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Job 3
New International Version
Job 3
New International Version
Job Speaks
3 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.(A) 2 He said:
3 “May the day of my birth perish,
and the night that said, ‘A boy is conceived!’(B)
4 That day—may it turn to darkness;
may God above not care about it;
may no light shine on it.
5 May gloom and utter darkness(C) claim it once more;
may a cloud settle over it;
may blackness overwhelm it.
6 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.
7 May that night be barren;
may no shout of joy(E) be heard in it.
8 May those who curse days[a] curse that day,(F)
those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.(G)
9 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
- Job 3:8 Or curse the sea
Job 3
Revised Geneva Translation
Job 3
Revised Geneva Translation
3 Afterward, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
2 And Job cried out, and said,
3 “Let the day on which I was born perish, and the night when it was said, ‘There is a male child conceived.’
4 “Let that day be darkness. Do not let God seek it from above or let the light shine upon it.
5 “Let darkness, and the shadow of death, stain it. Let the cloud remain upon it. And let them make it fearful, as a bitter day.
6 “Let darkness possess that night. Do not let it be joined to the days of the year or let it come into the count of the months.
7 “Yea, let that night be desolate! And let no joy be in it!
8 “Let those who curse the day, curse it (being ready to renew their mourning).
9 “Let the stars of that twilight be dim through the darkness of it. Let it look for light but have none. Nor let it see the dawning of the day,
10 “because it did not shut up the doors of my mother’s womb or hide sorrow from my eyes.
11 “Why did I not die at birth? Or why did I not die when I came out of the womb?
12 “Why did the knees prevent me? And why did I suck the breasts?
13 “For I would now have lain down and been quiet. I would have slept then, and been at rest
14 “with the kings and counselors of the Earth, who have built themselves desolate places,
15 “or with the princes who had gold and have filled their houses with silver.
16 “Or, why was I not hidden, as a stillborn birth, or as infants who have not seen the light?
17 “There the wicked have ceased from tyranny. And there those who labored valiantly are at rest.
18 “The prisoners rest together, not hearing the voice of the oppressor.
19 “The small and great are there. And the servant is free from his master.
20 “Why is the light given to him who is in misery, and life to those who have heavy hearts,
21 “who long for death? And if it does not come, they will search for it even more than treasures,
22 “who rejoice exceedingly and are glad when they can find the grave.
23 “Why is the light given to the man whose way is hidden, and whom God has hedged in?
24 “For my sighing comes before I eat. And my roarings are poured out like the water.
25 “For the thing I feared has come upon me. And the thing that I was afraid of has come to me.
26 “I had no peace. Nor had I quietness. Nor had I rest. Yet trouble has come.”
New International Version (NIV) 
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Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)
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