God's New Bible

The Book of Job

Geneva Bible 1599

- Chapter 3 -

Job laments his birth

1
Afterward Iob opened his mouth, and cursed his day.
2
And Iob cryed out, and sayd,
3
Let the day perish, wherein I was borne, and the night when it was sayde, There is a man childe conceiued.
4
Let that day bee darkenesse, let not God regarde it from aboue, neyther let the light shine vpon it,
5
But let darkenesse, and the shadowe of death staine it: let the cloude remayne vpon it, and let them make it fearefull as a bitter day.
6
Let darkenesse possesse that night, let it not be ioyned vnto the dayes of the yeere, nor let it come into the count of the moneths.
7
Yea, desolate be that night, and let no ioy be in it.
8
Let them that curse the day, (being readie to renue their mourning) curse it.
9
Let the starres of that twilight be dimme through darkenesse of it: let it looke for light, but haue none: neither let it see the dawning of the day,
10
Because it shut not vp the dores of my mothers wombe: nor hid sorowe from mine eyes.
11
Why died I not in the birth? or why dyed I not, when I came out of the wombe?
12
Why did the knees preuent me? and why did I sucke the breasts?
13
For so shoulde I now haue lyen and bene quiet, I should haue slept then, and bene at rest,
14
With the Kings and counselers of the earth, which haue buylded themselues desolate places:
15
Or with the princes that had golde, and haue filled their houses with siluer.
16
Or why was I not hid, as an vntimely birth, either as infants, which haue not seene the light?
17
The wicked haue there ceased from their tyrannie, and there they that laboured valiantly, are at rest.
18
The prisoners rest together, and heare not the voyce of the oppressour.
19
There are small and great, and the seruant is free from his master.
20
Wherefore is the light giuen to him that is in miserie? and life vnto them that haue heauie hearts?
21
Which long for death, and if it come not, they would euen search it more then treasures:
22
Which ioy for gladnes, and reioyce, when they can finde the graue.
23
Why is the light giuen to the man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?
24
For my sighing commeth before I eate, and my roarings are powred out like the water.
25
For the thing I feared, is come vpon me, and the thing that I was afraid of, is come vnto me.
26
I had no peace, neither had I quietnesse, neither had I rest, yet trouble is come.