Job 3:1–10

Job’s First Speech

At last Job spoke, and he cursed the day of his birth. 2 He said:

3 “Let the day of my birth be erased,

and the night I was conceived.

4 Let that day be turned to darkness.

Let it be lost even to God on high,

and let no light shine on it.

5 Let the darkness and utter gloom claim that day for its own.

Let a black cloud overshadow it,

and let the darkness terrify it.

6 Let that night be blotted off the calendar,

never again to be counted among the days of the year,

never again to appear among the months.

7 Let that night be childless.

Let it have no joy.

8 Let those who are experts at cursing—

whose cursing could rouse Leviathan* —

curse that day.

9 Let its morning stars remain dark.

Let it hope for light, but in vain;

may it never see the morning light.

10 Curse that day for failing to shut my mother’s womb,

for letting me be born to see all this trouble.