 Yet these things you hid in your heart— I know that this is what you were thinking:

And these things hast thou hid in thy heart: I know that this is with thee.

14 that if I sinned, you would notice it; you would not acquit me of my iniquity.

If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from my iniquity.

15 If I have acted wickedly, woe to me; and even if I acted righteously, I could not lift up my head, since I am filled with disgrace— see my affliction!

If I be wicked, woe to me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou my affliction;

16 If my head were lifted up, you would stalk me like a lion; and again you would show yourself with marvellous acts of power against me.

For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou showest thyself marvellous upon me.

17 You bring new witnesses against me and increase your anger against me; you attack me with fresh armies.

Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thy indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.

18 Why, then, have you brought me out of the womb? I wish I had given up my spirit and that no eye had ever seen me.

Why then hast thou brought me forth from the womb? O that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!

19 I would have been as though I had never existed; I would have been carried from the womb to the grave.

I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

20 Are not my days only a few? Stop then, let me alone, so that I may have a little rest

Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,

21 before I go from where I will not return, to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death,

Before I go to the place from which I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;

22 the land that is as dark as midnight, the land of the shadow of death, without any order, where the light is like midnight.'”

A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.