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

And Job spake, and said,

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

Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.

Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.

As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months.

Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein.

Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning.

Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day:

10 Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.

11 Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?

12 Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck?

13 For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest,

14 With kings and counsellors of the earth, which build desolate places for themselves;

15 Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver:

16 Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light.

17 There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.

18 There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.

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

20 Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul;

21 Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;

22 Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?

23 Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?

24 For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.

25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.

26 I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.

Job Speaks

After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.(A) He said:

“May the day of my birth perish,
    and the night that said, ‘A boy is conceived!’(B)
That day—may it turn to darkness;
    may God above not care about it;
    may no light shine on it.
May gloom and utter darkness(C) claim it once more;
    may a cloud settle over it;
    may blackness overwhelm it.
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.
May that night be barren;
    may no shout of joy(E) be heard in it.
May those who curse days[a] curse that day,(F)
    those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.(G)
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)

Footnotes

  1. Job 3:8 Or curse the sea

Primer discurso de Job

Al fin habló Job, y maldijo el día de su nacimiento.

2-3 «Maldito sea el día en que nací —dijo— y la noche en que fui concebido. Que ese día se vuelva oscuridad; que Dios en lo alto no lo tome en cuenta; que no brille en él ninguna luz. Que las tinieblas se adueñen de él; que una nube negra lo cubra con su sombra. Que sea borrado del calendario y jamás vuelva a contarse entre los días del mes de ese año. Que aquella noche sea helada y sin alegría. Que la maldigan los que profieren maldiciones. Que se esfumen las estrellas de esa noche; que suspire por la luz, y no la vea jamás; que nunca vea la luz matutina. 10 Maldita sea por no haber cerrado el vientre de mi madre; por dejarme nacer para llegar a ver toda esta aflicción.

11 »¿Por qué no morí al nacer? 12 ¿Por qué la partera me dejó vivir? ¿Por qué me amamantaron con pechos? 13 Si hubiera muerto al nacer, ahora estaría yo tranquilo, dormido y en reposo, 14-15 junto con dignatarios y reyes con toda su pompa; con opulentos príncipes cuyos castillos están llenos de ricos tesoros. 16 ¡Ojalá hubiera sido un aborto! ¡No haber respirado ni visto la luz jamás! 17 Porque en la muerte dejan los malvados de hostigar y los cansados hallan reposo. 18 Allá, hasta los cautivos tienen alivio, sin un brutal carcelero que los maltrate. 19 Ricos y pobres por igual están allí, y el esclavo se ve al fin libre de su amo.

20-21 »¡Ay! ¿Por qué dar luz y vida a quienes yacen en aflicción y amargura, que suspiran por la muerte, y no llega; que buscan la muerte como otros buscan alimento o dinero? 22 ¡Qué bendito alivio reciben al fin al morir! 23 ¿Por qué dejar que nazca un hombre si Dios lo ha de encerrar en una vida de incertidumbre y frustración? 24 Los suspiros no me dejan comer; mis gemidos se derraman como agua. 25 Lo que siempre temí me ha sobrevenido. 26 No encuentro paz ni sosiego; no hallo reposo, sino sólo agitación».

Job Laments His Birth

After this Job (A)opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. And Job said:

(B)“Let the day perish on which I was born,
    and the night that said,
    ‘A man is conceived.’
Let that day be darkness!
    May God above not seek it,
    nor light shine upon it.
Let gloom and (C)deep darkness claim it.
    Let clouds dwell upon it;
    let the blackness of the day terrify it.
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.
Behold, let that night be barren;
    let no joyful cry enter it.
Let those curse it who curse the day,
    who are ready to rouse up (D)Leviathan.
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.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 3:24 Or like; Hebrew before