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

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

2 J ob answered:

And Job spoke and said,

3 “ Let the day perish in which I was born, the night which said, ‘There is a boy conceived.’

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

4 L et that day be darkness. Don’t let God from above seek for it, neither let the light 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 the shadow of death claim it for their own. Let a cloud dwell on it. Let all that makes black the day terrify it.

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

6 A s for that night, let thick darkness seize on 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 upon it; let it not be joined unto 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 voice come therein.

O, let that night be solitary; let no song come therein!

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

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

9 L et the stars of its twilight be dark. Let it look for light, but have none, neither let it see the eyelids of the morning,

Let the stars of its dawn be darkened; they waited for light, but have none; neither let them see the dawning of the day;

10 b ecause it didn’t shut up the doors of my mother’s womb, nor did it hide trouble from my eyes.

because it did not shut up the doors of my mother’s womb nor hide the misery from my eyes.

11 “ Why didn’t I die from the womb? Why didn’t I give up the spirit when my mother bore me?

¶ Why did I not die from the womb? Why did I not give up the spirit when I came out of the belly?

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

Why did the knees receive me? Of what use the breasts that I should suck?

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

For now I should have lain still and been quiet; I should have slept; then I would have been at rest,

14 w ith kings and counselors of the earth, who built up waste places for themselves;

with the kings and the counsellors of the earth, who built desolate places for themselves;

15 o r with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver:

or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver.

16 o r as a hidden untimely birth I had not been, as infants who never saw light.

Or, why was I not hidden as an untimely birth, as infants who never saw light?

17 T here the wicked cease from troubling. There the weary are at rest.

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

18 T here the prisoners are at ease together. They don’t hear the voice of the taskmaster.

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

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

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

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

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

21 W ho long for death, but it doesn’t come; and dig for it more than for hidden treasures,

who long for death, but it comes not; and search for it more than for hid treasures;

22 w ho rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?

who rejoice exceedingly and are glad when they can find the grave;

23 W hy is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?

to the man who does not know which way he goes and whom God has hedged in?

24 F or my sighing comes before I eat. My groanings are poured out like water.

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

25 F or the thing which I fear comes on me, That which I am afraid of comes to me.

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 ease, neither am I quiet, neither have I rest; but trouble comes.”

I never had prosperity, nor did I secure myself, neither was I at rest; yet trouble came.