Job’s Opening Speech

After this, Job began to speak and cursed the day he was born. He said:

May the day I was born perish,
and the night that said,
“A boy is conceived.”(A)
If only that day had turned to darkness!
May God above not care about it,
or light shine on it.
May darkness and gloom(B) reclaim it,
and a cloud settle over it.
May what darkens the day terrify it.
If only darkness had taken that night away!
May it not appear[a] among the days of the year
or be listed in the calendar.[b]
Yes, may that night be barren;
may no joyful shout(C) be heard in it.
Let those who curse days
condemn(D) it,
those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.(E)
May its morning stars grow dark.
May it wait for daylight but have none;
may it not see the breaking[c] of dawn.
10 For that night did not shut
the doors of my mother’s womb,
and hide sorrow from my eyes.

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Footnotes

  1. 3:6 LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg; MT reads rejoice
  2. 3:6 Lit or enter the number of months
  3. 3:9 Lit the eyelids

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