Job 3

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

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

2 He said,

And Job spoke, and said:

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

Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night wherein it was said: 'A man-child is brought forth.'

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

Let that day be darkness; let not God inquire after it from above, neither let the light shine upon 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 darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own; let a cloud dwell upon it; let all that maketh black the day terrify 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.

As for that night, let thick darkness seize upon it; let it not rejoice 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.

Lo, let that night be desolate; let no joyful voice come therein.

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

Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to rouse up leviathan.

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 the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it behold the eyelids of the morning;

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 shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid trouble from mine 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 died I not from the womb? Why did I not perish at birth?

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

Why did the knees receive me? And wherefore the breasts, that I should suck?

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

For now should I have lain still and been quiet; I should have slept; then had I been at rest —

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

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

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

Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver;

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

Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants that never saw light.

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

There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary are at rest.

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

There the prisoners are at ease together; they hear not the voice of the taskmaster.

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

The small and great are there alike; 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,

Wherewith is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto 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?

Who long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;

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

Who rejoice unto exultation, and are glad, when they can find the grave? —

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 hid, and whom God hath hedged in?

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

For my sighing cometh instead of my food, and my roarings are poured out like water.

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

For the thing which I did fear is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of hath overtaken me.

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

I was not at ease, neither was I quiet, neither had I rest; but trouble came.