New Living Translation

Darby Bible Translation

Job’s First Speech

At last Job spoke, and he cursed the day of his birth.

1

Job Laments his Birth

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

2

He said:

2

And Job answered and said,

3

“Let the day of my birth be erased,
and the night I was conceived.

3

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

4

Let that day be turned to darkness.
Let it be lost even to God on high,
and let no light shine on it.

4

That day -- let it be darkness, let not +God care for it from above, neither let light shine upon it:

5

Let the darkness and utter gloom claim that day for its own.
Let a black cloud overshadow it,
and let the darkness terrify it.

5

Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it; let clouds dwell upon it; let darkeners of the day terrify it.

6

Let that night be blotted off the calendar,
never again to be counted among the days of the year,
never again to appear among the months.

6

That night -- let gloom seize upon it; let it not rejoice among the days of the year; let it not come into the number of the months.

7

Let that night be childless.
Let it have no joy.

7

Behold, let that night be barren; let no joyful sound come therein;

8

Let those who are experts at cursing —
whose cursing could rouse Leviathana —
curse that day.

8

Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to rouse Leviathan;

9

Let its morning stars remain dark.
Let it hope for light, but in vain;
may it never see the morning light.

9

Let the stars of its twilight be dark; let it wait for light, and have none, neither let it see the eyelids of the dawn:

10

Curse that day for failing to shut my mother’s womb,
for letting me be born to see all this trouble.

10

Because it shut not up the doors of the womb that bore me, and hid not trouble from mine eyes.

11

“Why wasn’t I born dead?
Why didn’t I die as I came from the womb?

11

Wherefore did I not die from the womb, -- come forth from the belly and expire?

12

Why was I laid on my mother’s lap?
Why did she nurse me at her breasts?

12

Why did the knees meet me? and wherefore the breasts, that I should suck?

13

Had I died at birth, I would now be at peace.
I would be asleep and at rest.

13

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

14

I would rest with the world’s kings and prime ministers,
whose great buildings now lie in ruins.

14

With kings and counsellors of the earth, who build desolate places for themselves,

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I would rest with princes, rich in gold,
whose palaces were filled with silver.

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Or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver;

16

Why wasn’t I buried like a stillborn child,
like a baby who never lives to see the light?

16

Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants that have not seen the light.

17

For in death the wicked cause no trouble,
and the weary are at rest.

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There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the wearied are at rest.

18

Even captives are at ease in death,
with no guards to curse them.

18

The prisoners together are at ease; they hear not the voice of the taskmaster.

19

Rich and poor are both there,
and the slave is free from his master.

19

The small and great are there, and the bondman freed from his master.

20

“Oh, why give light to those in misery,
and life to those who are bitter?

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Wherefore is light given to him that is in trouble, and life to those bitter of soul,

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They long for death, and it won’t come.
They search for death more eagerly than for hidden treasure.

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Who long for death, and it [cometh] not, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures;

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They’re filled with joy when they finally die,
and rejoice when they find the grave.

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Who rejoice even exultingly and are glad when they find the grave? --

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Why is life given to those with no future,
those God has surrounded with difficulties?

23

To the man whose way is hidden, and whom +God hath hedged in?

24

I cannot eat for sighing;
my groans pour out like water.

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For my sighing cometh before my bread, and my groanings are poured out like the waters.

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What I always feared has happened to me.
What I dreaded has come true.

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For I feared a fear, and it hath come upon me, and that which I dreaded hath come to me.

26

I have no peace, no quietness.
I have no rest; only trouble comes.”

26

I was not in safety, neither had I quietness, neither was I at rest, and trouble came.

Parallel

New Living Translation

Darby Bible Translation

Job 3

Job 3