Job 3

Job Speaks

After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.^a He said:

“May the day of my birth perish,

and the night that said, ‘A boy is conceived!’^b

That day—may it turn to darkness;

may God above not care about it;

may no light shine on it.

May gloom and utter darkness^c claim it once more;

may a cloud settle over it;

may blackness overwhelm it.

That night—may thick darkness^d seize it;

may it not be included among the days of the year

nor be entered in any of the months.

May that night be barren;

may no shout of joy^e be heard in it.

May those who curse days curse that day,^f

those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.^g

May its morning stars become dark;

may it wait for daylight in vain

and not see the first rays of dawn,^h

for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me

to hide trouble from my eyes.

“Why did I not perish at birth,

and die as I came from the womb?ⁱ

Why were there knees to receive me^j

and breasts that I might be nursed?

For now I would be lying down^k in peace;

I would be asleep and at rest^l

with kings and rulers of the earth,^m

who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,ⁿ

with princes^o who had gold,

who filled their houses with silver.^p

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

like an infant who never saw the light of day?^r

There the wicked cease from turmoil,^s

and there the weary are at rest.^t

Captives^u also enjoy their ease;

they no longer hear the slave driver’s^v shout.^w

The small and the great are there,^x

and the slaves are freed from their owners.

“Why is light given to those in misery,

and life to the bitter of soul,^y

to those who long for death that does not come,^z

who search for it more than for hidden treasure,^a

who are filled with gladness

and rejoice when they reach the grave?^b

Why is life given to a man

whose way is hidden,^c

whom God has hedged in?^d

For sighing^e has become my daily food;^f

my groans^g pour out like water.^h

What I feared has come upon me;

what I dreadedⁱ has happened to me.^j

I have no peace,^k no quietness;

I have no rest,^l but only turmoil.”^m