10 I am disgusted with my life.(A)
I will give vent to my complaint
and speak in the bitterness of my soul.
I will say to God,
“Do not declare me guilty!
Let me know why you prosecute me.
Is it good for you to oppress,
to reject the work of your hands,(B)
and favor[a] the plans of the wicked?(C)
Do you have eyes of flesh,
or do you see as a human sees?
Are your days like those of a human,
or your years like those of a man,(D)
that you look for my iniquity(E)
and search for my sin,
even though you know that I am not wicked
and that there is no one who can rescue from your power?(F)

“Your hands shaped me and formed me.(G)
Will you now turn and destroy me?
Please remember that you formed me like clay.
Will you now return me to dust?(H)
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
and curdle me like cheese?
11 You clothed me with skin and flesh,
and wove me together with bones and tendons.(I)
12 You gave me life and faithful love,
and your care has guarded my life.

13 “Yet you concealed these thoughts in your heart;
I know that this was your hidden plan:[b]
14 if I sin, you would notice,[c]
and would not acquit me of my iniquity.(J)
15 If I am wicked, woe to me!
And even if I am righteous, I cannot lift up my head.
I am filled with shame(K)
and have drunk deeply of[d] my affliction.(L)
16 If I am proud,[e] you hunt me like a lion
and again display your miraculous power against me.(M)
17 You produce new witnesses[f] against me
and multiply your anger toward me.
Hardships assault me, wave after wave.[g]

18 “Why did you bring me out of the womb?(N)
I should have died and never been seen.
19 I wish[h] I had never existed
but had been carried from the womb to the grave.(O)
20 Are my days not few? Stop it![i]
Leave me alone, so that I can smile a little
21 before I go to a land of darkness and gloom,(P)
never to return.
22 It is a land of blackness like the deepest darkness,
gloomy and chaotic,
where even the light is like[j] the darkness.”

Footnotes

  1. 10:3 Lit shine on
  2. 10:13 Lit was with you
  3. 10:14 Lit notice me
  4. 10:15 Or and look at
  5. 10:16 Lit If he lifts up
  6. 10:17 Or You bring fresh troops
  7. 10:17 Lit Changes and a host are with me
  8. 10:19 Lit As if
  9. 10:20 Alt Hb tradition reads Will he not leave my few days alone?
  10. 10:22 Lit chaotic, and shines as

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.
I will say to God, ‘(C)Do not condemn me;
Let me know why You contend with me.
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?
Do You have eyes of flesh?
Or do You (G)see as mankind sees?
Are Your days like the days of a mortal,
Or (H)Your years like a man’s year,
That (I)You should search for my guilt
And carefully seek my sin?
According to Your knowledge (J)I am indeed not guilty,
Yet there is (K)no one to save me from Your hand.

(L)Your hands fashioned and made me [d]altogether,
(M)Yet would You destroy me?
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.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 10:1 Lit My soul loathes
  2. Job 10:3 Lit good
  3. Job 10:3 Lit You shine forth
  4. Job 10:8 Lit together round about
  5. Job 10:12 See Job 1:1-2
  6. Job 10:15 Lit see
  7. Job 10:17 Lit Changes and warfare are with me
  8. Job 10:20 Lit Put