Job Speaks
1After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 2He said:
3“May the day of my birth perish,
and the night that said, ‘A boy is conceived!’
4That day—may it turn to darkness;
may God above not care about it;
may no light shine on it.
5May gloom and utter darkness claim it once more;
may a cloud settle over it;
may blackness overwhelm it.
6That night—may thick darkness seize it;
may it not be included among the days of the year
nor be entered in any of the months.
7May that night be barren;
may no shout of joy be heard in it.
8May those who curse days3:8 Or curse the sea curse that day,
those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.
9May its morning stars become dark;
may it wait for daylight in vain
and not see the first rays of dawn,
10for 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?
12Why were there knees to receive me
and breasts that I might be nursed?
13For now I would be lying down in peace;
I would be asleep and at rest
14with kings and rulers of the earth,
who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,
15with princes who had gold,
who filled their houses with silver.
16Or why was I not hidden away in the ground like a stillborn child,
like an infant who never saw the light of day?
17There the wicked cease from turmoil,
and there the weary are at rest.
18Captives also enjoy their ease;
they no longer hear the slave driver’s shout.
19The small and the great are there,
and the slaves are freed from their owners.
20“Why is light given to those in misery,
and life to the bitter of soul,
21to those who long for death that does not come,
who search for it more than for hidden treasure,
22who are filled with gladness
and rejoice when they reach the grave?
23Why is life given to a man
whose way is hidden,
whom God has hedged in?
24For sighing has become my daily food;
my groans pour out like water.
25What I feared has come upon me;
what I dreaded has happened to me.
26I have no peace, no quietness;
I have no rest, but only turmoil.”
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都滅沒。
4願那日一片黑暗，
被天上的上帝遺忘，
沒有陽光照耀。
5願那日被幽暗和濃濃的黑影籠罩，
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，
也沒有遮住我眼前的患難。
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——他們為自己建造的宮殿已荒廢，
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，
只有患難。」
