Job 10

¹My soul is weary of my life; I will give free course to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

²I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; Show me wherefore thou contendest with me.

³Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, That thou shouldest despise the work of thy hands, And shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

⁴Hast thou eyes of flesh? Or seest thou as man seeth?

⁵Are thy days as the days of man, Or thy years as man’s days,

⁶That thou inquirest after mine iniquity, And searchest after my sin,

⁷Although thou knowest that I am not wicked, And there is none that can deliver out of thy hand?

⁸Thy hands have framed me and fashioned me Together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.

⁹Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast fashioned me as clay; And wilt thou bring me into dust again?

¹⁰Hast thou not poured me out as milk, And curdled me like cheese?

¹¹Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews.

¹²Thou hast granted me life and lovingkindness; And thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.

¹³Yet these things thou didst hide in thy heart; I know that this is with thee:

¹⁴If I sin, then thou markest me, And thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.

¹⁵If I be wicked, woe unto me; And if I be righteous, yet shall I not lift up my head; Being filled with ignominy, And looking upon mine affliction.

¹⁶And ifmy head exalt itself, thou huntest me as a lion; And again thou showest thyself marvellous upon me.

¹⁷Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, And increasest thine indignation upon me: Changes and warfare are with me.

¹⁸Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me.

¹⁹I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

²⁰Are not my days few? cease then, And let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,

²¹Before I go whence I shall not return, Evento the land of darkness and of the shadow of death;

²²The land dark as midnight, The landof the shadow of death, without any order, And where the light is as midnight.

¹“I loathe my own life; I will express my complaint and speak in the bitterness of my soul.

²I will say to God: Do not condemn me! Let me know why You prosecute me.

³Does it please You to oppress me, to reject the work of Your hands and favor the schemes of the wicked?

⁴Do You have eyes of flesh? Do You see as man sees?

⁵Are Your days like those of a mortal, or Your years like those of a man,

⁶that You should seek my iniquity and search out my sin—

⁷though You know that I am not guilty, and there is no deliverance from Your hand?

⁸Your hands shaped me and altogether formed me. Would You now turn and destroy me?

⁹Please remember that You molded me like clay. Would You now return me to dust?

¹⁰Did You not pour me out like milk, and curdle me like cheese?

¹¹You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews.

¹²You have granted me life and loving devotion, and Your care has preserved my spirit.

¹³Yet You concealed these things in Your heart, and I know that this was in Your mind:

¹⁴If I sinned, You would take note, and would not acquit me of my iniquity.

¹⁵If I am guilty, woe to me! And even if I am righteous, I cannot lift my head. I am full of shame and aware of my affliction.

¹⁶Should I hold my head high, You would hunt me like a lion, and again display Your power against me.

¹⁷You produce new witnesses against me and multiply Your anger toward me. Hardships assault me in wave after wave.

¹⁸Why then did You bring me from the womb? Oh, that I had died, and no eye had seen me!

¹⁹If only I had never come to be, but had been carried from the womb to the grave.

²⁰Are my days not few? Withdraw from me, that I may have a little comfort,

²¹before I go—never to return— to a land of darkness and gloom,

²²to a land of utter darkness, of deep shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness.”