Job 3

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

2 And this is what he said:

3 “May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, ‘A boy is conceived.’

4 If only that day had turned to darkness! May God above disregard it; may no light shine upon it.

5 May darkness and gloom reclaim it, and a cloud settle over it; may the blackness of the day overwhelm it.

6 If only darkness had taken that night away! May it not appear among the days of the year; may it never be entered in any of the months.

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

8 May it be cursed by those who curse the day—those prepared to rouse Leviathan.

9 May its morning stars grow dark; may it wait in vain for daylight; may it not see the breaking of dawn.

10 For that night did not shut the doors of the womb to hide the sorrow from my eyes.

11 Why did I not perish at birth; why did I not die as I came from the womb?

12 Why were there knees to receive me, and breasts that I should be nursed?

13 For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest

14 with kings and counselors of the earth, who built for themselves cities now in ruins,

15 or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.

16 Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, like an infant who never sees daylight?

17 There the wicked cease from raging, and there the weary find rest.

18 The captives enjoy their ease; they do not hear the voice of the oppressor.

19 Both small and great are there, and the slave is freed from his master.

20 Why is light given to the miserable, and life to the bitter of soul,

21 who long for death that does not come, and search for it like hidden treasure,

22 who rejoice and greatly exult when they reach the grave?

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

24 I sigh when food is put before me, and my groans pour out like water.

25 For the thing I feared has overtaken me, and what I dreaded has befallen me.

26 I am not at ease or quiet; I have no rest, for trouble has come.”

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

2 And Job spake, and said,

3 Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night [in which] it was said, There is a man child conceived.

4 Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.

5 Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.

6 As [for] that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months.

7 Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein.

8 Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning.

9 Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but [have] none; neither let it see the dawning of the day:

10 Because it shut not up the doors of my [mother's] womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.

11 ¶ Why died I not from the womb? [why] did I [not] give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?

12 Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck?

13 For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest,

14 With kings and counsellors of the earth, which built desolate places for themselves;

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

16 Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants [which] never saw light.

17 There the wicked cease [from] troubling; and there the weary be at rest.

18 [There] the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.

19 The small and great are there; and the servant [is] free from his master.

20 ¶ Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter [in] soul;

21 Which long for death, but it [cometh] not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;

22 Which rejoice exceedingly, [and] are glad, when they can find the grave?

23 [Why is light given] to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?

24 For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.

25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.

26 I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.

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

2 And Job said:

3 Let the day be lost wherein I was born, and the night when it was said, A man is conceived.

4 that same day must be dark, and GOD from above must not inquire of it; no brightness must shine upon it.

5 Darkness and gloom shall overtake him, and thick clouds shall be upon him, and the vapour by day shall make him hideous.

6 Let the night take a darkness, and not rejoice among the days of the year, nor come into the number of the moons.

7 Behold, the night shall be lonely, and there shall be no rejoicing therein.

8 They curse the cursers of the day, and they that are ready to raise up Leviathan.

9 Her stars must be dark in her twilight; she hopeth for the light, and cometh not, nor seeth the eyebrows of the dawn,

10 That she hath not shut the door of my womb, nor hid evil from mine eyes.

11 Why did I not die from my mother's womb? Why did I not perish when I came out of the womb?

12 Why have they set me in the lap? Why am I suckled with breasts?

13 I would lie down and be still, and sleep, and be at rest.

14 With the kings and counsellors of the earth, which build the wilderness;

15 Or with the princes that have gold, and their houses are full of silver;

16 or like an untimely birth hidden and nothing would be, like the young children who have never seen the light.

17 There shall the wicked cease from their raging: there shall they rest that have laboured much.

18 For the captives are at peace with one another, and hear not the voice of the oppressor.

19 There are both small and great, servant and he that is set free of his master.

20 Why is light given to the weary, and life to the afflicted heart?

21 Who wait for death, and come not, and dig it out of secret,

22 Who almost rejoice, and are glad to get the grave:)

23 And to the man whose way is hid, and God covereth it from him?

24 For when I shall eat, I groan, and my weeping cometh forth like water.

25 For that which I feared is come upon me, and that which I cared for is come upon me.

26 Was I not blissful? Was I not fine quiet? Was I not well at rest? And comes such unrest!