Dual PanelJob Curses the Day He Was Born
1Then Job opened his mouth and cursed the day he was born.
2He said,
3“I wish the day I was born would be lost forever. I wish the night they said, ‘It’s a boy!’ had never happened.
4I wish that day had remained dark. I wish God above had forgotten that day and not let any light shine on it.
5I wish that bitter day had remained as dark as death, covered with the darkest clouds.
6I wish the darkness had carried away that night, that it was left off the calendar and not included in any of the months.
7I wish that night had produced nothing and no happy shouts had been heard.
8Some magicians think they can wake Leviathan. So let them say their curses and curse the day I was born.
9Let that day’s morning star be dark. Let that night wait for a morning that never comes. I wish it had never seen the first rays of sunlight.
10I wish it had stopped me from being born and kept me from seeing all these troubles.
11Why didn’t I die when I was born? Why didn’t I die as I came from my mother’s womb?
12Why did my mother hold me on her knees? Why did her breasts feed me?
13If I had died when I was born, I would be at peace now. I wish I were asleep and at rest
14with the kings and their advisors who built palaces that are now in ruins.
15I wish I were buried with rulers who filled their graves with gold and silver.
16Why wasn’t I a child who died at birth and was put in the ground? I wish I had been buried like a baby who never saw the light of day.
17There the wicked stop causing trouble, and the weary find rest.
18Even prisoners find relief there; they no longer hear their guards shouting at them.
19Everyone—from the greatest to the least important—will be there, and even the slave is free from his master.
20“Why must a suffering person continue to live? Why let anyone live such a bitter life?
21Such people want to die, but death does not come. They search for death more than for hidden treasure.
22They would be happy to find their grave. They would rejoice to find their tomb.
23But God keeps their future a secret and builds a wall around them to protect them.
24When it is time to eat, all I can do is sigh with sadness, not joy. My groans pour out like water.
25I was afraid something terrible would happen, and what I feared most has happened.
26I cannot calm down or relax. I am too upset to rest!”