II. Job’s Dialogue With His Friends (3:1-27:33)
Job Regrets His Birth
3:1 After this Job opened his
mouth1
and cursed2
his day.3
3:2 Job spoke up4
and said,
3:3 “Let the day perish in which5
I was born,6
and the night which said,7
‘A man8
has been conceived.’9
3:4 That day10—let
it be darkness;11
let not God above regard12
it,
neither let light shine13
upon it.
3:5 Let darkness and the shadow of death14
claim it,15
let a cloud settle upon it;
let whatever blackens the day16
terrify it.
3:6 That night—let darkness seize17
it;
let it not be included18
among the days of the year;
let it not enter among the number of the months.19
3:7 Indeed,20
let that night be barren;21
let no shout of joy22
penetrate23
it.
3:8 Let those who curse the day24
curse it,25
by those who are prepared to rouse26
Leviathan.27
3:9 Let the stars of its dawn28
be darkened;
let it wait29
for daylight but find none,30
neither let it see the first rays31
of dawn,32
3:10 because it33
did not shut the doors34
of the womb on me,35
neither did it hide trouble36
from my eyes.
Job Wishes He Had Died at Birth37
3:11 Why did I not38
die39
at birth,40
and why did I not expire
when41
I came out of the womb?
3:12 Why did the knees welcome me,42
and why were there43
two breasts44
that I might suck?45
3:13 For now46
I would be lying down
and47
would be quiet,48
I would be asleep and then at peace49
3:14 with kings and counselors of the earth
who built for themselves places now desolate,50
3:15 or with princes who had gold,51
who filled their houses52
with silver.
3:16 Or why53
was54
I not hidden55
like a stillborn infant,56
like infants57
who have never seen the light?58
3:17 There59
the wicked60
cease61
from turmoil,62
and there the weary63
are at rest.
3:18 There64
the prisoners65
rest66
together;67
they do not hear the voice of the oppressor.68
3:19 Small and great are69
there,
and the servant is free70
from his master.71
Longing for Death72
3:20 Why does God73
give74
light to one who is in misery,75
and life to those76
whose soul is bitter,
3:21 to77
those who wait78
for death that79
does not come,
and search for it80
more than for hidden treasures,
3:22 who rejoice81
even to jubilation82
and are exultant83
when84
they find a grave?85
3:23 Why is light given86
to a man87
whose way is hidden,88
and whom God has hedged in?89
3:24 For my sighing comes in place of90
my food,91
and my groanings92
flow forth like water.93
3:25 For the thing that I dreaded94
has happened95
to me, and what I feared has come upon me.96
3:26 I have no ease,97
I have no quietness
I cannot rest;98
trouble has come upon me.99