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Job Curses the Day of His Birth

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

(A)Let the day perish on which I was to be born,
And the night which said, ‘A man is conceived.’
May that day be darkness;
Let not God seek it from above,
Nor light shine on it.
Let (B)darkness and shadow of death redeem it;
Let a cloud dwell upon it;
Let the blackness of the day terrify it.
As for that night, let thick darkness take 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 [b]ready to (C)rouse Leviathan.
Let the stars of its twilight be darkened;
Let it hope for light but have none,
And let it not see the [c]breaking dawn,
10 Because it did not shut the opening of my mother’s [d]body,
Or hide trouble from my eyes.

11 (D)Why did I not die from the womb,
Come forth from the womb and breathe my last?
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; it would have been rest to me,
14 With (F)kings and with (G)counselors of the earth,
Who rebuilt (H)waste places for themselves,
15 Or with (I)princes (J)who had gold,
Who were filling their houses with silver.
16 Or why was I not like a miscarriage hidden away,
As infants that never saw light?
17 There the wicked cease from raging,
And there the weary of strength 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 is troubled,
And life to the bitter of soul,
21 Who [e](M)long for death, but there is none,
And dig for it more than for (N)hidden treasures,
22 Who are glad with joy,
And rejoice 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 roaring pours out like water.
25 For (S)the dread that I dread comes upon me,
And what I am afraid of befalls me.
26 I (T)am not complacent, nor am I quiet,
And I am not at rest, and raging comes.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 3:1 Lit his day
  2. Job 3:8 Or skillful
  3. Job 3:9 Lit eyelids of
  4. Job 3:10 Lit stomach
  5. Job 3:21 Lit wait

約伯咒詛自己

後來,約伯開口咒詛自己的生日, 說:

「願我出生的那日和懷我的那夜滅沒。
願那日一片黑暗,
被天上的上帝遺忘,
沒有陽光照耀。
願那日被黑暗和陰影籠罩,
被密雲覆蓋,
被陰暗淹沒。
願那夜被幽暗吞噬,
不列在年日中,
不算在歲月裡。
願那夜無人生育,
毫無快樂之聲。
願那些咒詛白日、
能惹動海怪的人,
咒詛那夜。
願那夜的晨星昏暗,
等不到晨光的出現,
看不見黎明的眼簾。
10 因為那夜沒有關閉我母胎的門,
以致讓我看見患難。

11 「為何我不出生時就夭折,
出母胎時就斷氣?
12 為何要把我抱在膝上,
用乳汁哺育我?
13 不然我早已安然躺臥、長眠安息,
14 與世上的君王和謀臣作伴——他們建造的宮殿已荒廢,
15 與房屋堆滿金銀的王侯同眠。
16 為何我沒有像未見天日就流產的嬰兒一樣消逝?
17 那裡,惡人不再攪擾,
疲憊者得到安息,
18 被囚者得到安寧,
聽不見監工的斥責。
19 尊貴與卑賤的人都在那裡,
奴僕不再受主人的轄制。

20 「為何賜光給受苦的人,
賜生命給心靈痛苦的人?
21 他們等候死亡卻等不到,
他們求死勝於求寶藏。
22 他們歸入墳墓時非常快樂,
欣喜若狂。
23 為何賜生命給前路渺茫、
被上帝圍困的人?
24 我以歎息為食,
呻吟如水湧流。
25 我害怕的事發生了,
我恐懼的事來臨了。
26 我不得安寧,
不得平靜,
不得安息,
只有苦難。」

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