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

After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.

2 A nd Job answered and said,

And Job spoke, and said:

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

“May the day perish on which I was born, And the night in which it was said, ‘A male child 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; May God above not seek it, Nor the 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.

May darkness and the shadow of death claim it; May a cloud settle on it; May 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, may darkness seize it; May it not rejoice among the days of the year, May it not come into the number of the months.

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

Oh, may that night be barren! May no joyful shout come into it!

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

May those curse it who curse the day, Those who are ready to arouse 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:

May the stars of its morning be dark; May it look for light, but have none, And not see the dawning of the day;

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 up the doors of my mother’s womb, Nor hide sorrow 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? Why did I not perish when I came from the womb?

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 nurse?

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 still and been quiet, I would have been asleep; 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 counselors of the earth, Who built 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 why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, Like 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 do not hear the voice of the oppressor.

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

The small and 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 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 it does not come, And search for it more than hidden treasures;

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

Who rejoice exceedingly, And are glad when they can 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 sighing comes before I eat, And my groanings 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 the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to 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; I have no rest, for trouble comes.”