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.”
Mawu a Yobu
1Pambuyo pake Yobu anatsekula pakamwa pake nayamba kutemberera tsiku limene iyeyo anabadwa. 2Ndipo Yobu anati:
3“Tsiku limene ine ndinabadwa litembereredwe
ndi usiku umene ananena kuti, ‘Mwana wamwamuna wabadwa!’
4Tsiku limenelo lisanduke mdima;
Mulungu wa kumwambako asalilabadirenso;
kuwala kusaonekenso pa tsikulo.
5Mdima ndi mthunzi wa imfa zikhale pa tsiku limeneli;
mtambo uphimbe tsikuli;
mdima wandiweyani udetse kuwala kwake.
6Usiku umenewo ukutidwe ndi mdima wandiweyani;
usawerengedwenso pamodzi ndi masiku a chaka,
kapena kukhala pa mwezi wina uliwonse.
7Usiku umenewo usabweretse chilichonse chabwino;
kusamvekenso nthungululu za chikondwerero.
8Odziwa kutemberera masiku alitemberere tsikulo,
iwo amene akonzekera kuwutsa Leviyatani.
9Nyenyezi zake za mʼbandakucha zikhale mdima;
tsikulo liyembekezere kucha pachabe
ndipo lisaonenso kuwala koyamba kwa mʼbandakucha.
10Pakuti tsiku limenelo ndiye ndinatuluka mʼmimba ya amayi anga
ndipo ndi limene linandionetsa zovuta.
11“Bwanji ine sindinawonongeke pamene ndinkabadwa
ndi kufa pamene ndimatuluka mʼmimba?
12Chifukwa chiyani panali mawondo wondilandirirapo
ndi mawere woti andiyamwitsepo?
13Pakuti tsopano bwenzi ndili gone mwamtendere;
ndikanakhala nditagona tulo ndili pa mpumulo
14pamodzi ndi mafumu ndi aphungu a dziko lapansi,
amene anadzimangira nyumba zikuluzikulu zimene tsopano ndi mabwinja,
15pamodzi ndi olamulira amene anali ndi golide,
amene anadzaza nyumba zawo ndi siliva.
16Kapena, bwanji sindinakwiriridwe pansi monga mwana wobadwa wakufa kale,
ngati khanda limene silinaone kuwala kwa dzuwa?
17Ku mandako anthu oyipa sakhalanso pa mavuto,
ndipo kumeneko anthu otopa ali pa mpumulo.
18A mʼndende kumeneko akusangalala ndi mtendere;
sakumvanso mawu ofuwula a kapitawo wa akapolo.
19Anthu wamba ndi anthu apamwamba ali kumeneko,
ndipo kapolo ndi womasuka kwa mbuye wake.
20“Chifukwa chiyani dzuwa limawalira iwo amene ali pa mavuto,
ndipo moyo umapatsidwa kwa owawidwa mtima,
21kwa iwo amene amalakalaka imfa imene sibwera,
amene amayifunafuna imfayo kupambana chuma chobisika,
22amene amakondwa ndi kusangalala
akamalowa mʼmanda?
23Chifuwa chiyani moyo umaperekedwa kwa munthu
amene njira yake yabisika,
amene Mulungu wamuzinga ponseponse?
24Mʼmalo moti ndidye, ndimalira,
ndi kubuwula kwanga nʼkosalekeza.
25Chimene ndinkachiopa chandigwera;
chimene ndinkachita nacho mantha chandichitikira.
26Ndilibe mtendere kapena bata,
ndilibe mpumulo, koma mavuto okhaokha.”
