Job 3
The Voice
3 1-2 After all of this, Job opened his mouth and broke the silence. He spoke a curse, not upon God but upon his day of birth.
3 Job: May the day die on which I was born,
along with the night that spoke the words, “a boy is conceived.”
4 May that day of birth become darkness, and when it has disappeared,
may God above neither seek it out nor light find a way to shine on it.
5 Rather, let darkness and the shadow of death claim the day and its life-giving light.
Let storm clouds roll over it and threatening blackness terrorize it.
6 As to that night of my conception—
may it be snatched by the thick darkness of death’s realm,
Never to be released again for any year or any month—
so my conception and life could never have happened.
7 May that night prove infertile,
and may no moan of pleasure be heard there.
8 Bring out the enchanters, the diviners who cast their spells on the day—
who can awaken that beast, Leviathan—
9 And may the early-morning stars be extinguished.
Let the day wait for a light that won’t ever come,
And may it never see the eyelids of dawn crack open.
10 Because it neither closed the door of my mother’s womb
nor covered my eyes to these sorrows.
Reflecting on his conception, Job wishes darkness and death could have prevailed over light and life on that day. The one place that represents such darkness and death is called sheol. Job and his contemporaries believe all people go to sheol when they die. The Bible describes it as the very opposite of the heavens, a land of no return that is dark, dusty, and silent. Certainly this is not the heaven or hell of the New Testament; it is neither a place of communion with God nor a place of torment. One’s comfort after death is not determined by where he goes, but by whom he is with. The people of the Old Testament hope to “leave this world to sleep with their ancestors.” Such a fate is the reward of following God’s path in life.
11 Job: Why did I not die at my birth,
simply pass from the womb into death?
12 Why did my mother’s lap welcome me,
and why did her breasts nourish me?
13 If I had died, then I would now be reposed in quiet;
I would be sleeping in peace,
14 Resting with kings and their earthly ministers
who rebuilt ruined cities to glorify themselves,
15 With princes who possessed gold,
whose houses swelled with silver.
16 Why was I not buried in secret as a baby born still,
as a newborn who never saw light?
17 In the sleep of death, the wicked can do no more damage;
the weary ones at last find rest.
18 In death the captives are freed, together at ease,
and the shouts of their oppressors die along with them.
19 In the grave, together are the small and great,
and slaves from masters are emancipated.
20 Why is light awarded to those distressed,
and life given to embittered souls
21 Who long for a death that can’t be found,
though they mine the earth to find it
More than hidden veins of riches—
22 Who would be overjoyed and glad
when they find the grave?
23 Why is light wasted on the earthbound,
who cannot find their way and whom God has surrounded?
24 For I groan before every meal;
my moaning flows like water.
25 What I feared most descends on me;
my nightmare—now reality.
26 I have no peace; I have no quiet;
my resting, gone, has turned to riot.
Job 3
New King James Version
Job Deplores His Birth
3 After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 2 And Job [a]spoke, and said:
3 “May(A) the day perish on which I was born,
And the night in which it was said,
‘A male child is conceived.’
4 May that day be darkness;
May God above not seek it,
Nor the light shine upon it.
5 May darkness and (B)the shadow of death claim it;
May a cloud settle on it;
May the blackness of the day terrify it.
6 As for that night, may darkness seize it;
May it not [b]rejoice among the days of the year,
May it not come into the number of the months.
7 Oh, may that night be barren!
May no joyful shout come into it!
8 May those curse it who curse the day,
Those (C)who are ready to arouse Leviathan.
9 May the stars of its morning be dark;
May it look for light, but have none,
And not see the [c]dawning of the day;
10 Because it did not shut up the doors of my mother’s womb,
Nor hide sorrow from my eyes.
11 “Why(D) did I not die at birth?
Why did I not [d]perish when I came from the womb?
12 (E)Why did the knees receive me?
Or why the breasts, that I should nurse?
13 For now I would have lain still and been quiet,
I would have been asleep;
Then I would have been at rest
14 With kings and counselors of the earth,
Who (F)built ruins for themselves,
15 Or with princes who had gold,
Who filled their houses with silver;
16 Or why was I not hidden (G)like a stillborn child,
Like infants who never saw light?
17 There the wicked cease from troubling,
And there the [e]weary are at (H)rest.
18 There the prisoners [f]rest together;
(I)They do not hear the voice of the oppressor.
19 The small and great are there,
And the servant is free from his master.
20 “Why(J) is light given to him who is in misery,
And life to the (K)bitter of soul,
21 Who (L)long[g] for death, but it does not come,
And search for it more than (M)hidden treasures;
22 Who rejoice exceedingly,
And are glad when they can find the (N)grave?
23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden,
(O)And whom God has hedged in?
24 For my sighing comes before [h]I eat,
And my groanings pour out like water.
25 For the thing I greatly (P)feared has come upon me,
And what I dreaded has happened to me.
26 I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;
I have no rest, for trouble comes.”
Job 3
Palabra de Dios para Todos
3 Entonces Job maldijo el día en que nació. 2 Él dijo:
3 «Que desaparezca el día en que nací.
Que la noche en que se dijo:
“¡Es un niño!” se elimine completamente.
4 Que haya tinieblas ese día,
que Dios en las alturas no pregunte por él
y que la luz del día no le resplandezca.
5 Que la sombra de la muerte lo reclame como suyo.
Que nubes oscuras lo cubran,
que la oscuridad se apodere de él.
6 Que la oscuridad arrebate esa noche,
que esa fecha no aparezca en ese mes ni en ese año.
7 Que esa noche sea desolada
y carezca de alegría.
8 Que la maldigan los que maldicen el día
y los expertos en despertar a Leviatán.
9 Que no brillen las estrellas de esa mañana,
que esa noche espere ansiosa la llegada de la luz,
pero que no haya luz.
10 Que le caigan todas las maldiciones a esa noche,
porque no cerró el vientre de mi mamá
y no ocultó de mis ojos el desastre.
11 »¿Por qué no morí yo en el vientre
o al salir de él?
12 ¿Por qué hubo rodillas para recibirme
y pechos para amamantarme?
13 Si mi madre no me hubiera dado a luz,
estaría durmiendo ahora,
sin ser molestado, descansando.
14 Estaría con los reyes y los sabios de la tierra
que construyeron las pirámides.
15 O estaría con funcionarios reales que poseían oro
y llenaron sus tumbas con plata.
16 ¿O por qué no me enterraron como un aborto,
o como a los niños que nunca ven la luz?
17 Allí los malvados dejan de causar problemas.
Allí descansarán los que quedaron sin fuerzas.
18 Los cautivos descansan
porque ya no oyen más la voz del capataz.
19 Allí están el hombre sencillo y el gran personaje,
y el esclavo se libra de su amo.
20 »¿Por qué ve la luz el desdichado
y se le da vida a quienes llevan una amarga existencia?
21 ¿Por qué se les da vida a los que esperan con ansia la muerte,
a los que la buscan más que a un tesoro escondido?
22 ¿Por qué darles vida a aquellos
que se llenarían de alegría si descendieran a la fosa?
23 ¿Por qué darle vida a un hombre que ve cerrado su camino,
y a quien Dios tiene acorralado?
24 Suspiros me vienen en lugar de alimento;
mis lamentos fluyen como el agua.
25 Lo que más temía,
fue lo que me sucedió.
26 No tengo paz ni sosiego.
No hay descanso para mí, sino ansiedad».
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
© 2005, 2015 Bible League International