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After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day,

And he said:

Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said: A man child is conceived.

Let that day be turned into darkness, let not God regard it from above, and let not the light shine upon it.

Let darkness, and the shadow of death cover it, let a mist overspread it, and let it be wrapped up in bitterness.

Let a darksome whirlwind seize upon that night, let it not be counted in the days of the year, nor numbered in the months.

Let that night be solitary, and not worthy of praise.

Let them curse it who curse the day. who are ready to raise up a leviathan:

Let the stars be darkened with the mist thereof: let it expect light and not see it, nor the rising of the dawning of the day:

10 Because it shut not up the doors of the womb that bore me, nor took away evils from my eyes.

11 Why did I not die in the womb, why did I not perish when I came out of the belly?

12 Why received upon the knees? why suckled at the breasts?

13 For now I should have been asleep and still, and should have rest in my sleep.

14 With kings and consuls of the earth, who build themselves solitudes:

15 Or with princes, that possess gold, and All their houses with silver:

16 Or as a hidden untimely birth I should not be, or as they that being conceived have not seen the light.

17 There the wicked cease from tumult, and there the wearied in strength are at rest.

18 And they sometime bound together without disquiet, have not heard the voice of the oppressor.

19 The small and great are there, and the servant is free from his master.

20 Why is light given to him that is in misery, and life to them that are in bitterness of soul?

21 That look for death, and it cometh not, as they that dig for a treasure:

22 And they rejoice exceedingly when they have found the grave.

23 To a man whose way is hidden, and God hath surrounded him with darkness?

24 Before I eat I sigh: and as overflowing waters, so is my roaring:

25 For the fear which I feared hath come upon me: and that which I was afraid of, hath befallen me.

26 Have I not dissembled? have I not kept silence? have I not been quiet? and indignation is come upon me.

Job’s Lament

Afterward Job opened his mouth and cursed [a]the day of his birth. And Job [b]said,

(A)Let the day perish on which I was to be born,
And the night which said, ‘A [c]boy is conceived.’
“May that day be darkness;
Let not God above care for it,
Nor light shine on it.
“Let (B)darkness and black gloom claim it;
Let a cloud settle on it;
Let the blackness of the day terrify it.
As for that night, let darkness seize it;
Let it not rejoice among the days of the year;
Let it not come into the number of the months.
“Behold, let that night be barren;
Let no joyful shout enter it.
“Let those curse it who curse the day,
Who are [d]prepared to (C)rouse Leviathan.
“Let the stars of its twilight be darkened;
Let it wait for light but have none,
And let it not see the [e]breaking dawn;
10 Because it did not shut the opening of my mother’s womb,
Or hide trouble from my eyes.

11 (D)Why did I not die [f]at birth,
Come forth from the womb and expire?
12 “Why did the knees receive me,
And why the breasts, that I should suck?
13 “For now I (E)would have lain down and been quiet;
I would have slept then, I would have been at rest,
14 With (F)kings and with (G)counselors of the earth,
Who rebuilt (H)ruins for themselves;
15 Or with (I)princes (J)who had gold,
Who were filling their houses with silver.
16 “Or like a miscarriage which is [g]discarded, I would not be,
As infants that never saw light.
17 “There the wicked cease from raging,
And there the [h]weary are at (K)rest.
18 “The prisoners are at ease together;
They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster.
19 “The small and the great are there,
And the slave is free from his master.

20 “Why is (L)light given to him who suffers,
And life to the bitter of soul,
21 Who [i](M)long for death, but there is none,
And dig for it more than for (N)hidden treasures,
22 Who rejoice greatly,
And exult when they find the grave?
23 Why is light given to a man (O)whose way is hidden,
And whom (P)God has hedged in?
24 “For (Q)my groaning comes at the sight of my food,
And (R)my cries pour out like water.
25 “For [j](S)what I fear comes upon me,
And what I dread befalls me.
26 “I (T)am not at ease, nor am I quiet,
And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 3:1 Lit his day
  2. Job 3:2 Lit answered and said
  3. Job 3:3 Lit man-child
  4. Job 3:8 Or skillful
  5. Job 3:9 Lit eyelids
  6. Job 3:11 Lit from the womb
  7. Job 3:16 Lit hidden
  8. Job 3:17 Lit weary of strength
  9. Job 3:21 Lit wait
  10. Job 3:25 Lit the fear I fear and