Job 3
Job SpeaksJob Curses the Day He Was Born
1 After all this, Job finally opened his mouth and cursed the day he was born.
2 Job said,
3 “Scratch out the day I was bornand the night that said, ‘A boy has been conceived!’4 “That day—let it be pitch-black.Let God above not even care about it.Let no light shine on it.5 Let the darkness and long shadows claim it as their own.Let a dark cloud hang over it.Let the gloom terrify it.6 “That night—let the blackness take it away.Let it not be included in the days of the yearor be numbered among the months.7 Let that night be empty.Let no joyful singing be heard in it.8 Let those who curse the dayt(those who know how to wake up Leviathant)curse that night.9 Let its stars turn dark before dawn.Let it hope for light and receive none.Let it not see the first light of dawn10 because it did not shut the doors of the womb from which I cameor hide my eyes from trouble.
Why Did I Survive at Birth?
11 “Why didn’t I die as soon as I was bornand breathe my last breath when I came out of the womb?12 Why did knees welcome me?Why did breasts let me nurse?13 Instead of being alive,I would now be quietly lying down.I would now be sleeping peacefully.14 I would be with the kings and the counselors of the worldwho built for themselves what are now ruins.15 I would be with princeswho had gold,who filled their homes with silver.16 I would be buried like a stillborn baby.I would not exist.I would be like infants who never saw the light.17 There the wicked stop their raging.There the weary are able to rest.18 There the captives have no troubles at all.There they do not hear the shouting of the slave driver.19 There you find both the unimportant and important people.There the slave is free from his master.
Why Do I Go on Living?
20 “Why give light to one in miseryand life to those who find it so bitter,21 to those who long for death but it never comes—though they dig for it more than for buried treasure?22 They are ecstatic,delighted to find the grave.23 Why give light to those whose paths have been hidden,to those whom God has fenced in?24 “When my food is in front of me, I sigh.I pour out my groaning like water.25 What I fear most overtakes me.What I dread happens to me.26 I have no peace!I have no quiet!I have no rest!And trouble keeps coming!”
Job 3
II. Job’s Dialogue With His Friends(3:1-27:33)
Job Regrets His Birth
1 After this Job opened his mouths and cursedt the day he was born.t
2 Job spoke upt and said:
3 “Let the day on whicht I was bornt perish,
and the night that said,t
‘A mant has been conceived!’s
4 That dayt – let it be darkness;s
let not God on high regardt it,
nor let light shinet on it!
5 Let darkness and the deepest
shadows claim it;t
let a cloud settle on it;
let whatever blackens the dayt terrify it!
6 That night – let darkness seizet it;
let it not be includedt among the days of the year;
let it not enter among the number of the months!s
7 Indeed,t let that night be barren;t
let no shout of joyt penetratet it!
8 Let those who curse the dayts curse itt –
those who are prepared to rouset Leviathan.s
9 Let its morning starst be darkened;
let it waitt for daylight but find none,t
nor let it see the first rayss of dawn,
10 because itt did not shut the doorss of my mother’s womb on me,t
nor did it hide troublet from my eyes!
Job Wishes He Had Died at Birth
11 “Why did I nott diet at birth,t
and why did I not expire
ast I came out of the womb?
12 Why did the knees welcome me,ts
and why were theret two breastss
that I might nurse at them?t
13 For nowt I would be lying down
andt would be quiet,t
I would be asleep and then at peacet
14 with kings and counselors of the earth
who built for themselves places now desolate,t
15 or with princes who possessed gold,t
who filled their palacest with silver.
16 Or whyt wast I not buriedt
like a stillborn infant,t
like infantst who have never seen the light?t
17 Theres the wickeds ceaset from turmoil,t
and there the wearyt are at rest.
18 Theret the prisonerst relaxt together;s
they do not hear the voice of the oppressor.t
19 Small and great aret there,
and the slave is freet from his master.t
Longing for Death
20 “Why does Godt givets light to one who is in misery,s
and life to thoset whose soul is bitter,
21 tot those who waitt for death thatt does not come,
and search for itts
more than for hidden treasures,
22 who rejoicet even to jubilation,t
and are exultantt whent they find the grave?s
23 Why is light givent to a mans
whose way is hidden,t
and whom God has hedged in?t
24 For my sighing comes in place oft my food,s
and my groaningst flow forth like water.t
25 For the very thing I dreadedt has happenedt to me,
and what I feared has come upon me.t
26 I have no ease,t I have no quietness;
I cannot rest;t turmoil has come upon me.”t