Job 10:17-22

17 Tu produirais de nouveaux témoins contre moi, tu redoublerais de colère à mon égard, tes bataillons se renouvelleraient contre moi.
18 Mais pourquoi m'as-tu fait sortir du sein de ma mère? J'eusse expiré, et aucun œil ne m'aurait vu!
19 Je serais comme n'ayant pas été; j'aurais été porté du sein maternel au tombeau!
20 Mes jours ne sont-ils pas en petit nombre? Qu'il me laisse! Qu'il éloigne sa main de moi, et que je respire un peu!
21 Avant que j'aille, pour n'en plus revenir, dans la terre des ténèbres et de l'ombre de la mort;
22 Terre obscure comme la nuit, où règnent l'ombre de la mort et le chaos, où la lumière est comme la nuit!

Job 10:17-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 10

Job here declares the greatness of his afflictions, which made him weary of his life, and could not help complaining; entreats the Lord not to condemn him but show him the reason of his thus dealing with him, Job 10:1,2; and expostulates with him about it, and suggests as if it was severe, and not easily reconciled to his perfections, when he knew he was not a wicked man, Job 10:3-7; he puts him in mind of his formation and preservation of him, and after all destroyed him, Job 10:8-12; and represents his case as very distressed; whether he was wicked or righteous it mattered not, his afflictions were increasing upon him, Job 10:13-17; and all this he observes, in order to justify his eager desire after death, which he renews, Job 10:18,19; and entreats, since his days he had to live were but few, that God would give him some respite before he went into another state, which he describes, Job 10:20-22.

The Ostervald translation is in the public domain.