Job Laments His Birth 1 WBS 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 WBS And Job spoke, and said, BSB BSB: And this is what he said:
3 WBS Let the day perish in which I was born, and the night in which it was 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 WBS Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the 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 WBS Let darkness and the shades of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness 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 WBS As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined to 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 WBS Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein. BSB BSB: Behold, may that night be barren; may no joyful voice come into it.
8 WBS Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning. BSB BSB: May it be cursed by those who curse the day—those prepared to rouse Leviathan.
9 WBS Let the stars of its twilight be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day: BSB BSB: May its morning stars grow dark; may it wait in vain for daylight; may it not see the breaking of dawn.
10 WBS Because it prevented not my birth, nor hid sorrow from my eyes. BSB BSB: For that night did not shut the doors of the womb to hide the sorrow from my eyes.
11 WBS Why died I not from the womb? why did I not expire at the time of my birth? BSB BSB: Why did I not perish at birth; why did I not die as I came from the womb?
12 WBS Why did the knees receive me? or why the breasts that I should be nursed? BSB BSB: Why were there knees to receive me, and breasts that I should be nursed?
13 WBS For now should I have lain still 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 WBS With kings and counselors of the earth, who built desolate places for themselves; BSB BSB: with kings and counselors of the earth, who built for themselves cities now in ruins,
15 WBS Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver: BSB BSB: or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.
16 WBS Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light. BSB BSB: Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, like an infant who never sees daylight?
17 WBS There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary are at rest. BSB BSB: There the wicked cease from raging, and there the weary find rest.
18 WBS There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.BSB BSB: The captives enjoy their ease; they do not hear the voice of the oppressor.
19 WBS The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master. BSB BSB: Both small and great are there, and the slave is freed from his master.
20 WBS Why is light given to him that is in misery, and life to the bitter in soul; BSB BSB: Why is light given to the miserable, and life to the bitter of soul,
21 WBS Who long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures; BSB BSB: who long for death that does not come, and search for it like hidden treasure,
22 WBS Who rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave? BSB BSB: who rejoice and greatly exult when they reach the grave?
23 WBS Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, 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 WBS For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters. BSB BSB: I sigh when food is put before me, and my groans pour out like water.
25 WBS For the thing which I greatly feared 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 WBS I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came. BSB BSB: I am not at ease or quiet; I have no rest, for trouble has come.”
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