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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

Il lamento di Giobbe

(A)Allora Giobbe aprì la bocca e maledisse il giorno della sua nascita.

E cominciò a parlare così:

«Perisca il giorno che io nacqui e la notte in cui si disse: “È stato concepito un maschio!”

Quel giorno si converta in tenebre, non se ne curi Dio dall’alto, né splenda su di esso la luce!

Se lo riprendano le tenebre e l’ombra di morte, resti su di esso una fitta nuvola, le eclissi lo riempiano di paura!

Quella notte diventi preda di un buio cupo, non venga contata tra i giorni dell’anno, non entri nel novero dei mesi!

Quella notte sia notte sterile e non vi si oda grido di gioia.

La maledicano quei che maledicono i giorni[a] e sono esperti nell’evocare il drago[b].

Si oscurino le stelle del suo crepuscolo, aspetti la luce e la luce non venga, e non contempli le palpebre dell’alba,

10 poiché non chiuse la porta del grembo che mi portava e non celò l’affanno agli occhi miei.

11 Perché non morii fin dal seno di mia madre? Perché non spirai appena uscito dal suo grembo?

12 Perché trovai delle ginocchia per ricevermi e delle mammelle da poppare?

13 Ora giacerei tranquillo, dormirei, e avrei così riposo

14 con i re e con i consiglieri della terra che si costruirono mausolei,

15 con i prìncipi che possedevano oro e che riempirono d’argento le loro case;

16 oppure, come l’aborto nascosto, non esisterei, sarei come i feti che non videro la luce.

17 Là cessano gli empi di tormentare gli altri, là riposano gli stanchi;

18 là i prigionieri hanno pace tutti insieme, senza udir voce d’aguzzino.

19 Piccoli e grandi sono là insieme, lo schiavo è libero dal suo padrone.

20 Perché dare la luce all’infelice, e la vita a chi ha l’anima nell’amarezza?

21 Essi aspettano la morte che non viene, la ricercano più che i tesori nascosti.

22 Si rallegrerebbero fino a giubilarne, esulterebbero se trovassero una tomba.

23 Perché dar vita a un uomo la cui via è oscura e che Dio ha stretto in un cerchio?

24 Io sospiro anche quando prendo il mio cibo, e i miei gemiti si spargono come acqua.

25 Non appena temo un male, esso mi colpisce; e quel che mi spaventa, mi piomba addosso.

26 Non trovo riposo, né tranquillità, né pace; il tormento è continuo!»

Footnotes

  1. Giobbe 3:8 Quei che maledicono i giorni, cioè i maghi che provocano disastri e calamità in giorni particolari.
  2. Giobbe 3:8 Il drago, lett. leviatano, cioè il mostro marino; qui, in senso figurato, designa una potenza nemica.

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

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.