Job Laments His Birth

1After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed his day. 2And Job spoke and said:

3“May the day perish on which I was born,

and the night that one said,

‘A male child has been conceived.’

4That day—may it be darkness;

let not God seek it above,

nor let light shine upon it.

5Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it;

may a cloud dwell over it;

let the blackness of the day terrify it.

6That night—let darkness take it!

Let it not it rejoice among the days of the year;

into the number of the months let it not come.

7Behold, that night—may it be barren,

let no joyful shout come into it.

8May they curse it, those cursing the day,†

those ready to rouse Leviathan.

9May the stars of its morning light be dark;

may it look for light and there be none,

and do not let it see the eyelids of the dawn;

10for it did not shut the doors of my womb,

and hide trouble from my eyes.

11Why did I not die from the womb?

I should have come forth from the belly and expired!

12Why did the knees meet me,

and why the breasts that I should suck?

13For now I would have lain down and been quiet;

I would have slept—then there would be rest for me

14with the kings and counselors of the earth,

who built up ruins for themselves;

15or with the princes with gold unto them,

those filling their houses with silver.

16Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child,

like infants who had not seen the light?

17There the wicked cease from trouble,

and there those weary of power are at rest—

18together the captives are at rest;

they do not hear the voice oppressing them.

19The small and the great there the same,

and the servant is free from his master.

20Why is light given to the one toiling,

and life to the bitter of soul,

21those waiting for death and there is none,

and those digging for it more than hidden treasures,

22those being glad unto joy;

they rejoice that they should find the grave?

23To a man for whom his path is hidden,

and God has hedged around him?

24For before my food my sighing comes,

and my groanings pour out like the waters.

25For the dreadful thing I dreaded, and it has met me,

and that which I had feared has come to me.

26I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;

and I do not have rest, and turmoil has come.”