Job 10
New American Standard Bible
Job Despairs of God’s Dealings
10 “[a](A)I am disgusted with my own life;
I will express (B)my complaint freely;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2 I will say to God, ‘(C)Do not condemn me;
Let me know why You contend with me.
3 Is it [b]right for You indeed to (D)oppress,
To reject (E)the work of Your hands,
And [c]to look favorably on (F)the plan of the wicked?
4 Do You have eyes of flesh?
Or do You (G)see as mankind sees?
5 Are Your days like the days of a mortal,
Or (H)Your years like a man’s year,
6 That (I)You should search for my guilt
And carefully seek my sin?
7 According to Your knowledge (J)I am indeed not guilty,
Yet there is (K)no one to save me from Your hand.
8 ‘(L)Your hands fashioned and made me [d]altogether,
(M)Yet would You destroy me?
9 Remember that You have made me as (N)clay;
Yet would You (O)turn me into dust again?
10 Did You not pour me out like milk,
And curdle me like cheese,
11 Clothe me with skin and flesh,
And intertwine me with bones and tendons?
12 You have (P)granted me life and [e]goodness;
And Your care has guarded my spirit.
13 Yet You have concealed (Q)these things in Your heart;
I know that this is within You:
14 If I have sinned, You will (R)take note of me,
And (S)will not acquit me of my guilt.
15 If (T)I am wicked, woe to me!
But if (U)I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head.
I am full of shame, and [f]conscious of my misery.
16 And should my head be high, (V)You would hunt me like a lion;
And You would show Your (W)power against me again.
17 You renew (X)Your witnesses against me
And increase Your anger toward me;
[g](Y)Hardship after hardship is with me.
18 ‘(Z)Why then did You bring me out of the womb?
If only I had died and no eye had seen me!
19 I should have been as though I had not been,
Brought from womb to tomb.’
20 Would He not leave (AA)my few days alone?
[h](AB)Withdraw from me so that I may have a little cheerfulness
21 Before I go—(AC)and I shall not return—
(AD)To the land of darkness and (AE)deep shadow,
22 The land of utter gloom like darkness itself,
Of deep shadow without order,
And it shines like darkness.”
Job 10
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
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.(A)
2 I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me;
let me know why you contend against me.(B)
3 Does it seem good to you to oppress,
to despise the work of your hands
and favor the schemes of the wicked?(C)
4 Do you have eyes of flesh?
Do you see as humans see?(D)
5 Are your days like the days of mortals
or your years like human years,(E)
6 that you seek out my iniquity
and search for my sin,
7 although you know that I am not guilty,
and there is no one to deliver out of your hand?(F)
8 Your hands fashioned and made me,
and now you turn and destroy me.[a](G)
9 Remember that you fashioned me like clay,
and will you turn me to dust again?(H)
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
and curdle me like cheese?(I)
11 You clothed me with skin and flesh
and knit me together with bones and sinews.
12 You have granted me life and steadfast love,
and your care has preserved my spirit.(J)
13 Yet these things you hid in your heart;
I know that this was your purpose.
14 If I sin, you watch me
and do not acquit me of my iniquity.(K)
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.(L)
16 Bold as a lion you hunt me;
you repeat your exploits against me.(M)
17 You renew your witnesses against me
and increase your vexation toward me;
you bring fresh troops against me.[b](N)
18 “ ‘Why did you bring me forth from the womb?
Would that I had died before any eye had seen me(O)
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?[c]
Let me alone, that I may find a little comfort[d](P)
21 before I go, never to return,
to the land of gloom and deep darkness,
22 the land of gloom[e] and chaos,
where light is like darkness.’ ”
Footnotes
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.