Job 10

¹ Job, taking liberty of complaint, expostulateth with God about his afflictions. ¹⁸ He complaineth of life, and craveth a little ease before death.

1 My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. ^{▼▼weary...: or, cut off while I live} 2 I will say to God, Do not condemn me; show me why thou contendest with me. 3 Is it good to thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thy hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked? ^{▼▼work: Heb. labour} 4 Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth? 5 Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man’s days, 6 That thou enquirest after my iniquity, and searchest after my sin? 7 Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thy hand. ^{▼▼Thou...: Heb. It is upon thy knowledge}

8 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me in all my parts; yet thou dost destroy me. ^{▼▼have...: Heb. took pains about me} 9 Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again? 10 Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese? 11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews. ^{▼▼fenced: Heb. hedged} 12 Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy care hath preserved my spirit. 13 And these things hast thou hid in thy heart: I know that this is with thee.

14 If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from my iniquity. 15 If I be wicked, woe to me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou my affliction; 16 For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou showest thyself marvellous upon me. 17 Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thy indignation upon me; changes and war are against me. ^{▼▼witnesses: that is, plagues} 18 Why then hast thou brought me forth from the womb? O that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me! 19 I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave. 20 Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, 21 Before I go to the place from which I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; 22 A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.