Job Laments his Birth
1After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. 2And Job spake, and said,
3Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.
4Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.
5Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.
6As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months.
7Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein.
8Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning.
9Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day:
10Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.
11Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?
12Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck?
13For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest,
14With kings and counsellers of the earth, which built desolate places for themselves;
15Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver:
16Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light.
17There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.
18There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.
19The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master.
20Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul;
21Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;
22Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?
23Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?
24For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.
25For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
26I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
Job Laments His Birth
1 After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day of his birth. 2 Job answered:
3 “Let the day perish in which I was born, the night which said, ‘There is a boy conceived.’
4 Let that day be darkness. Don’t let God from above seek for it, neither let the light shine on it.
5 Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own. Let a cloud dwell on it. Let all that makes black the day terrify it.
6 As for that night, let thick darkness seize on it. Let it not rejoice among the days of the year. Let it not come into the number of the months.
7 Behold, let that night be barren. Let no joyful voice come therein.
8 Let them curse it who curse the day, who are ready to rouse up leviathan.
9 Let the stars of its twilight be dark. Let it look for light, but have none, neither let it see the eyelids of the morning,
10 because it didn’t shut up the doors of my mother’s womb, nor did it hide trouble from my eyes.
11 “Why didn’t I die from the womb? Why didn’t I give up the spirit when my mother bore me?
12 Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breast, that I should nurse?
13 For now should I have lain down and been quiet. I should have slept, then I would have been at rest,
14 with kings and counselors of the earth, who built up waste places for themselves;
15 or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver:
16 or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been, as infants who never saw light.
17 There the wicked cease from troubling. There the weary are at rest.
18 There the prisoners are at ease together. They don’t hear the voice of the taskmaster.
19 The small and the great are there. The servant is free from his master.
20 “Why is light given to him who is in misery, life to the bitter in soul,
21 Who long for death, but it doesn’t come; and dig for it more than for hidden treasures,
22 who rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?
23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?
24 For my sighing comes before I eat. My groanings are poured out like water.
25 For the thing which I fear comes on me, That which I am afraid of comes to me.
26 I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither have I rest; but trouble comes.”
Job Laments His Birth
1 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 2 And this is what he said:
3 “May the day of my birth perish,
and the night it was said,
‘A boy is conceived.’
4 If only that day had turned to darkness!
May God above disregard it;
may no light shine upon it.
5 May darkness and gloom reclaim it,
and a cloud settle over it;
may the blackness of the day overwhelm it.
6 If only darkness had taken that night away!
May it not appear among the days of the year;
may it never be entered in any of the months.
7 Behold, may that night be barren;
may no joyful voice come into it.
8 May it be cursed by those who curse the day a —
those prepared to rouse Leviathan.
9 May its morning stars grow dark;
may it wait in vain for daylight;
may it not see the breaking of dawn.
10 For that night did not shut the doors of the womb
to hide the sorrow from my eyes.
11 Why did I not perish at birth;
why did I not die as I came from the womb?
12 Why were there knees to receive me,
and breasts that I should be nursed?
13 For now I would be lying down in peace;
I would be asleep and at rest
14 with kings and counselors of the earth,
who built for themselves cities now in ruins,
15 or with princes who had gold,
who filled their houses with silver.
16 Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child,
like an infant who never sees daylight?
17 There the wicked cease from raging,
and there the weary find rest.
18 The captives enjoy their ease;
they do not hear the voice of the oppressor.
19 Both small and great are there,
and the slave is freed from his master.
20 Why is light given to the miserable,
and life to the bitter of soul,
21 who long for death that does not come,
and search for it like hidden treasure,
22 who rejoice and greatly exult
when they can find the grave?
23 Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden,
whom God has hedged in?
24 I sigh when food is put before me,
and my groans pour out like water.
25 For the thing I feared has overtaken me,
and what I dreaded has befallen me.
26 I am not at ease or quiet;
I have no rest, for trouble has come.”
Footnotes:
8 a Or curse the sea
Job Laments his Birth
1After this hath Job opened his mouth, and revileth his day. 2And Job answereth and saith: --
3Let the day perish in which I am born, And the night that hath said: 'A man-child hath been conceived.'
4That day -- let it be darkness, Let not God require it from above, Nor let light shine upon it.
5Let darkness and death-shade redeem it, Let a cloud tabernacle upon it, Let them terrify it as the most bitter of days.
6That night -- let thick darkness take it, Let it not be united to days of the year, Into the number of months let it not come.
7Lo! that night -- let it be gloomy, Let no singing come into it.
8Let the cursers of day mark it, Who are ready to wake up Leviathan.
9Let the stars of its twilight be dark, Let it wait for light, and there is none, And let it not look on the eyelids of the dawn.
10Because it hath not shut the doors Of the womb that was mine! And hide misery from mine eyes.
11Why from the womb do I not die? From the belly I have come forth and gasp!
12Wherefore have knees been before me? And what are breasts, that I suck?
13For now, I have lain down, and am quiet, I have slept -- then there is rest to me,
14With kings and counsellors of earth, These building wastes for themselves.
15Or with princes -- they have gold, They are filling their houses with silver.
16(Or as a hidden abortion I am not, As infants -- they have not seen light.)
17There the wicked have ceased troubling, And there rest do the wearied in power.
18Together prisoners have been at ease, They have not heard the voice of an exactor,
19Small and great are there the same. And a servant is free from his lord.
20Why giveth He to the miserable light, and life to the bitter soul?
21Who are waiting for death, and it is not, And they seek it above hid treasures.
22Who are glad -- unto joy, They rejoice when they find a grave.
23To a man whose way hath been hidden, And whom God doth shut up?
24For before my food, my sighing cometh, And poured out as waters are my roarings.
25For a fear I feared and it meeteth me, And what I was afraid of doth come to me.
26I was not safe -- nor was I quiet -- Nor was I at rest -- and trouble cometh!
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