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
EasyEnglish Bible
Job continues to speak
10 I do not want to live any longer.
I must continue to complain.
I am very upset and I have to speak about it.
2 This is what I will say to God:
“Do not say that I am guilty.
    Tell me what bad things you think I have done.
3 Your own hands created me.
    So you should not be cruel to me. It is not right.
Instead, you are kind to wicked people.
    You help them to do the bad things that they want to do.
4 Do you see things as people see them?
    Are your eyes only like human eyes?[a]
5 Is your life like a human life?
    It is surely not as short as that!
6 So why do you want to discover all my sins?
    Why do you hurry to do that?
7 You know that I am not guilty.
    But you also know that no one can save me from your power.
8 Your own hands have made me who I am.
    But now you are completely destroying me.
9 Remember that you made me,
    like someone who uses clay to make things.
Will you now make me become dust again?
10 You poured me like milk into my mother.
There you put my body together,
    like milk that becomes cheese.
11 You joined my bones together,
    and you covered them with skin.
12 You gave me life and you loved me faithfully.
    You took care of me and you kept me safe.
13 But now I know what you have been thinking.
    I have discovered your secret.
14 You were watching me to see if I did wrong things.
    Then you would refuse to forgive me.
15 If I am guilty of sin,
    that brings terrible trouble to me.
But if I am righteous,
    I still feel ashamed.
Whatever I do, I have nothing but shame
    and my life is full of trouble.
16 If I try to be brave,
    you chase me like a hungry lion.
    You show your power to hurt me.
17 You find more reasons to attack me.
You become more and more angry with me.
    You attack me with even greater power.
18 Why did you let me be born?
    I should have died before anyone saw me.
19 It would have been better if I had not been born.
Or they should have put me in my grave,
    immediately after my birth.
20 I will only live for a few more days.
    So leave me alone! Then I may be happy for a moment.
21 I will soon go to the dark place where there is no hope.
    I will never come back from that place.
22 I will go to that very dark place where there are only shadows.
    In that place, it is still dark when the light shines. ” ’
Footnotes
- 10:4 Job is asking God if he really sees what is true. Perhaps God is making a mistake when he says that Job is guilty.
Job 10
New International Version
10 “I loathe my very life;(A)
    therefore I will give free rein to my complaint
    and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.(B)
2 I say to God:(C) Do not declare me guilty,
    but tell me what charges(D) you have against me.(E)
3 Does it please you to oppress me,(F)
    to spurn the work of your hands,(G)
    while you smile on the plans of the wicked?(H)
4 Do you have eyes of flesh?
    Do you see as a mortal sees?(I)
5 Are your days like those of a mortal
    or your years like those of a strong man,(J)
6 that you must search out my faults
    and probe after my sin(K)—
7 though you know that I am not guilty(L)
    and that no one can rescue me from your hand?(M)
8 “Your hands shaped(N) me and made me.
    Will you now turn and destroy me?(O)
9 Remember that you molded me like clay.(P)
    Will you now turn me to dust again?(Q)
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(R) with bones and sinews?
12 You gave me life(S) and showed me kindness,(T)
    and in your providence(U) watched over(V) my spirit.
13 “But this is what you concealed in your heart,
    and I know that this was in your mind:(W)
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me(X)
    and would not let my offense go unpunished.(Y)
15 If I am guilty(Z)—woe to me!(AA)
    Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head,(AB)
for I am full of shame
    and drowned in[a] my affliction.(AC)
16 If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion(AD)
    and again display your awesome power against me.(AE)
17 You bring new witnesses against me(AF)
    and increase your anger toward me;(AG)
    your forces come against me wave upon wave.(AH)
18 “Why then did you bring me out of the womb?(AI)
    I wish I had died before any eye saw me.(AJ)
19 If only I had never come into being,
    or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!(AK)
20 Are not my few days(AL) almost over?(AM)
    Turn away from me(AN) so I can have a moment’s joy(AO)
21 before I go to the place of no return,(AP)
    to the land of gloom and utter darkness,(AQ)
22 to the land of deepest night,
    of utter darkness(AR) and disorder,
    where even the light is like darkness.”(AS)
Footnotes
- Job 10:15 Or and aware of
Job 10
King James Version
10 My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.
3 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?
4 Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?
5 Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man's days,
6 That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?
7 Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.
8 Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.
9 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.
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