10 My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.

Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?

Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man's days,

That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?

Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.

Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.

Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?

10 Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?

11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.

12 Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.

13 And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.

14 If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.

15 If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;

16 For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me.

17 Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.

18 Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!

19 I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

20 Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,

21 Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;

22 A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.

10 “I hate my life,
    so I will complain without holding back;
    I will speak because I am so unhappy.
I will say to God: Do not hold me guilty,
    but tell me what you have against me.
Does it make you happy to trouble me?
    Don’t you care about me, the work of your hands?
    Are you happy with the plans of evil people?
Do you have human eyes
    that see as we see?
Are your days like the days of humans,
    and your years like our years?
You look for the evil I have done
    and search for my sin.
You know I am not guilty,
    but no one can save me from your power.

“Your hands shaped and made me.
    Do you now turn around and destroy me?
Remember that you molded me like a piece of clay.
    Will you now turn me back into dust?
10 You formed me inside my mother
    like cheese formed from milk.
11 You dressed me with skin and flesh;
    you sewed me together with bones and muscles.
12 You gave me life and showed me kindness,
    and in your care you watched over my life.

13 “But in your heart you hid other plans.
    I know this was in your mind.
14 If I sinned, you would watch me
    and would not let my sin go unpunished.
15 How terrible it will be for me if I am guilty!
    Even if I am right, I cannot lift my head.
I am full of shame
    and experience only pain.
16 If I hold up my head, you hunt me like a lion
    and again show your terrible power against me.
17 You bring new witnesses against me
    and increase your anger against me.
    Your armies come against me.

18 “So why did you allow me to be born?
    I wish I had died before anyone saw me.
19 I wish I had never lived,
    but had been carried straight from birth to the grave.
20 The few days of my life are almost over.
    Leave me alone so I can have a moment of joy.
21 Soon I will leave; I will not return
    from the land of darkness and gloom,
22 the land of darkest night,
    from the land of gloom and confusion,
    where even the light is darkness.”

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