Job curses the day of his birth
After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. He said: May the day of my birth perish, and the night that said, A boy is conceived. That day — may it turn to darkness; may God above not care about it; may no light shine on it. May gloom and utter darkness claim it once more; may a cloud settle over it; may blackness overwhelm it. That night — may thick darkness seize it; may it not be included among the days of the year nor be entered in any of the months. May that night be barren; may no shout of joy be heard in it. May those who curse days curse that day, those who are ready to rouse Leviathan. May its morning stars become dark; may it wait for daylight in vain and not see the first rays of dawn, for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me to hide trouble from my eyes. Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb? Why were there knees to receive me and breasts that I might be nursed? For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest with kings and rulers of the earth, who built for themselves places now lying in ruins, with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver. Or why was I not hidden away in the ground like a stillborn child, like an infant who never saw the light of day? There the wicked cease from turmoil, and there the weary are at rest. Captives also enjoy their ease; they no longer hear the slave driver's shout. The small and the great are there, and the slaves are freed from their owners. Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter of soul, to those who long for death that does not come, who search for it more than for hidden treasure, who are filled with gladness and rejoice when they reach the grave? Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in? For sighing has become my daily food; my groans pour out like water. What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me. I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.
After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.
He said:
And Job spake, and said,
May the day of my birth perish,
and the night that said, A boy is conceived.
Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.
That day — may it turn to darkness;
may God above not care about it;
may no light shine on it.
Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.
May gloom and utter darkness claim it once more;
may a cloud settle over it;
may blackness overwhelm it.
Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.
That night — may thick darkness seize it;
may it not be included among the days of the year
nor be entered in any 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.
May that night be barren;
may no shout of joy be heard in it.
Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein.
May those who curse days curse that day,
those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.
Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning.
May its morning stars become dark;
may it wait for daylight in vain
and not see the first rays of dawn,
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:
for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me
to hide trouble from my eyes.
Because it shut not up the doors of my mother’s womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.
Why did I not perish at birth,
and die as I came from the womb?
Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?
Why were there knees to receive me
and breasts that I might be nursed?
Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck?
For now I would be lying down in peace;
I would be asleep and at rest
For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest,
with kings and rulers of the earth,
who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,
With kings and counsellors of the earth, which built desolate places for themselves;
with princes who had gold,
who filled their houses with silver.
Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver:
Or why was I not hidden away in the ground like a stillborn child,
like an infant who never saw the light of day?
Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light.
There the wicked cease from turmoil,
and there the weary are at rest.
There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.
Captives also enjoy their ease;
they no longer hear the slave driver's shout.
There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.
The small and the great are there,
and the slaves are freed from their owners.
The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master.
Why is light given to those in misery,
and life to the bitter of soul,
Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul;
to those who long for death that does not come,
who search for it more than for hidden treasure,
Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;
who are filled with gladness
and rejoice when they reach the grave?
Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?
Why is life given to a man
whose way is hidden,
whom God has hedged in?
Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?
For sighing has become my daily food;
my groans pour out like water.
For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.
What I feared has come upon me;
what I dreaded has happened to me.
For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
I have no peace, no quietness;
I have no rest, but only turmoil.
I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.