Job 3
3
Job Laments His Birth
1After this Job #ch. 33:2; Ps. 78:2opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 2And Job said:
3 # [ch. 10:18, 19]; See Jer. 20:14-18 “Let the day perish on which I was born,
and the night that said,
‘A man is conceived.’
4Let that day be darkness!
May God above not seek it,
nor light shine upon it.
5Let gloom and #ch. 10:21, 22; 12:22; 24:17; 28:3; 34:22; 38:17; Ps. 23:4; Isa. 9:2; Matt. 4:16deep darkness claim it.
Let clouds dwell upon it;
let the blackness of the day terrify it.
6That night—let thick darkness seize it!
Let it not rejoice among the days of the year;
let it not come into the number of the months.
7Behold, let that night be barren;
let no joyful cry enter it.
8Let those curse it who curse the day,
who are ready to rouse up #ch. 41:1Leviathan.
9Let the stars of its dawn be dark;
let it hope for light, but have none,
nor see #ch. 41:18the eyelids of the morning,
10because it did not shut the doors of my mother’s womb,
nor hide trouble from my eyes.
11“Why #ch. 10:18, 19did I not die at birth,
come out from the womb and expire?
12Why did #Gen. 30:3; 50:23; Isa. 66:12the knees receive me?
Or why the breasts, that I should nurse?
13For then I would have lain down and been quiet;
I would have slept; then I would have been at rest,
14with kings and counselors of the earth
who #[Isa. 58:12]rebuilt ruins for themselves,
15or with princes who had gold,
who filled their houses with silver.
16Or why was I not as a hidden #Ps. 58:8; Eccles. 6:3; [1 Cor. 15:8]stillborn child,
as infants who never see the light?
17There the wicked cease from troubling,
and there the weary are at #ch. 17:16rest.
18There the prisoners are at ease together;
they hear not the voice of #Ex. 3:7the taskmaster.
19The 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,
and life to #Prov. 31:6the bitter in soul,
21who #Rev. 9:6 long for death, but it comes not,
and dig for it more than for #Prov. 2:4hidden treasures,
22who rejoice exceedingly
and are glad when they find the grave?
23Why is light given to a man whose #Isa. 40:27 way is hidden,
whom God has #[ch. 1:10]; See ch. 19:8hedged in?
24For my sighing comes #[Ps. 42:3; 80:5; 102:9] instead of#3:24 Or like; Hebrew before my bread,
and my #Ps. 22:1; 38:8groanings are poured out like water.
25 # [Prov. 10:24] For the thing that I fear comes upon me,
and what I dread befalls me.
26I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;
I have no rest, but trouble comes.”
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Job 3
3
Job’s Opening Speech
1After this, Job began to speak and cursed the day he was born. 2He said:
3May the day I was born perish,
and the night when they said,
“A boy is conceived.” # Jb 5:7; Pr 23:25; Is 7:14
4If only that day had turned to darkness!
May God above not care about it,
or light shine on it.
5May darkness and gloom # Jb 10:21-22; 12:22; 28:3 reclaim it,
and a cloud settle over it.
May an eclipse of the sun # Lit May a darkening of daylight terrify it.
6If only darkness had taken that night away!
May it not appear # LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg; MT reads rejoice among the days of the year
or be listed in the calendar. # Lit or enter the number of months
7Yes, may that night be barren;
may no joyful shout # Jb 20:5; Ps 63:5 be heard in it.
8Let those who curse certain days
cast a spell # Nm 22:11,17; Jb 5:3; Pr 11:26 on it,
those who are skilled in rousing Leviathan. # Jb 41; Ps 74:14; 104:26
9May its morning stars grow dark.
May it wait for daylight but have none;
may it not see the breaking # Lit the eyelids of dawn.
10For that night did not shut
the doors of my mother’s womb,
and hide sorrow from my eyes.
11Why was I not stillborn;
why didn’t I die as I came from the womb? # Jb 1:21; 10:17-18; Jr 20:17-18
12Why did the knees receive me,
and why were there breasts for me to nurse? # Sg 8:1; Is 66:12; Jl 2:16
13Now I would certainly be lying down in peace;
I would be asleep. # Ps 13:3; Jr 51:39,57; Mt 8:24
Then I would be at rest # Jb 17:16; Dn 12:13; Rv 14:13
14with the kings and counselors # Is 14:9; Jr 51:57; Ezk 32:29 of the earth,
who rebuilt ruined cities for themselves,
15or with princes who had gold,
who filled their houses # Jb 17:13; 30:23; Ec 12:5 with silver.
16Or why was I not hidden like a miscarried child, # Nm 12:12; Ps 58:8; Ec 6:3
like infants who never see daylight?
17There the wicked # Jb 9:22; 11:20; 18:5 cease to make trouble,
and there the weary find rest.
18The captives are completely at ease; # Pr 1:33; Jr 30:10; 46:27
they do not hear the voice of their oppressor. # Ex 3:7; 5:10,13-14; Jb 39:7
19Both small and great are there,
and the slave is set free from his master. # Jb 9:22; Ec 9:2-3; Is 14:9-10
20Why is light given to one burdened with grief,
and life to those whose existence is bitter, # Jb 23:2; Ps 71:20; Lm 1:4
21who wait for death, # 1Kg 19:4; Jb 7:15; Jnh 4:3 but it does not come,
and search for it more than for hidden treasure,
22who are filled with much joy
and are glad when they reach the grave? # Jb 5:26; 10:19; 17:1
23Why is life given to a man whose path is hidden, # Jb 19:8; Lm 3:9; Hs 2:6
whom God has hedged in?
24I sigh when food # Jb 6:7: 33:20; Ps 102:4 is put before me, # Or My sighing serves as my food
and my groans pour out like water. # Ps 6:6; 22:1,14; 32:3
25For the thing I feared has overtaken me,
and what I dreaded has happened to me. # Jb 9:28; 13:11; 30:15
26I cannot relax or be still;
I have no rest, # Jb 30:17; Pr 25:2; Ec 2:23 for trouble comes.
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