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Job Cries Out to God

10 (A)My soul is loathed by my life;
I will abandon all restraint in myself to (B)my complaint;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
I will say to God, ‘(C)Do not account me as wicked;
Let me know why You contend with me.
Is it good to You that You (D)oppress,
That You reject (E)the labor of Your hands,
And [a]cause (F)the counsel of the wicked to shine forth?
Have You eyes of flesh?
Or do You (G)see as a mortal man sees?
Are Your days as the days of a mortal man,
Or (H)Your years as man’s years,
That (I)You should seek for my guilt
And search after my sin?
According to Your knowledge (J)I am indeed not wicked,
Yet there is (K)no [b]deliverer from Your hand.

(L)Your hands fashioned and made me [c]altogether,
(M)And would You swallow me up?
Remember now, that You have made me as (N)clay;
And 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 knit me together with bones and sinews?
12 You have (P)made alongside me life and lovingkindness;
And Your care has kept my spirit.
13 Yet (Q)these things You have concealed in Your heart;
I know that this is within You:
14 If I sin, then You would (R)take note of me
And (S)would not acquit me of my guilt.
15 If (T)I am wicked, woe to me!
And (U)if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head.
I am sated with disgrace—so see my misery!
16 Should my head be set on high, (V)You would hunt me like a lion;
And again You would show Your (W)wonders against me.
17 You renew (X)Your witnesses against me
And increase Your vexation toward me;
[d](Y)Hardship after hardship is with me.

18 (Z)Why then have You brought me out of the womb?
Would that I had breathed my last and no eye had seen me!
19 I should have been as though I had not been,
Carried from womb to tomb.’
20 Would He not cease (AA)for a few of my days?
[e](AB)Withdraw from me that I may have a little cheer
21 Before I go—(AC)and I shall not return—
(AD)To the land of darkness and (AE)shadow of death,
22 The land of utter gloom as the thick darkness itself,
Of the shadow of death, without order,
And which shines as the thick darkness.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 10:3 Lit You shine forth
  2. Job 10:7 Or deliverance
  3. Job 10:8 Lit together round about
  4. Job 10:17 Lit Changes and warfare are with me
  5. Job 10:20 Lit Put

Complaint to God

10 I loathe my life; I will let loose my complaint;
    I will speak out of my own bitterness.
I will say to God, Don’t declare me guilty;
    tell me what you are accusing me of doing.
Does it seem good to you that you oppress me,
    that you reject the work of your hands
    and cause the purpose of sinners to shine?
Do you have physical eyes;
    do you see like a human?
Are your days like those of a human,
    your years like years of a human,
        that you search for my wrongdoing
        and seek my sin?
You know that I’m not guilty,
    yet no one delivers me from your power.

Creator

Your hands fashioned and made me;
    yet you want to destroy me utterly.
Remember that you made me from[a] clay,
    and you will return me to dust.
10 Didn’t you pour me out like milk,
    curdle me like cheese?
11 You clothed me with skin and flesh,
    wove me from bones and sinews.
12 Life and kindness you gave me,
    and you oversaw and preserved my breath.

No hiding place

13 These things you hid in your heart;
    I know this is the case with you.
14 If I sin and you observe me,
    you won’t consider me innocent of wrongdoing.
15 If I were guilty, doom to me;
    I’m innocent, but can’t lift my head,
    full of shame and facing my misery.
16 I could boast like a lion, and you would hunt me;
    you would do awesome things to me again.
17 You continue to send your witnesses against me
    and increase your anger toward me,
        a swift army against me.[b]

Death wish

18 Why did you let me emerge from the womb?
    I wish I had died without any eye seeing me.
19 Then I would be just as if I hadn’t existed,
    taken from the belly to the grave.
20 Aren’t my few days coming to an end?
Look away from me so I can brighten up a little
21     before I go and don’t return
    to a land of deepest darkness,
22     a land whose light is like gloom,
        utter darkness and confusion,
        such that light shines like gloom.

Footnotes

  1. Job 10:9 Or like
  2. Job 10:17 Heb uncertain