Job 10

Job Continues His Response to Bildad

1 “My inner self ^{▼▼Or “soul”} loathes my life;
⌞I want to give vent to my complaint⌟; ^{▼▼Literally “I want to let go upon me my complaint”}
I want to speak out of the bitterness of my inner self. ^{▼▼Or “soul”}
2 I will say to God, ‘You should not condemn me;
let me know why you contend against me.
3 Is it good for you that you oppress,
that you despise the labor of your hands,
and you smile over the schemes of the wicked?
4 ⌞Do you have eyes of flesh⌟? ^{▼▼Literally “Are eyes of flesh for you”}
Or ⌞do you see as human beings see⌟? ^{▼▼Literally “as seeing of human beings you see”}
5 Are your days as the days of human beings,
or your years as the days of man,
6 that you seek out my iniquity,
and you search for my sin
7 because of your knowledge that I am not guilty,
and there is no escaping from your hand?
8 Your hands fashioned me and made me ^{▼▼Hebrew “they made me”} ⌞altogether⌟, ^{▼▼Literally “together all around”}
then ^{▼▼Or “and”} you destroyed me.
9 Please ^{▼▼Or an untranslatable particle expressing urgency} remember that you made me like clay,
but ^{▼▼Hebrew “and”} you turn me into dust again?
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
and ⌞curdle me⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “you did curdle me”} like cheese?
11 You clothed me with skin and flesh,
and you knit me together with bones and sinews.
12 You have granted me life and loyal love,
and your care has preserved my spirit.
13 “ ‘Yet ^{▼▼Hebrew “And”} you hid these things in your heart;
I know that this ⌞was your purpose⌟. ^{▼▼Literally “was with you”}
14 If I had sinned, then ^{▼▼Hebrew “and”} you would be watching me,
and you would not acquit me of my guilt.
15 If I am guilty, woe to me!
But ^{▼▼Hebrew “And”} if I am righteous, I dare not lift my head;
I am filled with shame, and just look at my misery!
16 And if my head grows bold, you would hunt me as the lion in its prime;
⌞and you repeat your exploits against me⌟. ^{▼▼Literally “and you do again you display marvelous powers against me”}
17 You renew your witnesses against me,
and you increase your vexation against me;
⌞relief forces⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “substitute and forces”} are against me.
18 So ^{▼▼Hebrew “And”} why did you bring me forth from the womb?
I should have passed away, ⌞and no eye should have seen me⌟. ^{▼▼Literally “and an eye should not have seen me”}
19 I should have been as though I had not been;
I should have been brought from the womb to the grave.
20 Are not my days few? Let him leave me alone;
let him turn from me, and let me rejoice a little.
21 Before I go—and I will not return—
to the land of darkness and deep shadow,
22 to the land of darkness,
like the darkness of a deep shadow and ⌞chaos⌟, ^{▼▼Literally “and not order”}
so that ^{▼▼Or “and”} it shines forth like darkness.’ ”