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1 After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. 2 And Job spake, and said,* 3 Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived. 4 Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it. 5 Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.†‡ 6 As 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.§ 7 Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein. 8 Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning.** 9 Let 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:†† 10 Because it shut not up the doors of my mother’s womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.
11 Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly? 12 Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck? 13 For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest, 14 With kings and counsellors of the earth, which built desolate places for themselves; 15 Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver: 16 Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light. 17 There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.‡‡ 18 There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor. 19 The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master.
20 Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul; 21 Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;§§ 22 Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave? 23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in? 24 For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.*** 25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.††† 26 I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.
* 3:2 spake: Heb. answered † 3:5 stain: or, challenge ‡ 3:5 let the…: or, let them terrify it, as those who have a bitter day § 3:6 let it not be…: or, let it not rejoice among the days ** 3:8 their…: or, leviathan †† 3:9 the dawning…: Heb. the eyelids of the morning ‡‡ 3:17 weary: Heb. wearied in strength §§ 3:21 long: Heb. wait *** 3:24 I eat: Heb. my meat ††† 3:25 the thing…: Heb. I feared a fear, and it came upon me