Job: I Would Plead with God

10 “My (A)soul loathes my life;
I will [a]give free course to my complaint,
(B)I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me;
Show me why You contend with me.
Does it seem good to You that You should oppress,
That You should despise the work of Your hands,
And smile on the counsel of the wicked?
Do You have eyes of flesh?
Or (C)do You see as man sees?
Are Your days like the days of a mortal man?
Are Your years like the days of a mighty man,
That You should seek for my iniquity
And search out my sin,
Although You know that I am not wicked,
And there is no one who can deliver from Your hand?

‘Your(D) hands have made me and fashioned me,
An intricate unity;
Yet You would (E)destroy me.
Remember, I pray, (F)that You have made me like clay.
And will You turn me into dust again?
10 (G)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 granted me life and favor,
And Your care has preserved my spirit.

13 ‘And these things You have hidden in Your heart;
I know that this was with You:
14 If I sin, then (H)You mark me,
And will not acquit me of my iniquity.
15 If I am wicked, (I)woe to me;
(J)Even if I am righteous, I [b]cannot lift up my head.
I am full of disgrace;
(K)See my misery!
16 If my head is exalted,
(L)You hunt me like a fierce lion,
And again You show Yourself awesome against me.
17 You renew Your witnesses against me,
And increase Your indignation toward me;
Changes and war are ever with me.

18 ‘Why(M) then have You brought me out of the womb?
Oh, that I had perished and no eye had seen me!
19 I would have been as though I had not been.
I would have been carried from the womb to the grave.
20 (N)Are not my days few?
Cease! (O)Leave me alone, that I may take a little comfort,
21 Before I go to the place from which I shall not return,
(P)To the land of darkness (Q)and the shadow of death,
22 A land as dark as darkness itself,
As the shadow of death, without any order,
Where even the light is like darkness.’ ”

Footnotes

  1. Job 10:1 Lit. leave on myself
  2. Job 10:15 Lit. will not

Job Continues His Response to Bildad

10 “My inner self[a] loathes my life;
I want to give vent to my complaint;[b]
I want to speak out of the bitterness of my inner self.[c]
I will say to God, ‘You should not condemn me;
let me know why you contend against me.
Is it good for you that you oppress,
that you despise the labor of your hands,
and you smile over the schemes of the wicked?
Do you have eyes of flesh?[d]
Or do you see as human beings see?[e]
Are your days as the days of human beings,
or your years as the days of man,
that you seek out my iniquity,
and you search for my sin
because of your knowledge that I am not guilty,
and there is no escaping from your hand?
Your hands fashioned me and made me[f] altogether,[g]
then[h] you destroyed me.
Please[i] remember that you made me like clay,
but[j] you turn me into dust again?
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
and curdle me[k] like cheese?
11 You clothed me with skin and flesh,
and you knit me together with bones and sinews.
12 You have granted me life and loyal love,
and your care has preserved my spirit.
13 “‘Yet[l] you hid these things in your heart;
I know that this was your purpose.[m]
14 If I had sinned, then[n] you would be watching me,
and you would not acquit me of my guilt.
15 If I am guilty, woe to me!
But[o] if I am righteous, I dare not lift my head;
I am filled with shame, and just look at my misery!
16 And if my head grows bold, you would hunt me as the lion in its prime;
and you repeat your exploits against me.[p]
17 You renew your witnesses against me,
and you increase your vexation against me;
relief forces[q] are against me.
18 So[r] why did you bring me forth from the womb?
I should have passed away, and no eye should have seen me.[s]
19 I should have been as though I had not been;
I should have been brought from the womb to the grave.
20 Are not my days few? Let him leave me alone;
let him turn from me, and let me rejoice a little.
21 Before I go—and I will not return—
to the land of darkness and deep shadow,
22 to the land of darkness,
like the darkness of a deep shadow and chaos,[t]
so that[u] it shines forth like darkness.’”

Footnotes

  1. Job 10:1 Or “soul”
  2. Job 10:1 Literally “I want to let go upon me my complaint”
  3. Job 10:1 Or “soul”
  4. Job 10:4 Literally “Are eyes of flesh for you”
  5. Job 10:4 Literally “as seeing of human beings you see”
  6. Job 10:8 Hebrew “they made me”
  7. Job 10:8 Literally “together all around”
  8. Job 10:8 Or “and”
  9. Job 10:9 Or an untranslatable particle expressing urgency
  10. Job 10:9 Hebrew “and”
  11. Job 10:10 Literally “you did curdle me”
  12. Job 10:13 Hebrew “And”
  13. Job 10:13 Literally “was with you”
  14. Job 10:14 Hebrew “and”
  15. Job 10:15 Hebrew “And”
  16. Job 10:16 Literally “and you do again you display marvelous powers against me”
  17. Job 10:17 Literally “substitute and forces
  18. Job 10:18 Hebrew “And”
  19. Job 10:18 Literally “and an eye should not have seen me”
  20. Job 10:22 Literally “and not order”
  21. Job 10:22 Or “and”