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Job 3

After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. Job said: "Let the day I was born perish, and the night that said, 'A boy has been conceived.' Let that day be darkness. Let God above take no notice of it; let no light shine on it.

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Job curses his day

After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. Job said: "Let the day I was born perish, and the night that said, 'A boy has been conceived.' Let that day be darkness. Let God above take no notice of it; let no light shine on it. Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it. Let a cloud settle over it; let the blackness of the day terrify it. As for that night, let darkness seize it. Let it not rejoice among the days of the year or be counted among the months. Let that night be barren; let no joyful voice be heard in it. Let those who curse the day curse it, those who are ready to raise up their mourning. Let the stars of its morning go dark. Let it wait for daylight and never see it, nor see the eyelids of the morning, because it did not shut the doors of my mother's womb and hide trouble from my eyes. Why didn't I die at birth? Why didn't I perish as soon as I came from the womb? Why were there knees to receive me, and breasts for me to feed from? By now I would be lying down in peace. I would be asleep and at rest, with kings and counsellors of the earth who built desolate places for themselves, or with princes who had gold and filled their houses with silver. Or why wasn't I hidden away like an untimely birth, like infants who never saw the light? There the wicked stop troubling others, and there the weary are at rest. Prisoners rest together there; they no longer hear the voice of the oppressor. The small and the great are there together, and the servant is free from his master. Why is light given to those in misery, and life to those bitter in soul, who long for death but it does not come, who search for it more eagerly than hidden treasure, who rejoice greatly and are glad when at last they find the grave? Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in? My sighing comes before I eat, and my groans pour out like water. The thing I greatly feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened. I had no ease, no quiet and no rest — yet trouble came."

After this Job opened his mouth and cursed his day. And Job spoke and said: Let the day be wiped out that I was born in, and the night that said: A boy has been conceived. Let that day be darkness. Don't let God look at it from above, and don't let the light shine on it. Let darkness and the shadow of death take it back. Let a cloud stay on it. Let the blackness of the day terrify it. As for that night, let darkness take hold of it. Don't let it join the days of the year. Don't let it come into the number of the months. Look — let that night be lonely. Don't let a glad voice come in it. Let the ones curse it who curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning. Let the stars of its dawn be dark. Let it look for light and have none, and don't let it see the eyelids of the morning — because it didn't shut up the doors of my mother's womb or hide trouble from my eyes. Why didn't I die from the womb? Why didn't I give up the ghost when I came out of the belly? Why did the knees take me? Or why the breasts, that I should suck? Because by now I'd be lying still and quiet. I'd be asleep. Then I'd be at rest — with kings and counsellors of the earth, who built waste places for themselves, or with leaders who had gold, who filled their houses with silver. Or as a hidden untimely birth, I wouldn't have been — like babies who never saw light. There the wicked stop their trouble, and there the worn out are at rest. There the prisoners rest together. They don't hear the voice of the one who drives them. The small and the great are there, and the servant is free from his master. Why is light given to the one in misery, and life to the bitter in soul — who wait for death and it doesn't come, and dig for it more than for hidden treasure, who are glad past measure and celebrate when they can find the grave? Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, and who God has hedged in? Because my groaning comes before I eat, and my roarings pour out like the waters. Because the thing I greatly feared has come on me, and what I dreaded has come to me. I wasn't at ease, and I had no rest, and I had no quiet. Yet trouble came.

After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. And Job spake, and said, Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived. Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine 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. 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. Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein. Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning. 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: Because it shut not up the doors of my mother’s womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes. Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly? Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck? For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest, With kings and counsellors of the earth, which built desolate places for themselves; Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver: Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light. There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest. There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor. The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master. Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul; Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures; Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave? Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in? For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters. For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.

1

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

Plain English

After this Job opened his mouth and cursed his day.

King James Version, 1611

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

2

Job said:

Plain English

And Job spoke and said:

King James Version, 1611

And Job spake, and said,

3

"Let the day I was born perish, and the night that said, 'A boy has been conceived.'

Plain English

Let the day be wiped out that I was born in, and the night that said: A boy has been conceived.

King James Version, 1611

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

4

Let that day be darkness. Let God above take no notice of it; let no light shine on it.

Plain English

Let that day be darkness. Don't let God look at it from above, and don't let the light shine on it.

King James Version, 1611

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

5

Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it. Let a cloud settle over it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.

Plain English

Let darkness and the shadow of death take it back. Let a cloud stay on it. Let the blackness of the day terrify it.

King James Version, 1611

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

6

As for that night, let darkness seize it. Let it not rejoice among the days of the year or be counted among the months.

Plain English

As for that night, let darkness take hold of it. Don't let it join the days of the year. Don't let it come into the number of the months.

King James Version, 1611

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

Let that night be barren; let no joyful voice be heard in it.

Plain English

Look — let that night be lonely. Don't let a glad voice come in it.

King James Version, 1611

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

8

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

Plain English

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

King James Version, 1611

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

9

Let the stars of its morning go dark. Let it wait for daylight and never see it, nor see the eyelids of the morning,

Plain English

Let the stars of its dawn be dark. Let it look for light and have none, and don't let it see the eyelids of the morning —

King James Version, 1611

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

because it did not shut the doors of my mother's womb and hide trouble from my eyes.

Plain English

because it didn't shut up the doors of my mother's womb or hide trouble from my eyes.

King James Version, 1611

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

11

Why didn't I die at birth? Why didn't I perish as soon as I came from the womb?

Plain English

Why didn't I die from the womb? Why didn't I give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?

King James Version, 1611

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

12

Why were there knees to receive me, and breasts for me to feed from?

Plain English

Why did the knees take me? Or why the breasts, that I should suck?

King James Version, 1611

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

13

By now I would be lying down in peace. I would be asleep and at rest,

Plain English

Because by now I'd be lying still and quiet. I'd be asleep. Then I'd be at rest —

King James Version, 1611

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

14

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

Plain English

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

King James Version, 1611

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

15

or with princes who had gold and filled their houses with silver.

Plain English

or with leaders who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.

King James Version, 1611

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

16

Or why wasn't I hidden away like an untimely birth, like infants who never saw the light?

Plain English

Or as a hidden untimely birth, I wouldn't have been — like babies who never saw light.

King James Version, 1611

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

17

There the wicked stop troubling others, and there the weary are at rest.

Plain English

There the wicked stop their trouble, and there the worn out are at rest.

King James Version, 1611

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

18

Prisoners rest together there; they no longer hear the voice of the oppressor.

Plain English

There the prisoners rest together. They don't hear the voice of the one who drives them.

King James Version, 1611

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

19

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

Plain English

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

King James Version, 1611

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

20

Why is light given to those in misery, and life to those bitter in soul,

Plain English

Why is light given to the one in misery, and life to the bitter in soul —

King James Version, 1611

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

21

who long for death but it does not come, who search for it more eagerly than hidden treasure,

Plain English

who wait for death and it doesn't come, and dig for it more than for hidden treasure,

King James Version, 1611

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

22

who rejoice greatly and are glad when at last they find the grave?

Plain English

who are glad past measure and celebrate when they can find the grave?

King James Version, 1611

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

23

Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?

Plain English

Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, and who God has hedged in?

King James Version, 1611

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

24

My sighing comes before I eat, and my groans pour out like water.

Plain English

Because my groaning comes before I eat, and my roarings pour out like the waters.

King James Version, 1611

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

25

The thing I greatly feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened.

Plain English

Because the thing I greatly feared has come on me, and what I dreaded has come to me.

King James Version, 1611

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

26

I had no ease, no quiet and no rest — yet trouble came."

Plain English

I wasn't at ease, and I had no rest, and I had no quiet. Yet trouble came.

King James Version, 1611

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