Job Despairs of God’s Dealings

10 [a](A)I am disgusted with my own life;
I will express (B)my complaint freely;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
I will say to God, ‘(C)Do not condemn me;
Let me know why You contend with me.
Is it [b]right for You indeed to (D)oppress,
To reject (E)the work of Your hands,
And [c]to look favorably on (F)the plan of the wicked?
Do You have eyes of flesh?
Or do You (G)see as mankind sees?
Are Your days like the days of a mortal,
Or (H)Your years like a man’s year,
That (I)You should search for my guilt
And carefully seek my sin?
According to Your knowledge (J)I am indeed not guilty,
Yet there is (K)no one to save me from Your hand.

(L)Your hands fashioned and made me [d]altogether,
(M)Yet would You destroy me?
Remember that You have made me as (N)clay;
Yet would You (O)turn me into dust again?
10 Did You not pour me out like milk,
And curdle me like cheese,
11 Clothe me with skin and flesh,
And intertwine me with bones and tendons?
12 You have (P)granted me life and [e]goodness;
And Your care has guarded my spirit.
13 Yet You have concealed (Q)these things in Your heart;
I know that this is within You:
14 If I have sinned, You will (R)take note of me,
And (S)will not acquit me of my guilt.
15 If (T)I am wicked, woe to me!
But if (U)I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head.
I am full of shame, and [f]conscious of my misery.
16 And should my head be high, (V)You would hunt me like a lion;
And You would show Your (W)power against me again.
17 You renew (X)Your witnesses against me
And increase Your anger toward me;
[g](Y)Hardship after hardship is with me.

18 (Z)Why then did You bring me out of the womb?
If only I had died and no eye had seen me!
19 I should have been as though I had not been,
Brought from womb to tomb.’
20 Would He not leave (AA)my few days alone?
[h](AB)Withdraw from me so that I may have a little cheerfulness
21 Before I go—(AC)and I shall not return—
(AD)To the land of darkness and (AE)deep shadow,
22 The land of utter gloom like darkness itself,
Of deep shadow without order,
And it shines like darkness.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 10:1 Lit My soul loathes
  2. Job 10:3 Lit good
  3. Job 10:3 Lit You shine forth
  4. Job 10:8 Lit together round about
  5. Job 10:12 See Job 1:1-2
  6. Job 10:15 Lit see
  7. Job 10:17 Lit Changes and warfare are with me
  8. Job 10:20 Lit Put

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