Job Laments His Birth

1Afterward Iob opened his mouth, and cursed his day. 2And Iob cryed out, and sayd,

3Let the day perish, wherein I was borne, and the night when it was sayde, There is a man childe conceiued.

4Let that day bee darkenesse, let not God regarde it from aboue, neyther let the light shine vpon it,

5But 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.

6Let 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.

7Yea, desolate be that night, and let no ioy be in it.

8Let them that curse the day, (being readie to renue their mourning) curse it.

9Let 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,

10Because it shut not vp the dores of my mothers wombe: nor hid sorowe from mine eyes.

11Why died I not in the birth? or why dyed I not, when I came out of the wombe?

12Why did the knees preuent me? and why did I sucke the breasts?

13For so shoulde I now haue lyen and bene quiet, I should haue slept then, and bene at rest,

14With the Kings & counselers of the earth, which haue buylded themselues desolate places:

15Or with the princes that had golde, and haue filled their houses with siluer.

16Or why was I not hid, as an vntimely birth, either as infants, which haue not seene the light?

17The wicked haue there ceased from their tyrannie, and there they that laboured valiantly, are at rest.

18The prisoners rest together, and heare not the voyce of the oppressour.

19There are small and great, and the seruant is free from his master.

20Wherefore is the light giuen to him that is in miserie? and life vnto them that haue heauie hearts?

21Which long for death, and if it come not, they would euen search it more then treasures:

22Which ioy for gladnes, and reioyce, when they can finde the graue.

23Why is the light giuen to the man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?

24For my sighing commeth before I eate, and my roarings are powred out like the water.

25For the thing I feared, is come vpon me, and the thing that I was afraid of, is come vnto me.

26I had no peace, neither had I quietnesse, neither had I rest, yet trouble is come.