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

After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed his day (birthday).

2 A nd Job answered and said,

And Job said,

3 L et the day perish in which I was born, and the night that said, There is a man child conceived.

Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night which announced, There is a man-child conceived.

4 T hat day—let it be darkness, let not +God care for it from above, neither let light shine upon it:

Let that day be darkness! May not God above regard it, nor light shine upon it.

5 L et darkness and the shadow of death claim it; let clouds dwell upon it; let darkeners of the day terrify it.

Let gloom and deep darkness claim it for their own; let a cloud dwell upon it; let all that blackens the day terrify it (the day that I was born).

6 T hat night—let gloom 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 thick darkness seize it; let it not rejoice among the days of the year; let it not come into the number of the months.

7 B ehold, let that night be barren; let no joyful sound come therein;

Yes, let that night be solitary and barren; let no joyful voice come into it.

8 L et them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to rouse Leviathan;

Let those curse it who curse the day, who are skilled in rousing up Leviathan.

9 L et the stars of its twilight be dark; let it wait for light, and have none, neither let it see the eyelids of the dawn:

Let the stars of the early dawn of that day be dark; let look in vain for the light, nor let it behold the day’s dawning,

10 B ecause it shut not up the doors of the womb that bore me, and hid not trouble from mine eyes.

Because it shut not the doors of my mother’s womb nor hid sorrow and trouble from my eyes.

11 W herefore did I not die from the womb,—come forth from the belly and expire?

Why was I not stillborn? Why did I not give up the ghost when my mother bore me?

12 W hy did the knees meet me? and wherefore the breasts, that I should suck?

Why did the knees receive me? Or 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 then would I have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept; then would I have been at rest

14 W ith kings and counsellors of the earth, who build desolate places for themselves,

With kings and counselors of the earth, who built up desolate ruins for themselves,

15 O r with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver;

Or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.

16 O r as a hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants that have not seen the light.

Or was I not a miscarriage, hidden and put away, as infants who never saw light?

17 T here the wicked cease from troubling; and there the wearied are at rest.

There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary are at rest.

18 T he prisoners together are at ease; they hear not the voice of the taskmaster.

There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the taskmaster’s voice.

19 T he small and great are there, and the bondman freed from his master.

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

20 W herefore is light given to him that is in trouble, and life to those bitter of soul,

Why is light given to him who is in misery, and life to the bitter in soul,

21 W ho long for death, and it not, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures;

Who long and wait for death, but it comes not, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures,

22 W ho rejoice even exultingly and are glad when they find the grave?—

Who rejoice exceedingly and are elated when they find the grave?

23 T o the man whose way is hidden, and whom +God hath hedged in?

to a man whose way is hidden, and whom God has hedged in?

24 F or my sighing cometh before my bread, and my groanings are poured out like the waters.

For my sighing comes before my food, and my groanings are poured out like water.

25 F or I feared a fear, and it hath come upon me, and that which I dreaded hath come to me.

For the thing which I greatly fear comes upon me, and that of which I am afraid befalls me.

26 I was not in safety, neither had I quietness, neither was I at rest, and trouble came.

I was not or am not at ease, nor had I or have I rest, nor was I or am I quiet, yet trouble came and still comes.