| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. | 1At last Job spoke, and he cursed the day of his birth. |
| 2And this is what he said: | 2He said: |
| 3“May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, ‘A boy is conceived.’ | 3“Let the day of my birth be erased, and the night I was conceived. |
| 4If only that day had turned to darkness! May God above disregard it; may no light shine upon it. | 4Let that day be turned to darkness. Let it be lost even to God on high, and let no light shine on it. |
| 5May darkness and gloom reclaim it, and a cloud settle over it; may the blackness of the day overwhelm it. | 5Let the darkness and utter gloom claim that day for its own. Let a black cloud overshadow it, and let the darkness terrify it. |
| 6If only darkness had taken that night away! May it not appear among the days of the year; may it never be entered in any of the months. | 6Let that night be blotted off the calendar, never again to be counted among the days of the year, never again to appear among the months. |
| 7Behold, may that night be barren; may no joyful voice come into it. | 7Let that night be childless. Let it have no joy. |
| 8May it be cursed by those who curse the day—those prepared to rouse Leviathan. | 8Let those who are experts at cursing— whose cursing could rouse Leviathan — curse that day. |
| 9May its morning stars grow dark; may it wait in vain for daylight; may it not see the breaking of dawn. | 9Let its morning stars remain dark. Let it hope for light, but in vain; may it never see the morning light. |
| 10For that night did not shut the doors of the womb to hide the sorrow from my eyes. | 10Curse that day for failing to shut my mother’s womb, for letting me be born to see all this trouble. |
| 11Why did I not perish at birth; why did I not die as I came from the womb? | 11“Why wasn’t I born dead? Why didn’t I die as I came from the womb? |
| 12Why were there knees to receive me, and breasts that I should be nursed? | 12Why was I laid on my mother’s lap? Why did she nurse me at her breasts? |
| 13For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest | 13Had I died at birth, I would now be at peace. I would be asleep and at rest. |
| 14with kings and counselors of the earth, who built for themselves cities now in ruins, | 14I would rest with the world’s kings and prime ministers, whose great buildings now lie in ruins. |
| 15or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver. | 15I would rest with princes, rich in gold, whose palaces were filled with silver. |
| 16Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, like an infant who never sees daylight? | 16Why wasn’t I buried like a stillborn child, like a baby who never lives to see the light? |
| 17There the wicked cease from raging, and there the weary find rest. | 17For in death the wicked cause no trouble, and the weary are at rest. |
| 18The captives enjoy their ease; they do not hear the voice of the oppressor. | 18Even captives are at ease in death, with no guards to curse them. |
| 19Both small and great are there, and the slave is freed from his master. | 19Rich and poor are both there, and the slave is free from his master. |
| 20Why is light given to the miserable, and life to the bitter of soul, | 20“Oh, why give light to those in misery, and life to those who are bitter? |
| 21who long for death that does not come, and search for it like hidden treasure, | 21They long for death, and it won’t come. They search for death more eagerly than for hidden treasure. |
| 22who rejoice and greatly exult when they can find the grave? | 22They’re filled with joy when they finally die, and rejoice when they find the grave. |
| 23Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in? | 23Why is life given to those with no future, those God has surrounded with difficulties? |
| 24I sigh when food is put before me, and my groans pour out like water. | 24I cannot eat for sighing; my groans pour out like water. |
| 25For the thing I feared has overtaken me, and what I dreaded has befallen me. | 25What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true. |
| 26I am not at ease or quiet; I have no rest, for trouble has come.” | 26I have no peace, no quietness. I have no rest; only trouble comes.” |
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