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Job 3
Evangelical Heritage Version
Job 3
Evangelical Heritage Version
The Arguments Between Job and His Friends
Round One: Job’s First Speech
3 Finally, Job opened his lips and cursed the day of his birth. 2 Job spoke up and said:
3 May the day of my birth perish,
and the night when it was said, “A child has been conceived!”
4 As for that day, let it be darkness!
May God above have no concern for it.
May light not shine on it.
5 May darkness and the shadow of death[a] reclaim it.
May a dark cloud settle over it.
May whatever blackens the day terrify it.
6 As for that night, may deep darkness take it away!
May it not be included[b] among the days of the year
or show up in the list of months.
7 Oh let that night be barren!
May no joyful shout be heard in it.
8 May those who curse days cast a spell on it,
those who are able to awaken Leviathan.[c]
9 May its twilight stars be darkened.
May it wait hopefully for light but receive none.
May it never see the eyelids of dawn,
10 because it did not shut the doors of my mother’s womb,
and it did not hide trouble from my eyes.
11 Why did I not die at birth
or pass away as I came from the womb?
12 Why did my mother’s knees receive me?
Why were her breasts there to nurse me?
13 For then I would be lying down peacefully.
I would be sleeping and resting quietly
14 with the kings and counselors of the earth,
with those who rebuilt ruined cities for themselves,[d]
15 with high officials who accumulated gold,
with those who filled their houses with silver.
16 Why was I not hidden like a stillborn child,
like the infants who never see the light of day?
17 There the wicked cease from turmoil.
There the weary are at rest.
18 There the prisoners are at ease together.
They no longer hear the voice of the slave driver.
19 There the small and great are alike,
and the slave is free from his master.
20 Why is light given to those weighed down with grief?
Why is life given to those whose spirit is bitter,
21 to those who yearn for death but it does not come,
though they dig for it more than for buried treasure,
22 to those who will be thrilled with happiness,
those who will celebrate when they reach the grave?
23 Why is light given to a man whose path is hidden,
to one whom God has hedged in?
24 Now my sighing takes the place of my daily bread.
My groans gush forth like water,
25 because what I feared has overwhelmed me,
and that which I dreaded has come upon me.
26 I have no ease, no quiet, no rest.
Instead, turmoil has come.
Footnotes
- Job 3:5 The scribes of the Hebrew text consistently spell this word as a word that means the shadow of death. Many recent translations alter the spelling to a very similar word that means deep darkness. The EHV in many cases retains the traditional reading of the Hebrew scribes.
- Job 3:6 The translation follows the ancient versions. The Hebrew reads may it not rejoice.
- Job 3:8 Leviathan is a monster that represents chaos. See the note at 41:1 for more information.
- Job 3:14 Or those who built things now lying in ruins
Job 3
New International Version
Job 3
New International Version
Job Speaks
3 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.(A) 2 He said:
3 “May the day of my birth perish,
and the night that said, ‘A boy is conceived!’(B)
4 That day—may it turn to darkness;
may God above not care about it;
may no light shine on it.
5 May gloom and utter darkness(C) claim it once more;
may a cloud settle over it;
may blackness overwhelm it.
6 That night—may thick darkness(D) seize it;
may it not be included among the days of the year
nor be entered in any of the months.
7 May that night be barren;
may no shout of joy(E) be heard in it.
8 May those who curse days[a] curse that day,(F)
those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.(G)
9 May its morning stars become dark;
may it wait for daylight in vain
and not see the first rays of dawn,(H)
10 for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me
to hide trouble from my eyes.
11 “Why did I not perish at birth,
and die as I came from the womb?(I)
12 Why were there knees to receive me(J)
and breasts that I might be nursed?
13 For now I would be lying down(K) in peace;
I would be asleep and at rest(L)
14 with kings and rulers of the earth,(M)
who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,(N)
15 with princes(O) who had gold,
who filled their houses with silver.(P)
16 Or why was I not hidden away in the ground like a stillborn child,(Q)
like an infant who never saw the light of day?(R)
17 There the wicked cease from turmoil,(S)
and there the weary are at rest.(T)
18 Captives(U) also enjoy their ease;
they no longer hear the slave driver’s(V) shout.(W)
19 The small and the great are there,(X)
and the slaves are freed from their owners.
20 “Why is light given to those in misery,
and life to the bitter of soul,(Y)
21 to those who long for death that does not come,(Z)
who search for it more than for hidden treasure,(AA)
22 who are filled with gladness
and rejoice when they reach the grave?(AB)
23 Why is life given to a man
whose way is hidden,(AC)
whom God has hedged in?(AD)
24 For sighing(AE) has become my daily food;(AF)
my groans(AG) pour out like water.(AH)
25 What I feared has come upon me;
what I dreaded(AI) has happened to me.(AJ)
26 I have no peace,(AK) no quietness;
I have no rest,(AL) but only turmoil.”(AM)
Footnotes
- Job 3:8 Or curse the sea
Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.