Job 3

1 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day he was born.

Then, opening his mouth, and cursing the day of his birth,

2 He said,

Job made answer and said,

3 “May the day on which I was born perish, the night that said, 'A boy has been conceived.'

Let destruction take the day of my birth, and the night on which it was said, A man child has come into the world.

4 May that day be dark; may not God from above call it to mind, neither may the sun shine on it.

That day — let it be dark; let not God take note of it from on high, and let not the light be shining on it;

5 May darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own. May a cloud live over it; may everything that makes the day black truly terrify it.

Let the dark and the black night take it for themselves; let it be covered with a cloud; let the dark shades of day send fear on it.

6 As for that night, may thick darkness seize it. May it not rejoice among the days of the year; may it not come into the number of the months.

That night — let the thick dark take it; let it not have joy among the days of the year; let it not come into the number of the months.

7 See, may that night be barren; may no joyful voice come into it.

As for that night, let it have no fruit; let no voice of joy be sounded in it;

8 May they curse that day, those who know how to wake up Leviathan.

Let it be cursed by those who put a curse on the day; who are ready to make Leviathan awake.

9 May the stars of that day's dawn be dark. May that day look for light, but find none; neither may it see the eyelids of the dawn,

Let its morning stars be dark; let it be looking for light, but may it not have any; let it not see the eyes of the dawn.

10 because it did not shut up the doors of my mother's womb, and because it did not hide trouble from my eyes.

Because it did not keep the doors of my mother's body shut, so that trouble might be veiled from my eyes.

11 Why did I not die when I came out from the womb? Why did I not give up my spirit when my mother bore me?

Why did death not take me when I came out of my mother's body, why did I not, when I came out, give up my last breath?

12 Why did her knees welcome me? Why did her breasts receive me so that I should suck?

Why did the knees take me, or why the breasts that they might give me milk?

13 For now I would have been lying down quietly. I would have slept and been at rest

For then I might have gone to my rest in quiet, and in sleep have been in peace,

14 with kings and counselors of the earth, who built up tombs for themselves that are now in ruins.

With kings and the wise ones of the earth, who put up great houses for themselves;

15 Or I would have been lying with princes who once had gold, who had filled their houses with silver.

Or with rulers who had gold, and whose houses were full of silver;

16 Or perhaps I would have been stillborn, like infants that never see the light.

Or as a child dead at birth I might never have come into existence; like young children who have not seen the light.

17 There the wicked cease from trouble; there the weary are at rest.

There the passions of the evil are over, and those whose strength has come to an end have rest.

18 There the prisoners are at ease together; they do not hear the voice of the slave driver.

There the prisoners are at peace together; the voice of the overseer comes not again to their ears.

19 Both small and great people are there; the servant is free from his master there.

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

20 Why is light given to him who is in misery? Why is life given to the one who is bitter in soul,

Why does he give light to him who is in trouble, and life to the bitter in soul;

21 to one who longs for death without it coming; to one who digs for death more than for hidden treasure?

To those whose desire is for death, but it comes not; who are searching for it more than for secret wealth;

22 Why is light given to one who rejoices very much and is glad when he finds the grave?

Who are glad with great joy, and full of delight when they come to their last resting-place;

23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, a man whom God has hedged in?

To a man whose way is veiled, and who is shut in by God?

24 For my sighing happens instead of eating; my groaning is poured out like water.

In place of my food I have grief, and cries of sorrow come from me like water.

25 For the thing that I feared has come on me; what I was afraid of has come to me.

For I have a fear and it comes on me, and my heart is greatly troubled.

26 I am not at ease, I am not quiet, and I have no rest; trouble comes instead.”

I have no peace, no quiet, and no rest; nothing but pain comes on me.