Job 3
Job Curses His Birth
1 After seven days Job cried out and cursed the day he had been born,
2 saying:
3 “Let the day I was born be destroyed, and the night it was said, ‘A boy is born!’
4 Let that day turn to darkness. Don’t let God care about it. Don’t let light shine on it.
5 Let darkness and gloom have that day. Let a cloud hide it. Let thick darkness cover its light.
6 Let thick darkness capture that night. Don’t count it among the days of the year or put it in any of the months.
7 Let that night be empty, with no shout of joy to be heard.
8 Let those who curse days curse that day. Let them prepare to wake up the sea monster Leviathan.
9 Let that day’s morning stars never appear; let it wait for daylight that never comes. Don’t let it see the first light of dawn,
10 because it allowed me to be born and did not hide trouble from my eyes.
11 “Why didn’t I die as soon as I was born? Why didn’t I die when I came out of the womb?
12 Why did my mother’s knees receive me, and my mother’s breasts feed me?
13 If they had not been there, I would be lying dead in peace; I would be asleep and at rest
14 with kings and wise men of the earth who built places for themselves that are now ruined.
15 I would be asleep with rulers who filled their houses with gold and silver.
16 Why was I not buried like a child born dead, like a baby who never saw the light of day?
17 In the grave the wicked stop making trouble, and the weary workers are at rest.
18 In the grave there is rest for the captives who no longer hear the shout of the slave driver.
19 People great and small are in the grave, and the slave is freed from his master.
20 “Why is light given to those in misery? Why is life given to those who are so unhappy?
21 They want to die, but death does not come. They search for death more than for hidden treasure.
22 They are very happy when they get to the grave.
23 They cannot see where they are going. God has hidden the road ahead.
24 I make sad sounds as I eat; my groans pour out like water.
25 Everything I feared and dreaded has happened to me.
26 I have no peace or quietness. I have no rest, only trouble.”
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