Job 3 (Today's New International Version)

Job Speaks

1 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.¹ 2 He said: 3 "May the day of my birth perish, and the night that said, 'A boy is conceived!'² 4 That day--may it turn to darkness; may God above not care about it; may no light shine on it. 5 May gloom and utter darkness³ claim it once more; may a cloud settle over it; may blackness overwhelm it. 6 That night--may thick darkness⁴ seize it; may it not be included among the days of the year nor be entered in any of the months. 7 May that night be barren; may no shout of joy⁵ be heard in it. 8 May those who curse days^a curse that day,⁶ those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.⁷ 9 May its morning stars become dark; may it wait for daylight in vain and not see the first rays of dawn,⁸ 10 for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me to hide trouble from my eyes. 11 "Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?⁹ 12 Why were there knees to receive me¹⁰ and breasts that I might be nursed? 13 For now I would be lying down¹¹ in peace; I would be asleep and at rest¹² 14 with kings and rulers of the earth,¹³ who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,¹⁴ 15 with princes¹⁵ who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.¹⁶ 16 Or why was I not hidden away in the ground like a stillborn child,¹⁷ like an infant who never saw the light of day?¹⁸ 17 There the wicked cease from turmoil,¹⁹ and there the weary are at rest.²⁰ 18 Captives²¹ also enjoy their ease; they no longer hear the slave driver's²² shout.²³ 19 The small and the great are there,²⁴ and the slaves are freed from their owners. 20 "Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter of soul,²⁵ 21 to those who long for death that does not come,²⁶ who search for it more than for hidden treasure,²⁷ 22 who are filled with gladness and rejoice when they reach the grave?²⁸ 23 Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden,²⁹ whom God has hedged in?³⁰ 24 For sighing³¹ has become my daily food;³² my groans³³ pour out like water.³⁴ 25 What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded³⁵ has happened to me.³⁶ 26 I have no peace,³⁷ no quietness; I have no rest,³⁸ but only turmoil."³⁹