Job Wishes He Had Never Been Born
1After a while, Job opened his mouth to speak. He cursed the day he had been born. 2He said,
3“May the day I was born be wiped out.
May the night be wiped away when people said, ‘A boy is born!’
4May that day turn into darkness.
May God in heaven not care about it.
May no light shine on it.
5May gloom and total darkness take it back.
May a cloud settle over it.
May blackness cover it up.
6May deep darkness take over the night I was born.
May it not be included among the days of the year.
May it never appear in any of the months.
7May no children ever have been born on that night.
May no shout of joy be heard in it.
8May people say evil things about that day.
May people ready to wake the sea monster Leviathan say evil things about that day.
9May its morning stars become dark.
May it lose all hope of ever seeing daylight.
May it not see the first light of the morning sun.
10It didn’t keep my mother from letting me be born.
It didn’t keep my eyes from seeing trouble.
11“Why didn’t I die when I was born?
Why didn’t I die as I came out of my mother’s body?
12Why was I placed on her knees?
Why did her breasts give me milk?
13If all of that hadn’t happened,
I would be lying down in peace.
I’d be asleep and at rest in the grave.
14I’d be with the earth’s kings and rulers.
They had built for themselves places that are now destroyed.
15I’d be with princes who used to have gold.
They had filled their houses with silver.
16Why wasn’t I buried like a baby who was born dead?
Why wasn’t I buried like a child who never saw the light of day?
17In the grave, sinful people don’t cause trouble anymore.
And there tired people find rest.
18Prisoners also enjoy peace there.
They don’t hear a slave driver shouting at them anymore.
19The least important and most important people are there.
And there the slaves are set free from their owners.
20“Why should those who suffer ever be born?
Why should life be given to those whose spirits are bitter?
21Why is life given to those who long for death that doesn’t come?
Why is it given to those who would rather search for death
than for hidden treasure?
22Why is life given to those who are actually happy and glad
when they reach the grave?
23Why is life given to a man like me?
God hasn’t told me what will happen to me.
He has surrounded me with nothing but trouble.
24Sighs have become my food every day.
Groans pour out of me like water.
25What I was afraid of has come on me.
What I worried about has happened to me.
26I don’t have any peace and quiet.
I can’t find any rest. All I have is trouble.”
約伯咒詛自己
1後來，約伯開口咒詛自己的生日， 2說：
3「願我出生的那日和懷我的那夜滅沒。
4願那日一片黑暗，
被天上的上帝遺忘，
沒有陽光照耀。
5願那日被黑暗和陰影籠罩，
被密雲覆蓋，
被陰暗淹沒。
6願那夜被幽暗吞噬，
不列在年日中，
不算在歲月裡。
7願那夜無人生育，
毫無快樂之聲。
8願那些咒詛白日、
能惹動海怪的人，
咒詛那夜。
9願那夜的晨星昏暗，
等不到晨光的出現，
看不見黎明的眼簾。
10因為那夜沒有關閉我母胎的門，
以致讓我看見患難。
11「為何我不出生時就夭折，
出母胎時就斷氣？
12為何要把我抱在膝上，
用乳汁哺育我？
13不然我早已安然躺臥、長眠安息，
14與世上的君王和謀臣作伴——他們建造的宮殿已荒廢，
15與房屋堆滿金銀的王侯同眠。
16為何我沒有像未見天日就流產的嬰兒一樣消逝？
17那裡，惡人不再攪擾，
疲憊者得到安息，
18被囚者得到安寧，
聽不見監工的斥責。
19尊貴與卑賤的人都在那裡，
奴僕不再受主人的轄制。
20「為何賜光給受苦的人，
賜生命給心靈痛苦的人？
21他們等候死亡卻等不到，
他們求死勝於求寶藏。
22他們歸入墳墓時非常快樂，
欣喜若狂。
23為何賜生命給前路渺茫、
被上帝圍困的人？
24我以歎息為食，
呻吟如水湧流。
25我害怕的事發生了，
我恐懼的事來臨了。
26我不得安寧，
不得平靜，
不得安息，
只有苦難。」
