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10 I am tired of living.
    Listen to my bitter complaint.
Don't condemn me, God.
    Tell me! What is the charge against me?
Is it right for you to be so cruel?
    To despise what you yourself have made?
    And then to smile on the schemes of wicked people?
Do you see things as we do?
    Is your life as short as ours?
Then why do you track down all my sins
    and hunt down every fault I have?
(A)You know that I am not guilty,
    that no one can save me from you.

Your hands formed and shaped me,
    and now[a] those same hands destroy me.
Remember that you made me from clay;[b]
    are you going to crush me back to dust?
10 (B)You gave my father strength to beget me;
    you made me grow in my mother's womb.
11 You formed my body with bones and sinews
    and covered the bones with muscles and skin.
12 You have given me life and constant love,
    and your care has kept me alive.
13 But now I know that all that time
    you were secretly planning to harm me.
14 You were watching to see if I would sin,
    so that you could refuse to forgive me.
15 As soon as I sin, I'm in trouble with you,
    but when I do right, I get no credit.
I am miserable and covered with shame.[c]
16 If I have any success at all,
    you hunt me down like a lion;
    to hurt me you even work miracles.
17 You always have some witness against me;
    your anger toward me grows and grows;
    you always plan some new attack.

18 Why, God, did you let me be born?
    I should have died before anyone saw me.
19 To go from the womb straight to the grave
    would have been as good as never existing.
20 Isn't my life almost over? Leave me alone!
    Let me enjoy the time I have left.
21 I am going soon and will never come back—
    going to a land that is dark and gloomy,
22     a land of darkness, shadows, and confusion,
    where the light itself is darkness.

Footnotes

  1. Job 10:8 Some ancient translations and now; Hebrew together.
  2. Job 10:9 One ancient translation from clay; Hebrew like clay.
  3. Job 10:15 Probable text covered with shame; Hebrew see my shame.

10 “I loathe my very life;(A)
    therefore I will give free rein to my complaint
    and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.(B)
I say to God:(C) Do not declare me guilty,
    but tell me what charges(D) you have against me.(E)
Does it please you to oppress me,(F)
    to spurn the work of your hands,(G)
    while you smile on the plans of the wicked?(H)
Do you have eyes of flesh?
    Do you see as a mortal sees?(I)
Are your days like those of a mortal
    or your years like those of a strong man,(J)
that you must search out my faults
    and probe after my sin(K)
though you know that I am not guilty(L)
    and that no one can rescue me from your hand?(M)

“Your hands shaped(N) me and made me.
    Will you now turn and destroy me?(O)
Remember that you molded me like clay.(P)
    Will you now turn me to dust again?(Q)
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
    and curdle me like cheese,
11 clothe me with skin and flesh
    and knit me together(R) with bones and sinews?
12 You gave me life(S) and showed me kindness,(T)
    and in your providence(U) watched over(V) my spirit.

13 “But this is what you concealed in your heart,
    and I know that this was in your mind:(W)
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me(X)
    and would not let my offense go unpunished.(Y)
15 If I am guilty(Z)—woe to me!(AA)
    Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head,(AB)
for I am full of shame
    and drowned in[a] my affliction.(AC)
16 If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion(AD)
    and again display your awesome power against me.(AE)
17 You bring new witnesses against me(AF)
    and increase your anger toward me;(AG)
    your forces come against me wave upon wave.(AH)

18 “Why then did you bring me out of the womb?(AI)
    I wish I had died before any eye saw me.(AJ)
19 If only I had never come into being,
    or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!(AK)
20 Are not my few days(AL) almost over?(AM)
    Turn away from me(AN) so I can have a moment’s joy(AO)
21 before I go to the place of no return,(AP)
    to the land of gloom and utter darkness,(AQ)
22 to the land of deepest night,
    of utter darkness(AR) and disorder,
    where even the light is like darkness.”(AS)

Footnotes

  1. Job 10:15 Or and aware of