Job's First Speech
Blot Out the Day of My Birth
1 Finally, Job cursed the day
of his birth
2 by saying to God:
3 Blot out the day of my birth
and the night when my parents
created a son.
4 Forget about that day,
cover it with darkness,
5 and send thick, gloomy shadows
to fill it with dread.
6 Erase that night from the calendar
and conceal it with darkness.
7 Don't let children be created
or joyful shouts be heard
ever again in that night.
8 Let those with magic powers
place a curse on that day.
9 Darken its morning stars
and remove all hope of light,
10 because it let me be born
into a world of trouble.
Why Didn't I Die at Birth?
11 Why didn't I die at birth?
12 Why was I accepted
and allowed to nurse
at my mother's breast?
13 Now I would be at peace
in the silent world below
14 with kings and their advisors
whose palaces lie in ruins,
15 and with rulers once rich
with silver and gold.
16 I wish I had been born dead
and then buried, never to see
the light of day.
17 In the world of the dead,
the wicked and the weary rest
without a worry.
* 18 Everyone is there—
19 where captives and slaves
are free at last.
Why Does God Let Me Live?
20 Why does God let me live
when life is miserable
and so bitter?
21 I keep longing for death
more than I would seek
a valuable treasure.
22 Nothing could make me happier
than to be in the grave.
23 Why do I go on living
when God has me surrounded,
and I can't see the road?
24 Moaning and groaning
are my food and drink,
25 and my worst fears
have all come true.
26 I have no peace or rest—
only troubles and worries.
1 Afterward Iob opened his mouth, and cursed his day. 2 And Iob cryed out, and sayd, 3 Let the day perish, wherein I was borne, and the night when it was sayde, There is a man childe conceiued. 4 Let that day bee darkenesse, let not God regarde it from aboue, neyther let the light shine vpon it, 5 But let darkenesse, and the shadowe of death staine it: let the cloude remayne vpon it, and let them make it fearefull as a bitter day. 6 Let darkenesse possesse that night, let it not be ioyned vnto the dayes of the yeere, nor let it come into the count of the moneths. 7 Yea, desolate be that night, and let no ioy be in it. 8 Let them that curse the day, (being readie to renue their mourning) curse it. 9 Let the starres of that twilight be dimme through darkenesse of it: let it looke for light, but haue none: neither let it see the dawning of the day, 10 Because it shut not vp the dores of my mothers wombe: nor hid sorowe from mine eyes. 11 Why died I not in the birth? or why dyed I not, when I came out of the wombe? 12 Why did the knees preuent me? and why did I sucke the breasts? 13 For so shoulde I now haue lyen and bene quiet, I should haue slept then, and bene at rest, 14 With the Kings and counselers of the earth, which haue buylded themselues desolate places: 15 Or with the princes that had golde, and haue filled their houses with siluer. 16 Or why was I not hid, as an vntimely birth, either as infants, which haue not seene the light? 17 The wicked haue there ceased from their tyrannie, and there they that laboured valiantly, are at rest. 18 The prisoners rest together, and heare not the voyce of the oppressour. 19 There are small and great, and the seruant is free from his master. 20 Wherefore is the light giuen to him that is in miserie? and life vnto them that haue heauie hearts? 21 Which long for death, and if it come not, they would euen search it more then treasures: 22 Which ioy for gladnes, and reioyce, when they can finde the graue. 23 Why is the light giuen to the man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in? 24 For my sighing commeth before I eate, and my roarings are powred out like the water. 25 For the thing I feared, is come vpon me, and the thing that I was afraid of, is come vnto me. 26 I had no peace, neither had I quietnesse, neither had I rest, yet trouble is come.