1 A fter this, Job opened 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 in which I was born, and the night that 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 T hat day—let it be darkness, let not +God care for it from above, neither let 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; let clouds dwell upon it; let darkeners of 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 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 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;

“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 Leviathan;

“Let those curse it who curse the day, Who are prepared to rouse 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 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 the womb that bore me, and hid not trouble from mine eyes.

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

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

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

12 W hy did the knees meet me? and wherefore the breasts, 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 build desolate places for themselves,

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

15 O r with princes who 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 have not seen the 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 wearied are at rest.

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

18 T he prisoners together are at ease; 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 great are there, and the bondman freed 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 trouble, and life to those bitter of soul,

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

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

Who long for death, but there is none, 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 greatly, And exult when they find the grave?

23 T o the man whose way is hidden, 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 my bread, and my groanings are poured out like the waters.

“For my groaning comes at the sight of my food, And my cries pour 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 what I fear comes upon me, And what I dread befalls me.

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

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