Job 3:11-26
New American Standard Bible
11 “(A)Why did I not die [a]at birth,
Come out of the womb and pass away?
12 Why were the knees there in front of me,
And why the breasts, that I would nurse?
13 For now I (B)would have lain down and been quiet;
I would have slept then, I would have been at rest,
14 With (C)kings and (D)counselors of the earth,
Who rebuilt (E)ruins for themselves;
15 Or with (F)rulers (G)who had gold,
Who were filling their houses with silver.
16 Or like a miscarriage which is [b]hidden, I would not exist,
As infants that never saw light.
17 There the wicked cease from raging,
And there the [c]weary are at (H)rest.
18 The prisoners are at ease together;
They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster.
19 The small and the great are there,
And the slave is free from his master.
20 “Why is (I)light given to one burdened with grief,
And life to the bitter of soul,
21 Who [d](J)long for death, but there is none,
And dig for it more than for (K)hidden treasures;
22 Who are filled with jubilation,
And rejoice when they find the grave?
23 Why is light given to a man (L)whose way is hidden,
And whom (M)God has shut off?
24 For (N)my groaning comes at the sight of my food,
And (O)my cries pour out like water.
25 For [e](P)what I fear comes upon me,
And what I dread [f]encounters me.
26 I (Q)am not at ease, nor am I quiet,
And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes.”
Job 3:11-26
New International Version
11 “Why did I not perish at birth,
and die as I came from the womb?(A)
12 Why were there knees to receive me(B)
and breasts that I might be nursed?
13 For now I would be lying down(C) in peace;
I would be asleep and at rest(D)
14 with kings and rulers of the earth,(E)
who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,(F)
15 with princes(G) who had gold,
who filled their houses with silver.(H)
16 Or why was I not hidden away in the ground like a stillborn child,(I)
like an infant who never saw the light of day?(J)
17 There the wicked cease from turmoil,(K)
and there the weary are at rest.(L)
18 Captives(M) also enjoy their ease;
they no longer hear the slave driver’s(N) shout.(O)
19 The small and the great are there,(P)
and the slaves are freed from their owners.
20 “Why is light given to those in misery,
and life to the bitter of soul,(Q)
21 to those who long for death that does not come,(R)
who search for it more than for hidden treasure,(S)
22 who are filled with gladness
and rejoice when they reach the grave?(T)
23 Why is life given to a man
whose way is hidden,(U)
whom God has hedged in?(V)
24 For sighing(W) has become my daily food;(X)
my groans(Y) pour out like water.(Z)
25 What I feared has come upon me;
what I dreaded(AA) has happened to me.(AB)
26 I have no peace,(AC) no quietness;
I have no rest,(AD) but only turmoil.”(AE)
Ecclesiastes 2:17
New American Standard Bible
17 So I (A)hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was [a]unhappy to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ecclesiastes 2:17 Lit evil
Ecclesiastes 2:17
New International Version
Toil Is Meaningless
17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.(A)
Ecclesiastes 7:1
New American Standard Bible
Wisdom and Foolishness Contrasted
7 A (A)good name is better than good [a]oil,
And the (B)day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 7:1 I.e., olive oil
Ecclesiastes 7:1
New International Version
Wisdom
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