1 A fter this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.

Afterward Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.

2 A nd Job answered and said:

And Job said,

3 L et the day perish wherein I was born, And the night which said, There is a man-child conceived.

“ Let the day perish on which I was to be born, And the night which said, ‘A boy is conceived.’

4 L et that day be darkness; Let not God from above seek for it, Neither let the light shine upon it.

“May that day be darkness; Let not God above care for it, Nor light shine on it.

5 L et darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own; Let a cloud dwell upon it; Let all that maketh black the day terrify it.

“Let darkness and black gloom claim it; Let a cloud settle on it; Let the blackness of the day terrify it.

6 A s for that night, let thick darkness seize upon it: Let it not rejoice among the days of the year; Let it not come into the number of the months.

“ As for that night, let darkness seize it; Let it not rejoice among the days of the year; Let it not come into the number of the months.

7 L o, let that night be barren; Let no joyful voice come therein.

“Behold, let that night be barren; Let no joyful shout enter it.

8 L et them curse it that curse the day, Who are ready to rouse up leviathan.

“Let those curse it who curse the day, Who are prepared to rouse Leviathan.

9 L et the stars of the twilight thereof be dark: Let it look for light, but have none; Neither let it behold the eyelids of the morning:

“Let the stars of its twilight be darkened; Let it wait for light but have none, And let it not see the breaking dawn;

10 B ecause it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, Nor hid trouble from mine eyes.

Because it did not shut the opening of my mother’s womb, Or hide trouble from my eyes.

11 W hy died I not from the womb? Why did I not give up the ghost when my mother bare me?

“ Why did I not die at birth, Come forth from the womb and expire?

12 W hy did the knees receive me? Or why the breast, that I should suck?

“Why did the knees receive me, And why the breasts, that I should suck?

13 F or now should I have lain down and been quiet; I should have slept; then had I been at rest,

“For now I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept then, I would have been at rest,

14 W ith kings and counsellors of the earth, Who built up waste places for themselves;

With kings and with counselors of the earth, Who rebuilt ruins for themselves;

15 O r with princes that had gold, Who filled their houses with silver:

Or with princes who had gold, Who were filling their houses with silver.

16 O r as a hidden untimely birth I had not been, As infants that never saw light.

“Or like a miscarriage which is discarded, I would not be, As infants that never saw light.

17 T here the wicked cease from troubling; And there the weary are at rest.

“There the wicked cease from raging, And there the weary are at rest.

18 T here the prisoners are at ease together; They hear not the voice of the taskmaster.

“The prisoners are at ease together; They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster.

19 T he small and the great are there: And the servant is free from his master.

“The small and the great are there, And the slave is free from his master.

20 W herefore is light given to him that is in misery, And life unto the bitter in soul;

“Why is light given to him who suffers, And life to the bitter of soul,

21 W ho long for death, but it cometh not, And dig for it more than for hid treasures;

Who long for death, but there is none, And dig for it more than for hidden treasures,

22 W ho rejoice exceedingly, And are glad, when they can find the grave?

Who rejoice greatly, And exult when they find the grave?

23 W hy is light given to a man whose way is hid, And whom God hath hedged in?

“ Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, And whom God has hedged in?

24 F or my sighing cometh before I eat, And my groanings are poured out like water.

“For my groaning comes at the sight of my food, And my cries pour out like water.

25 F or the thing which I fear cometh upon me, And that which I am afraid of cometh unto me.

“For what I fear comes upon me, And what I dread befalls me.

26 I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither have I rest; But trouble cometh.

“I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes.”