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10 I am weary of my life and loathe it! I will give free expression to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

I will say to God, Do not condemn me [do not make me guilty]! Show me why You contend with me.

Does it seem good to You that You should oppress, that You should despise and reject the work of Your hands, and favor the schemes of the wicked?

Have You eyes of flesh? Do You see as man sees?

Are Your days as the days of man, are Your years as man’s [years],

That You inquire after my iniquity and search for my sin—

Although You know that I am not wicked or guilty and that there is none who can deliver me out of Your hand?

Your hands have formed me and made me. Would You turn around and destroy me?

Remember [earnestly], I beseech You, that You have fashioned me as clay [out of the same earth material, exquisitely and elaborately]. And will You bring me into dust again?

10 Have You not poured me out like milk and curdled me like cheese?

11 You have clothed me with skin and flesh and have knit me together with bones and sinews.

12 You have granted me life and favor, and Your providence has preserved my spirit.

13 Yet these [the present evils] have You hid in Your heart [for me since my creation]; I know that this was with You [in Your purpose and thought].

14 If I sin, then You observe me, and You will not acquit me from my iniquity and guilt.

15 If I am wicked, woe unto me! And if I am righteous, yet must I not lift up my head, for I am filled with disgrace and the sight of my affliction.

16 If I lift myself up, You hunt me like a lion and again show Yourself [inflicting] marvelous [trials] upon me.

17 You renew Your witnesses against me and increase Your indignation toward me; I am as if attacked by a troop time after time.

18 Why then did You bring me forth out of the womb? Would that I had perished and no eye had seen me!

19 I should have been as though I had not existed; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

20 Are not my days few? Cease then and let me alone, that I may take a little comfort and cheer up

21 Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death,

22 The land of sunless gloom as intense darkness, [the land] of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as thick darkness.

Job: I Loathe My Life

10 “I loathe my life;
I will give free utterance to my complaint;
    I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
I will say to God, Do not condemn me;
    let me know why thou dost contend against me.
Does it seem good to thee to oppress,
    to despise the work of thy hands
    and favor the designs of the wicked?
Hast thou eyes of flesh?
    Dost thou see as man sees?
Are thy days as the days of man,
    or thy years as man’s years,
that thou dost seek out my iniquity
    and search for my sin,
although thou knowest that I am not guilty,
    and there is none to deliver out of thy hand?
Thy hands fashioned and made me;
    and now thou dost turn about and destroy me.[a]
Remember that thou hast made me of clay;[b]
    and wilt thou turn me to dust again?
10 Didst thou not pour me out like milk
    and curdle me like cheese?
11 Thou didst clothe me with skin and flesh,
    and knit me together with bones and sinews.
12 Thou hast granted me life and steadfast love;
    and thy care has preserved my spirit.
13 Yet these things thou didst hide in thy heart;
    I know that this was thy purpose.
14 If I sin, thou dost mark me,
    and dost not acquit me of my iniquity.
15 If I am wicked, woe to me!
    If I am righteous, I cannot lift up my head,
for I am filled with disgrace
    and look upon my affliction.
16 And if I lift myself up,[c] thou dost hunt me like a lion,
    and again work wonders against me;
17 thou dost renew thy witnesses against me,
    and increase thy vexation toward me;
    thou dost bring fresh hosts against me.[d]

18 “Why didst thou bring me forth from the womb?
    Would that I had died before any eye had seen me,
19 and were as though I had not been,
    carried from the womb to the grave.
20 Are not the days of my life few?[e]
    Let me alone, that I may find a little comfort[f]
21 before I go whence I shall not return,
    to the land of gloom and deep darkness,
22 the land of gloom[g] and chaos,
    where light is as darkness.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 10:8 Cn Compare Gk Syr: Heb made me together round about and thou dost destroy me
  2. Job 10:9 Gk: Heb like clay
  3. Job 10:16 Syr: Heb he lifts himself up
  4. Job 10:17 Cn Compare Gk: Heb changes and a host are with me
  5. Job 10:20 Cn Compare Gk Syr: Heb Are not my days few? Let him cease
  6. Job 10:20 Heb brighten up
  7. Job 10:22 Heb gloom as darkness, deep darkness

10 “I hate my own life, so I will complain freely.
    I am very bitter, so now I will speak.
I will say to God, ‘Don’t just say I am guilty!
    Tell me what you have against me.
Do you enjoy hurting me?
    Do you enjoy ignoring me while smiling at what evil people say?
Do you have human eyes?
    Do you see things the way people do?
Is your life as short as ours?
    Is your life as short as a man’s life?
You look for my wrong
    and search for my sin.
You know I am innocent,
    but no one can save me from your power!
Your hands made me and shaped my body.
    But now they are closing around me and squeezing me to death!
Remember, you molded me like clay.
    Will you turn me into clay again?
10 You poured me out like milk.
    You spun me around and squeezed me like someone making cheese.
11 You put me together with bones and muscles,
    and then you clothed me with skin and flesh.
12 You gave me life and were very kind to me.
    You cared for me and watched over my spirit.
13 But this is what you hid in your heart.
    Now I know what you were planning for me.
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me
    so that you could punish me for doing wrong.
15 If I sin, I am guilty
    and should be cursed.
But even when I am innocent,
    I cannot lift up my head.
I am so ashamed
    because of all the troubles I have.
16 If I have any success and feel proud,
    you hunt me down like a lion
    and show your power over me.
17 You bring witness after witness
    to prove that I am wrong.
Again and again you show your anger
    as you send army after army against me.
18 So why did you let me be born?
    I wish I had died before anyone saw me.
19 I wish I had never lived.
    I wish they had carried me from my mother’s womb straight to the grave.
20 My life is almost finished.
    So leave me alone!
    Let me enjoy the little time I have left.
21 I am going soon to the land of no return,
    the place of death and darkness—
22 that land of darkest night, of shadows and confusion,
    where even the light is darkness.’”

10 “I loathe my very life;(A)
    therefore I will give free rein to my complaint
    and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.(B)
I say to God:(C) Do not declare me guilty,
    but tell me what charges(D) you have against me.(E)
Does it please you to oppress me,(F)
    to spurn the work of your hands,(G)
    while you smile on the plans of the wicked?(H)
Do you have eyes of flesh?
    Do you see as a mortal sees?(I)
Are your days like those of a mortal
    or your years like those of a strong man,(J)
that you must search out my faults
    and probe after my sin(K)
though you know that I am not guilty(L)
    and that no one can rescue me from your hand?(M)

“Your hands shaped(N) me and made me.
    Will you now turn and destroy me?(O)
Remember that you molded me like clay.(P)
    Will you now turn me to dust again?(Q)
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
    and curdle me like cheese,
11 clothe me with skin and flesh
    and knit me together(R) with bones and sinews?
12 You gave me life(S) and showed me kindness,(T)
    and in your providence(U) watched over(V) my spirit.

13 “But this is what you concealed in your heart,
    and I know that this was in your mind:(W)
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me(X)
    and would not let my offense go unpunished.(Y)
15 If I am guilty(Z)—woe to me!(AA)
    Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head,(AB)
for I am full of shame
    and drowned in[a] my affliction.(AC)
16 If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion(AD)
    and again display your awesome power against me.(AE)
17 You bring new witnesses against me(AF)
    and increase your anger toward me;(AG)
    your forces come against me wave upon wave.(AH)

18 “Why then did you bring me out of the womb?(AI)
    I wish I had died before any eye saw me.(AJ)
19 If only I had never come into being,
    or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!(AK)
20 Are not my few days(AL) almost over?(AM)
    Turn away from me(AN) so I can have a moment’s joy(AO)
21 before I go to the place of no return,(AP)
    to the land of gloom and utter darkness,(AQ)
22 to the land of deepest night,
    of utter darkness(AR) and disorder,
    where even the light is like darkness.”(AS)

Footnotes

  1. Job 10:15 Or and aware of