1 A fter this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day he was born.

After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.

2 H e said,

And Job spake, and said,

3 “ Let the day be lost on which I was born, and the night which said, ‘A boy is born.’

Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.

4 M ay that day be darkness. May God above not care for it. May light not shine on it.

Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.

5 L et darkness and a heavy shadow take it for their own. Let a cloud come upon it. Let the darkness of the day bring fear upon it.

Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.

6 A s for that night, let darkness take hold of it. Let it not have joy among the days of the year. Let it not come into the number of months.

As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months.

7 Y es, let that night be alone and empty. Let no sound of joy come into it.

Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein.

8 L et those curse it who curse the day, who are able to wake up the Leviathan.

Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning.

9 L et the early morning stars be made dark. Let it wait for light but have none. Do not let it see the light of day.

Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day:

10 B ecause it did not keep my mother from giving birth to me, or hide trouble from my eyes.

Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.

11 “ Why did I not die at birth? Why did I not come from my mother and die?

Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?

12 W hy did the knees receive me, or why the breasts, that I should have milk?

Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck?

13 F or now I would have lain down and been quiet. I would have slept then. I would have been at rest,

For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest,

14 w ith kings and wise men of the earth who built cities for themselves that are now destroyed.

With kings and counsellors of the earth, which build desolate places for themselves;

15 I would have been at rest with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.

Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver:

16 W hy did I not die before I was born, hidden and put away, as babies that never see the light?

Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light.

17 T here the troubles of the sinful stop. There the tired are at rest.

There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.

18 T hose in prison are at rest together. They do not hear the voice of the one who rules over their work.

There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.

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

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

20 “ Why is light given to him who suffers? Why is life given to those who feel sad in their soul?

Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul;

21 T hey wait for death, but there is none. They dig for it more than for hidden riches.

Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;

22 T hey are filled with much joy and are glad, when they find the grave.

Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?

23 W hy is light given to a man whose way is hidden, and around whom God has built a wall?

Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?

24 F or I cry inside myself in front of my food. My cries pour out like water.

For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.

25 W hat I was afraid of has come upon me. What filled me with fear has happened.

For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.

26 I am not at rest, and I am not quiet. I have no rest, but only trouble.”

I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.