Job Laments His Birth 1 UEB After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day he was born. BSB BSB: After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
2 UEB He said, BSB BSB: And this is what he said:
3 UEB "May the day on which I was born perish, the night that said, 'A boy has been conceived.' BSB BSB: “May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, ‘A boy is conceived.’
4 UEB May that day be dark; may not God from above call it to mind, neither may the sun shine on it. BSB BSB: If only that day had turned to darkness! May God above disregard it; may no light shine upon it.
5 UEB May darkness and the shadow of death claim it for their own. May a cloud live over it; may everything that makes the day black truly 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 UEB As for that night, may thick darkness seize it. May it not rejoice among the days of the year; may 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 UEB See, may that night be barren; may no joyful voice come into it. BSB BSB: Behold, may that night be barren; may no joyful voice come into it.
8 UEB May they curse that day, those who know how to wake up Leviathan. BSB BSB: May it be cursed by those who curse the day—those prepared to rouse Leviathan.
9 UEB May the stars of that day's dawn be dark. May that day look for light, but find none; neither may 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 UEB because it did not shut up the doors of my mother's womb, and because it did not hide trouble from my eyes. BSB BSB: For that night did not shut the doors of the womb to hide the sorrow from my eyes.
11 UEB Why did I not die when I came out from the womb? Why did I not give up my spirit when my mother bore me? BSB BSB: Why did I not perish at birth; why did I not die as I came from the womb?
12 UEB Why did her knees welcome me? Why did her breasts receive me so that I should suck? BSB BSB: Why were there knees to receive me, and breasts that I should be nursed?
13 UEB For now I would have been lying down quietly. I would have slept and been at rest BSB BSB: For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest
14 UEB with kings and counselors of the earth, who built up tombs for themselves that are now in ruins. BSB BSB: with kings and counselors of the earth, who built for themselves cities now in ruins,
15 UEB Or I would have been lying with princes who once had gold, who had filled their houses with silver. BSB BSB: or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.
16 UEB Or perhaps I would have been stillborn, like infants that never see the light. BSB BSB: Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, like an infant who never sees daylight?
17 UEB There the wicked cease from trouble; there the weary are at rest. BSB BSB: There the wicked cease from raging, and there the weary find rest.
18 UEB There the prisoners are at ease together; they do not hear the voice of the slave driver. BSB BSB: The captives enjoy their ease; they do not hear the voice of the oppressor.
19 UEB Both small and great people are there; the servant is free from his master there. BSB BSB: Both small and great are there, and the slave is freed from his master.
20 UEB Why is light given to him who is in misery? Why is life given to the one who is bitter in soul, BSB BSB: Why is light given to the miserable, and life to the bitter of soul,
21 UEB to one who longs for death without it coming; to one who digs for death more than for hidden treasure? BSB BSB: who long for death that does not come, and search for it like hidden treasure,
22 UEB Why is light given to one who rejoices very much and is glad when he finds the grave? BSB BSB: who rejoice and greatly exult when they reach the grave?
23 UEB Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, a man whom God has hedged in? BSB BSB: Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?
24 UEB For my sighing happens instead of eating; my groaning is poured out like water. BSB BSB: I sigh when food is put before me, and my groans pour out like water.
25 UEB For the thing that I feared has come on me; what I was afraid of has come to me. BSB BSB: For the thing I feared has overtaken me, and what I dreaded has befallen me.
26 UEB I am not at ease, I am not quiet, and I have no rest; trouble comes instead." BSB BSB: I am not at ease or quiet; I have no rest, for trouble has come.”
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