Job Despairs of God’s Dealings

10 [a](A)I loathe my own life;
I will give full vent to (B)my complaint;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
“I will say to God, ‘(C)Do not condemn me;
Let me know why You contend with me.
‘Is it [b]right for You indeed to (D)oppress,
To reject (E)the labor of Your hands,
And [c]to look favorably on (F)the schemes of the wicked?
‘Have You eyes of flesh?
Or do You (G)see as a man sees?
‘Are Your days as the days of a mortal,
Or (H)Your years as man’s years,
That (I)You should seek for my guilt
And search after my sin?
‘According to Your knowledge (J)I am indeed not guilty,
Yet there is (K)no deliverance from Your hand.

(L)Your hands fashioned and made me [d]altogether,
(M)And would You destroy me?
‘Remember now, that You have made me as (N)clay;
And would You (O)turn me into dust again?
10 ‘Did You not pour me out like milk
And curdle me like cheese;
11 Clothe me with skin and flesh,
And knit me together with bones and sinews?
12 ‘You have (P)granted me life and lovingkindness;
And Your care has preserved my spirit.
13 ‘Yet (Q)these things You have concealed in Your heart;
I know that this is within You:
14 If I sin, then You would (R)take note of me,
And (S)would not acquit me of my guilt.
15 ‘If (T)I am wicked, woe to me!
And (U)if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head.
I am sated with disgrace and [e]conscious of my misery.
16 ‘Should my head be lifted up, (V)You would hunt me like a lion;
And again You would show Your (W)power against me.
17 ‘You renew (X)Your witnesses against me
And increase Your anger toward me;
[f](Y)Hardship after hardship is with me.

18 (Z)Why then have You brought me out of the womb?
Would that I had died and no eye had seen me!
19 ‘I should have been as though I had not been,
Carried from womb to tomb.’
20 “Would He not let (AA)my few days alone?
[g](AB)Withdraw from me that I may have a little cheer
21 Before I go—(AC)and I shall not return—
(AD)To the land of darkness and (AE)deep shadow,
22 The land of utter gloom as darkness itself,
Of deep shadow without order,
And which shines as the darkness.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 10:1 Lit My soul loathes
  2. Job 10:3 Lit good
  3. Job 10:3 Lit You shine forth
  4. Job 10:8 Lit together round about
  5. Job 10:15 Lit see
  6. Job 10:17 Lit Changes and warfare are with me
  7. Job 10:20 Lit Put