New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
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Then, opening his mouth, and cursing the day of his birth,
2 Job said:
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Job made answer and said,
3 "Let the day perish in which I was born, and the night that said, "A man-child is conceived.'
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Let destruction take the day of my birth, and the night on which it was said, A man child has come into the world.
4 Let that day be darkness! May God above not seek it, or light shine on it.
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That day--let it be dark; let not God take note of it from on high, and let not the light be shining on it;
5 Let gloom and deep darkness claim it. Let clouds settle upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.
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Let the dark and the black night take it for themselves; let it be covered with a cloud; let the dark shades of day send fear on it.
6 That 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.
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That night--let the thick dark take it; let it not have joy among the days of the year; let it not come into the number of the months.
7 Yes, let that night be barren; let no joyful cry be heard in it.
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As for that night, let it have no fruit; let no voice of joy be sounded in it;
8 Let those curse it who curse the Sea, those who are skilled to rouse up Leviathan.
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Let it be cursed by those who put a curse on the day; who are ready to make Leviathan awake.
9 Let the stars of its dawn be dark; let it hope for light, but have none; may it not see the eyelids of the morning—
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Let its morning stars be dark; let it be looking for light, but may it not have any; let it not see the eyes of the dawn.
10 because it did not shut the doors of my mother's womb, and hide trouble from my eyes.
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Because it did not keep the doors of my mother's body shut, so that trouble might be veiled from my eyes.
11 "Why did I not die at birth, come forth from the womb and expire?
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Why did death not take me when I came out of my mother's body, why did I not, when I came out, give up my last breath?
12 Why were there knees to receive me, or breasts for me to suck?
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Why did the knees take me, or why the breasts that they might give me milk?
13 Now I would be lying down and quiet; I would be asleep; then I would be at rest
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For then I might have gone to my rest in quiet, and in sleep have been in peace,
14 with kings and counselors of the earth who rebuild ruins for themselves,
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With kings and the wise ones of the earth, who put up great houses for themselves;
15 or with princes who have gold, who fill their houses with silver.
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Or with rulers who had gold, and whose houses were full of silver;
16 Or why was I not buried like a stillborn child, like an infant that never sees the light?
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Or as a child dead at birth I might never have come into existence; like young children who have not seen the light.
17 There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary are at rest.
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There the passions of the evil are over, and those whose strength has come to an end have rest.
18 There the prisoners are at ease together; they do not hear the voice of the taskmaster.
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There the prisoners are at peace together; the voice of the overseer comes not again to their ears.
19 The small and the great are there, and the slaves are free from their masters.
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The small and the great are there, and the servant is free from his master.
20 "Why is light given to one in misery, and life to the bitter in soul,
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Why does he give light to him who is in trouble, and life to the bitter in soul;
21 who long for death, but it does not come, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures;
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To those whose desire is for death, but it comes not; who are searching for it more than for secret wealth;
22 who rejoice exceedingly, and are glad when they find the grave?
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Who are glad with great joy, and full of delight when they come to their last resting-place;
23 Why is light given to one who cannot see the way, whom God has fenced in?
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To a man whose way is veiled, and who is shut in by God?
24 For my sighing comes like my bread, and my groanings are poured out like water.
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In place of my food I have grief, and cries of sorrow come from me like water.
25 Truly the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me.
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For I have a fear and it comes on me, and my heart is greatly troubled.
26 I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest; but trouble comes."
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I have no peace, no quiet, and no rest; nothing but pain comes on me.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.