Job 3

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42

Job Curses the Day He Was Born

3 <1> Then Job opened his mouth and cursed[12] the day he was born. <2-3> He said:

"I wish the day I was born

would be lost forever.

I wish that night they said, 'It's a boy!'

had never happened.

<4> I wish that day had remained dark.

I wish God above had forgotten that day

and not let any light shine on it.

<5> I wish that bitter day

had remained as dark as death,

covered with the darkest clouds.

<6> I wish the darkness had carried away that night,

that it was left off the calendar

and not included in any of the months.

<7> I wish that night had produced nothing,

and that no happy shouts were heard.

<8> Some magicians are always wanting

to wake Leviathan.[13]

So let them say their curses,

and curse the day I was born.

<9> I wish that day's morning star was dark,

that the night waited for a morning that never came.

I wish it had never seen the first rays of sunlight.

<10> I wish it had stopped me from being born

and kept me from seeing all these troubles.

<11> Why didn't I die when I was born?

Why didn't I die as I came from my mother's womb?

<12> Why did my mother hold me on her knees?

Why did her breasts feed me?

<13> If I had died when I was born,

I would be at peace now.

I wish I were asleep and at rest

<14> with the kings and advisors

who built palaces that are now in ruins.

<15> I wish I were buried with rulers

who filled their graves with gold and silver.

<16> Why wasn't I a child who died at birth

and was buried in the ground?

I wish I had been like a baby

who never saw the light of day.

<17> There the wicked stop causing trouble

and the weary find rest.

<18> Even prisoners find relief there;

they no longer hear their guards shouting at them.

<19> Everyone-from the greatest to the least important-will be there,

and even the slave is free from his master.

<20> "Why must a suffering person continue to live?

Why give life to someone whose soul is bitter?

<21> Such people want to die, but death does not come.

They search for death more than for hidden treasure.

<22> They would be happy to find their grave.

They would rejoice to find their tomb.

<23> But God keeps their future a secret,

and builds a wall around them to protect them.

<24> When it is time to eat,

I only sigh with sadness, not with joy.

My complaints pour out like water.

<25> I was afraid something terrible would happen,

and what I feared most has happened.

<26> I cannot calm down or relax.

I cannot rest. I am too upset!"