Job 3:1-26 NIrV

[1] After a while, Job opened his mouth to speak. He cursed the day he had been born. [2] He said, [3] “May the day I was born be wiped out. May the night be wiped away when people said, ‘A boy is born!’ [4] May that day turn into darkness. May God in heaven not care about it. May no light shine on it. [5] May gloom and total darkness take it back. May a cloud settle over it. May blackness cover it up. [6] May deep darkness take over the night I was born. May it not be included among the days of the year. May it never appear in any of the months. [7] May no children ever have been born on that night. May no shout of joy be heard in it. [8] May people say evil things about that day. May people ready to wake the sea monster Leviathan say evil things about that day. [9] May its morning stars become dark. May it lose all hope of ever seeing daylight. May it not see the first light of the morning sun. [10] It didn’t keep my mother from letting me be born. It didn’t keep my eyes from seeing trouble. [11] “Why didn’t I die when I was born? Why didn’t I die as I came out of my mother’s body? [12] Why was I placed on her knees? Why did her breasts give me milk? [13] If all of that hadn’t happened, I would be lying down in peace. I’d be asleep and at rest in the grave. [14] I’d be with the earth’s kings and rulers. They had built for themselves places that are now destroyed. [15] I’d be with princes who used to have gold. They had filled their houses with silver. [16] Why wasn’t I buried like a baby who was born dead? Why wasn’t I buried like a child who never saw the light of day? [17] In the grave, sinful people don’t cause trouble anymore. And there tired people find rest. [18] Prisoners also enjoy peace there. They don’t hear a slave driver shouting at them anymore. [19] The least important and most important people are there. And there the slaves are set free from their owners. [20] “Why should those who suffer ever be born? Why should life be given to those whose spirits are bitter? [21] Why is life given to those who long for death that doesn’t come? Why is it given to those who would rather search for death than for hidden treasure? [22] Why is life given to those who are actually happy and glad when they reach the grave? [23] Why is life given to a man like me? God hasn’t told me what will happen to me. He has surrounded me with nothing but trouble. [24] Sighs have become my food every day. Groans pour out of me like water. [25] What I was afraid of has come on me. What I worried about has happened to me. [26] I don’t have any peace and quiet. I can’t find any rest. All I have is trouble.”