Job 3:13–19

For then I would have lain down and been quiet;

I would have slept; then I would have been at rest,

with kings and counselors of the earth

who rebuilt ruins for themselves,

or with princes who had gold,

who filled their houses with silver.

Or why was I not as a hidden stillborn child,

as infants who never see the light?

There the wicked cease from troubling,

and there the weary are at rest.

There the prisoners are at ease together;

they hear not the voice of the taskmaster.

The small and the great are there,

and the slave is free from his master.

For now I would be lying down in peace;

I would be asleep and at rest

with kings and rulers of the earth,

who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,

with princes who had gold,

who filled their houses with silver.

Or why was I not hidden away in the ground like a stillborn child,

like an infant who never saw the light of day?

There the wicked cease from turmoil,

and there the weary are at rest.

Captives also enjoy their ease;

they no longer hear the slave driver’s shout.

The small and the great are there,

and the slaves are freed from their owners.

Now I would certainly be lying down in peace;

I would be asleep.

Then I would be at rest

with the kings and counselors of the earth,

who rebuilt ruined cities for themselves,

or with princes who had gold,

who filled their houses with silver.

Or why was I not hidden like a miscarried child,

like infants who never see daylight?

There the wicked cease to make trouble,

and there the weary find rest.

The captives are completely at rest;

they do not hear a taskmaster’s voice.

Both small and great are there,

and the slave is set free from his master.

Had I died at birth, I would now be at peace.

I would be asleep and at rest.

I would rest with the world’s kings and prime ministers,

whose great buildings now lie in ruins.

I would rest with princes, rich in gold,

whose palaces were filled with silver.

Why wasn’t I buried like a stillborn child,

like a baby who never lives to see the light?

For in death the wicked cause no trouble,

and the weary are at rest.

Even captives are at ease in death,

with no guards to curse them.

Rich and poor are both there,

and the slave is free from his master.

For now I would lie down, and I would be at peace;

I would be asleep; then I would be at rest

with kings and counselors of the earth,

who rebuild ruins for themselves,

or with high officials who have gold,

who fill up their houses with silver.

Or why was I not hidden like a miscarriage,

like infants who did not see the light?

There the wicked cease from troubling,

and there the weary are at rest;

the prisoners are at ease together;

they do not hear the oppressor’s voice.

The small and the great are there,

and the slave is free from his masters.

For now should I have lain still and been quiet,

I should have slept: then had I been at rest,

With kings and counsellers of the earth,

Which built desolate places for themselves;

Or with princes that had gold,

Who filled their houses with silver:

Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been;

As infants which never saw light.

There the wicked cease from troubling;

And there the weary be at rest.

There the prisoners rest together;

They hear not the voice of the oppressor.

The small and great are there;

And the servant is free from his master.