Job Bewails His Present Affliction

301 And now, laughed at me, Have the younger in days than I, Whose fathers I have loathed to set With the dogs of my flock. 2 Also—the power of their hands, why 'is it' to me? On them hath old age perished. 3 With want and with famine gloomy, Those fleeing to a dry place, Formerly a desolation and waste, 4 Those cropping mallows near a shrub, And broom-roots 'is' their food. 5 From the midst they are cast out, (They shout against them as a thief), 6 In a frightful place of valleys to dwell, Holes of earth and clefts. 7 Among shrubs they do groan, Under nettles they are gathered together. 8 Sons of folly—even sons without name, They have been smitten from the land. 9 And now, their song I have been, And I am to them for a byword. 10 They have abominated me, They have kept far from me, And from before me have not spared to spit. 11 Because His cord He loosed and afflicteth me, And the bridle from before me, They have cast away. 12 On the right hand doth a brood arise, My feet they have cast away, And they raise up against me, Their paths of calamity. 13 They have broken down my path, By my calamity they profit, 'He hath no helper.' 14 As a wide breach they come, Under the desolation have rolled themselves.

15 He hath turned against me terrors, It pursueth as the wind mine abundance, And as a thick cloud, Hath my safety passed away. 16 And now, in me my soul poureth itself out, Seize me do days of affliction. 17 At night my bone hath been pierced in me, And mine eyelids do not lie down. 18 By the abundance of power, Is my clothing changed, As the mouth of my coat it doth gird me. 19 Casting me into mire, And I am become like dust and ashes. 20 I cry unto Thee, And Thou dost not answer me, I have stood, and Thou dost consider me. 21 Thou art turned to be fierce to me, With the strength of Thy hand, Thou oppresest me. 22 Thou dost lift me up, On the wind Thou dost cause me to ride, And Thou meltest—Thou levellest me. 23 For I have known To death Thou dost bring me back, And 'to' the house appointed for all living. 24 Surely not against the heap Doth He send forth the hand, Though in its ruin they have safety. 25 Did not I weep for him whose day is hard? Grieved hath my soul for the needy. 26 When good I expected, then cometh evil, And I wait for light, and darkness cometh. 27 My bowels have boiled, and have not ceased, Gone before me have days of affliction. 28 Mourning I have gone without the sun, I have risen, in an assembly I cry. 29 A brother I have been to dragons, And a companion to daughters of the ostrich. 30 My skin hath been black upon me, And my bone hath burned from heat, 31 And my harp doth become mourning, And my organ the sound of weeping.

Job Bewails His Birth

31 After this hath Job opened his mouth, and revileth his day. 2 And Job answereth and saith:— 3 Let the day perish in which I am born, And the night that hath said: 'A man-child hath been conceived.' 4 That day—let it be darkness, Let not God require it from above, Nor let light shine upon it. 5 Let darkness and death-shade redeem it, Let a cloud tabernacle upon it, Let them terrify it as the most bitter of days. 6 That night—let thick darkness take it, Let it not be united to days of the year, Into the number of months let it not come. 7 Lo! that night—let it be gloomy, Let no singing come into it. 8 Let the cursers of day mark it, Who are ready to wake up Leviathan. 9 Let the stars of its twilight be dark, Let it wait for light, and there is none, And let it not look on the eyelids of the dawn. 10 Because it hath not shut the doors Of the womb that was mine! And hide misery from mine eyes.

11 Why from the womb do I not die? From the belly I have come forth and gasp! 12 Wherefore have knees been before me? And what 'are' breasts, that I suck? 13 For now, I have lain down, and am quiet, I have slept—then there is rest to me, 14 With kings and counsellors of earth, These building wastes for themselves. 15 Or with princes—they have gold, They are filling their houses 'with' silver. 16 (Or as a hidden abortion I am not, As infants—they have not seen light.) 17 There the wicked have ceased troubling, And there rest do the wearied in power. 18 Together prisoners have been at ease, They have not heard the voice of an exactor, 19 Small and great 'are' there the same. And a servant 'is' free from his lord.

20 Why giveth He to the miserable light, and life to the bitter soul? 21 Who are waiting for death, and it is not, And they seek it above hid treasures. 22 Who are glad—unto joy, They rejoice when they find a grave. 23 To a man whose way hath been hidden, And whom God doth shut up? 24 For before my food, my sighing cometh, And poured out as waters 'are' my roarings. 25 For a fear I feared and it meeteth me, And what I was afraid of doth come to me. 26 I was not safe—nor was I quiet—Nor was I at rest—and trouble cometh!