Job 10
English Standard Version
Job Continues: A Plea to God
10 “I (A)loathe my life;
I will give free utterance to my (B)complaint;
I will speak in (C)the bitterness of my soul.
2 I will say to God, Do not (D)condemn me;
let me know why you (E)contend against me.
3 (F)Does it seem good to you to oppress,
to despise (G)the work of your hands
(H)and favor the designs of the wicked?
4 Have you (I)eyes of flesh?
(J)Do you see as man sees?
5 Are your days as the days of man,
or your (K)years as a man's years,
6 that you (L)seek out my iniquity
and search for my sin,
7 although you (M)know that I am not guilty,
and there is (N)none to deliver out of your hand?
8 (O)Your hands fashioned and made me,
and now you have destroyed me altogether.
9 Remember that you have made me like (P)clay;
and will you return me to the (Q)dust?
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
and curdle me like cheese?
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.
13 Yet these things you hid in your heart;
I know that (R)this was your purpose.
14 If I sin, you (S)watch me
and do not (T)acquit me of my iniquity.
15 (U)If I am guilty, woe to me!
If I am (V)in the right, I cannot lift up my head,
for I am filled with disgrace
and (W)look on my affliction.
16 And were my head lifted up,[a] you would hunt me like (X)a lion
and again work (Y)wonders against me.
17 You renew your (Z)witnesses against me
and increase your vexation toward me;
you (AA)bring fresh troops against me.
18 (AB)“Why did you bring me out from the womb?
Would that I had died before any eye had seen me
19 (AC)and were as though I had not been,
carried from the womb to the grave.
20 (AD)Are not my days few?
(AE)Then cease, and leave me alone, (AF)that I may find a little cheer
21 before I go—and (AG)I shall not return—
to the land of (AH)darkness and (AI)deep shadow,
22 the land of gloom like thick darkness,
like deep shadow without any order,
where light is as thick darkness.”
Footnotes
- Job 10:16 Hebrew lacks my head
Job 10
International Standard Version
Job Asks God to Acquit Him
10 “I am disgusted with living,
so I’m going to talk about my complaint freely.
I’ll speak out from the bitterness of my soul.
2 I’ll say to God,
‘Don’t condemn me!
Let me know why you are fighting me.
3 Does it delight you to oppress
or despise what you have made,
while you smile at the plans of the wicked?[a]
4 Do you have eyes made of flesh?
Can you look at things as humans do?
5 Can you live only as long as a human being?
Or live the years[b] of a mortal man?
6 “‘For you seek out my iniquity
and search for my sin.
7 Although you know that I’m not guilty,
there’s no one to deliver me from you![c]
8 Your hands formed and fashioned me,
but then you have destroyed me all at once on all sides.
9 “‘Please remember that you’ve made me like clay
and you’ll return me to dust.
10 Didn’t you pour me out like milk
and let me congeal like cheese?
11 You covered me with skin and flesh,
weaving me together with bones and sinews.
12 You gave life and gracious love to me;
your providential care has preserved my spirit.
13 But you’ve hidden these things in your heart—
I know this was your purpose:[d]
14 If I sin, you watch me
and won’t acquit me for my iniquity.
15 “‘Woe to me if I’m guilty!
If I’m innocent, I cannot lift my head,
because I am filled with disgrace.
Look at my affliction!
16 But if I do lift up my head,
you will hunt me like a lion!
You will perform miracles in order to fight against me.
17 “‘You have brought new witnesses against me,
you’re even more angry with me—
you’ve brought fresh troops to attack me!
18 So why did you bring me out from the womb?
I wish I had died, before anyone had seen me,
19 as if I had never existed;
carried from the womb to the grave.
20 My days are so few, aren’t they?
So leave me alone, then,
so I can smile a little
21 before I go, never to return,
leaving for the land of deep darkness and shadow.
22 It’s a gloomy land, like deepest darkness;
where there’s no order,
and where even[e] the brightness is like darkness.’”
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
