Job 3
New King James Version
Job Deplores His Birth
3 After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 2 And Job [a]spoke, and said:
3 “May(A) the day perish on which I was born,
And the night in which it was said,
‘A male child is conceived.’
4 May that day be darkness;
May God above not seek it,
Nor the light shine upon it.
5 May darkness and (B)the shadow of death claim it;
May a cloud settle on it;
May the blackness of the day terrify it.
6 As for that night, may darkness seize it;
May it not [b]rejoice among the days of the year,
May it not come into the number of the months.
7 Oh, may that night be barren!
May no joyful shout come into it!
8 May those curse it who curse the day,
Those (C)who are ready to arouse Leviathan.
9 May the stars of its morning be dark;
May it look for light, but have none,
And not see the [c]dawning of the day;
10 Because it did not shut up the doors of my mother’s womb,
Nor hide sorrow from my eyes.
11 “Why(D) did I not die at birth?
Why did I not [d]perish when I came from the womb?
12 (E)Why did the knees receive me?
Or why the breasts, that I should nurse?
13 For now I would have lain still and been quiet,
I would have been asleep;
Then I would have been at rest
14 With kings and counselors of the earth,
Who (F)built ruins for themselves,
15 Or with princes who had gold,
Who filled their houses with silver;
16 Or why was I not hidden (G)like a stillborn child,
Like infants who never saw light?
17 There the wicked cease from troubling,
And there the [e]weary are at (H)rest.
18 There the prisoners [f]rest together;
(I)They do not hear the voice of the oppressor.
19 The small and great are there,
And the servant is free from his master.
20 “Why(J) is light given to him who is in misery,
And life to the (K)bitter of soul,
21 Who (L)long[g] for death, but it does not come,
And search for it more than (M)hidden treasures;
22 Who rejoice exceedingly,
And are glad when they can find the (N)grave?
23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden,
(O)And whom God has hedged in?
24 For my sighing comes before [h]I eat,
And my groanings pour out like water.
25 For the thing I greatly (P)feared has come upon me,
And what I dreaded has happened to me.
26 I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;
I have no rest, for trouble comes.”
Job 3
English Standard Version
Job Laments His Birth
3 After this Job (A)opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 2 And Job said:
3 (B)“Let the day perish on which I was born,
and the night that said,
‘A man is conceived.’
4 Let that day be darkness!
May God above not seek it,
nor light shine upon it.
5 Let gloom and (C)deep darkness claim it.
Let clouds dwell upon it;
let the blackness of the day terrify it.
6 That night—let thick darkness seize 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 cry enter it.
8 Let those curse it who curse the day,
who are ready to rouse up (D)Leviathan.
9 Let the stars of its dawn be dark;
let it hope for light, but have none,
nor see (E)the eyelids of the morning,
10 because it did not shut the doors of my mother's womb,
nor hide trouble from my eyes.
11 “Why (F)did I not die at birth,
come out from the womb and expire?
12 Why did (G)the knees receive me?
Or why the breasts, that I should nurse?
13 For then I would have lain down and been quiet;
I would have slept; then I would have been at rest,
14 with kings and counselors of the earth
who (H)rebuilt ruins for themselves,
15 or with princes who had gold,
who filled their houses with silver.
16 Or why was I not as a hidden (I)stillborn child,
as infants who never see the light?
17 There the wicked cease from troubling,
and there the weary are at (J)rest.
18 There the prisoners are at ease together;
they hear not the voice of (K)the taskmaster.
19 The small and the great are there,
and the slave is free from his master.
20 “Why is light given to him who is in misery,
and life to (L)the bitter in soul,
21 who (M)long for death, but it comes not,
and dig for it more than for (N)hidden treasures,
22 who rejoice exceedingly
and are glad when they find the grave?
23 Why is light given to a man whose (O)way is hidden,
whom God has (P)hedged in?
24 For my sighing comes (Q)instead of[a] my bread,
and my (R)groanings are poured out like water.
25 (S)For the thing that I fear comes upon me,
and what I dread befalls me.
26 I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;
I have no rest, but trouble comes.”
Footnotes
- Job 3:24 Or like; Hebrew before
Job 3
Reina-Valera Antigua
3 DESPUÉS de esto abrió Job su boca, y maldijo su día.
2 Y exclamó Job, y dijo:
3 Perezca el día en que yo nací, Y la noche que se dijo: Varón es concebido.
4 Sea aquel día sombrío, Y Dios no cuide de él desde arriba, Ni claridad sobre él resplandezca.
5 Aféenlo tinieblas y sombra de muerte; Repose sobre él nublado, Que lo haga horrible como caliginoso día.
6 Ocupe la oscuridad aquella noche; No sea contada entre los días del año, Ni venga en él número de los meses.
7 Oh si fuere aquella noche solitaria, Que no viniera canción alguna en ella!
8 Maldíganla los que maldicen al día, Los que se aprestan para levantar su llanto.
9 Oscurézcanse las estrellas de su alba; Espere la luz, y no venga, Ni vea los párpados de la mañana:
10 Por cuanto no cerró las puertas del vientre donde yo estaba, Ni escondió de mis ojos la miseria.
11 ¿Por qué no morí yo desde la matriz, O fuí traspasado en saliendo del vientre?
12 ¿Por qué me previnieron las rodillas? ¿Y para qué las tetas que mamase?
13 Pues que ahora yaciera yo, y reposara; Durmiera, y entonces tuviera reposo,
14 Con los reyes y con los consejeros de la tierra, Que edifican para sí los desiertos;
15 O con los príncipes que poseían el oro, Que henchían sus casas de plata.
16 O ¿por qué no fuí escondido como aborto, Como los pequeñitos que nunca vieron luz?
17 Allí los impíos dejan el perturbar, Y allí descansan los de cansadas fuerzas.
18 Allí asimismo reposan los cautivos; No oyen la voz del exactor.
19 Allí están el chico y el grande; Y el siervo libre de su señor.
20 ¿Por qué se da luz al trabajado, Y vida á los de ánimo en amargura,
21 Que esperan la muerte, y ella no llega, Aunque la buscan más que tesoros;
22 Que se alegran sobremanera, Y se gozan, cuando hallan el sepulcro?
23 ¿Por qué al hombre que no sabe por donde vaya, Y al cual Dios ha encerrado?
24 Pues antes que mi pan viene mi suspiro; Y mis gemidos corren como aguas.
25 Porque el temor que me espantaba me ha venido, Y hame acontecido lo que temía.
26 No he tenido paz, no me aseguré, ni me estuve reposado; Vínome no obstante turbación.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
