Job Laments His Birth 1 DBY After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed his day. BSB BSB: After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
2 DBY And Job answered and said, BSB BSB: And this is what he said:
3 DBY Let the day perish in which I was born, and the night that said, There is a man child conceived. BSB BSB: “May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, ‘A boy is conceived.’
4 DBY That day — let it be darkness, let not God care for it from above, neither let light shine upon it: BSB BSB: If only that day had turned to darkness! May God above disregard it; may no light shine upon it.
5 DBY Let darkness and the shadow of death claim it; let clouds dwell upon it; let darkeners of the day terrify it. BSB BSB: May darkness and gloom reclaim it, and a cloud settle over it; may the blackness of the day overwhelm it.
6 DBY 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. BSB BSB: If only darkness had taken that night away! May it not appear among the days of the year; may it never be entered in any of the months.
7 DBY Behold, let that night be barren; let no joyful sound come therein; BSB BSB: Behold, may that night be barren; may no joyful voice come into it.
8 DBY Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to rouse Leviathan; BSB BSB: May it be cursed by those who curse the day—those prepared to rouse Leviathan.
9 DBY 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: BSB BSB: May its morning stars grow dark; may it wait in vain for daylight; may it not see the breaking of dawn.
10 DBY Because it shut not up the doors of the womb that bore me, and hid not trouble from mine eyes. BSB BSB: For that night did not shut the doors of the womb to hide the sorrow from my eyes.
11 DBY Wherefore did I not die from the womb, — come forth from the belly and expire? BSB BSB: Why did I not perish at birth; why did I not die as I came from the womb?
12 DBY Why did the knees meet me? and wherefore the breasts, that I should suck? BSB BSB: Why were there knees to receive me, and breasts that I should be nursed?
13 DBY For now should I have lain down and been quiet; I should have slept: then had I been at rest, BSB BSB: For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest
14 DBY With kings and counsellors of the earth, who build desolate places for themselves, BSB BSB: with kings and counselors of the earth, who built for themselves cities now in ruins,
15 DBY Or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver; BSB BSB: or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.
16 DBY Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants that have not seen the light. BSB BSB: Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, like an infant who never sees daylight?
17 DBY There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the wearied are at rest. BSB BSB: There the wicked cease from raging, and there the weary find rest.
18 DBY The prisoners together are at ease; they hear not the voice of the taskmaster. BSB BSB: The captives enjoy their ease; they do not hear the voice of the oppressor.
19 DBY The small and great are there, and the bondman freed from his master. BSB BSB: Both small and great are there, and the slave is freed from his master.
20 DBY Wherefore is light given to him that is in trouble, and life to those bitter of soul, BSB BSB: Why is light given to the miserable, and life to the bitter of soul,
21 DBY Who long for death, and it cometh not, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures; BSB BSB: who long for death that does not come, and search for it like hidden treasure,
22 DBY Who rejoice even exultingly and are glad when they find the grave? — BSB BSB: who rejoice and greatly exult when they reach the grave?
23 DBY To the man whose way is hidden, and whom God hath hedged in? BSB BSB: Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?
24 DBY For my sighing cometh before my bread, and my groanings are poured out like the waters. BSB BSB: I sigh when food is put before me, and my groans pour out like water.
25 DBY For I feared a fear, and it hath come upon me, and that which I dreaded hath come to me. BSB BSB: For the thing I feared has overtaken me, and what I dreaded has befallen me.
26 DBY I was not in safety, neither had I quietness, neither was I at rest, and trouble came. BSB BSB: I am not at ease or quiet; I have no rest, for trouble has come.”
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