Font Size
Job 3-4
English Standard Version
Job 3-4
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.”
Eliphaz Speaks: The Innocent Prosper
4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 “If one ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?
Yet who can keep from speaking?
3 Behold, you have instructed many,
and you have (T)strengthened the weak hands.
4 Your words have upheld him who was stumbling,
and you have (U)made firm the feeble knees.
5 But now it has come to you, and you are impatient;
it touches you, and you are dismayed.
6 (V)Is not your fear of God[b] your (W)confidence,
and the integrity of your ways your hope?
7 “Remember: (X)who that was innocent ever perished?
Or where were the upright cut off?
8 As I have seen, those who (Y)plow iniquity
and sow trouble reap the same.
9 By (Z)the breath of God they perish,
and by (AA)the blast of his anger they are consumed.
10 The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion,
(AB)the teeth of the young lions are broken.
11 The strong lion perishes for lack of prey,
and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
12 “Now a word was brought to me stealthily;
my ear received (AC)the whisper of it.
13 Amid (AD)thoughts from (AE)visions of the night,
when (AF)deep sleep falls on men,
14 dread came upon me, and trembling,
which made all my bones shake.
15 A spirit glided past my face;
the hair of my flesh stood up.
16 It stood still,
but I could not discern its appearance.
(AG)A form was before my eyes;
there was silence, then I heard (AH)a voice:
17 (AI)‘Can mortal man be in the right before[c] God?
Can a man be pure before his Maker?
18 Even in his servants (AJ)he puts no trust,
and his angels he charges with error;
19 how much more those who dwell in houses of (AK)clay,
whose foundation is in (AL)the dust,
who are crushed like[d] (AM)the moth.
20 Between (AN)morning and evening they are beaten to pieces;
they perish forever (AO)without anyone regarding it.
21 Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them,
(AP)do they not die, and that without wisdom?’
Job 3-4
New International Version
Job 3-4
New International Version
Job Speaks
3 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.(A) 2 He said:
3 “May the day of my birth perish,
and the night that said, ‘A boy is conceived!’(B)
4 That day—may it turn to darkness;
may God above not care about it;
may no light shine on it.
5 May gloom and utter darkness(C) claim it once more;
may a cloud settle over it;
may blackness overwhelm it.
6 That night—may thick darkness(D) seize it;
may it not be included among the days of the year
nor be entered in any of the months.
7 May that night be barren;
may no shout of joy(E) be heard in it.
8 May those who curse days[a] curse that day,(F)
those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.(G)
9 May its morning stars become dark;
may it wait for daylight in vain
and not see the first rays of dawn,(H)
10 for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me
to hide trouble from my eyes.
11 “Why did I not perish at birth,
and die as I came from the womb?(I)
12 Why were there knees to receive me(J)
and breasts that I might be nursed?
13 For now I would be lying down(K) in peace;
I would be asleep and at rest(L)
14 with kings and rulers of the earth,(M)
who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,(N)
15 with princes(O) who had gold,
who filled their houses with silver.(P)
16 Or why was I not hidden away in the ground like a stillborn child,(Q)
like an infant who never saw the light of day?(R)
17 There the wicked cease from turmoil,(S)
and there the weary are at rest.(T)
18 Captives(U) also enjoy their ease;
they no longer hear the slave driver’s(V) shout.(W)
19 The small and the great are there,(X)
and the slaves are freed from their owners.
20 “Why is light given to those in misery,
and life to the bitter of soul,(Y)
21 to those who long for death that does not come,(Z)
who search for it more than for hidden treasure,(AA)
22 who are filled with gladness
and rejoice when they reach the grave?(AB)
23 Why is life given to a man
whose way is hidden,(AC)
whom God has hedged in?(AD)
24 For sighing(AE) has become my daily food;(AF)
my groans(AG) pour out like water.(AH)
25 What I feared has come upon me;
what I dreaded(AI) has happened to me.(AJ)
26 I have no peace,(AK) no quietness;
I have no rest,(AL) but only turmoil.”(AM)
Eliphaz
4 Then Eliphaz the Temanite(AN) replied:
2 “If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?
But who can keep from speaking?(AO)
3 Think how you have instructed many,(AP)
how you have strengthened feeble hands.(AQ)
4 Your words have supported those who stumbled;(AR)
you have strengthened faltering knees.(AS)
5 But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged;(AT)
it strikes(AU) you, and you are dismayed.(AV)
6 Should not your piety be your confidence(AW)
and your blameless(AX) ways your hope?
7 “Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished?(AY)
Where were the upright ever destroyed?(AZ)
8 As I have observed,(BA) those who plow evil(BB)
and those who sow trouble reap it.(BC)
9 At the breath of God(BD) they perish;
at the blast of his anger they are no more.(BE)
10 The lions may roar(BF) and growl,
yet the teeth of the great lions(BG) are broken.(BH)
11 The lion perishes for lack of prey,(BI)
and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.(BJ)
12 “A word(BK) was secretly brought to me,
my ears caught a whisper(BL) of it.(BM)
13 Amid disquieting dreams in the night,
when deep sleep falls on people,(BN)
14 fear and trembling(BO) seized me
and made all my bones shake.(BP)
15 A spirit glided past my face,
and the hair on my body stood on end.(BQ)
16 It stopped,
but I could not tell what it was.
A form stood before my eyes,
and I heard a hushed voice:(BR)
17 ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God?(BS)
Can even a strong man be more pure than his Maker?(BT)
18 If God places no trust in his servants,(BU)
if he charges his angels with error,(BV)
19 how much more those who live in houses of clay,(BW)
whose foundations(BX) are in the dust,(BY)
who are crushed(BZ) more readily than a moth!(CA)
20 Between dawn and dusk they are broken to pieces;
unnoticed, they perish forever.(CB)
21 Are not the cords of their tent pulled up,(CC)
so that they die(CD) without wisdom?’(CE)
Footnotes
- Job 3:8 Or curse the sea
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.