Daily Bible Reading

Job Continues: A Plea to God

1“I loathe my life;

I will give free utterance to my complaint;

I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

2I will say to God, Do not condemn me;

let me know why you contend against me.

3Does it seem good to you to oppress,

to despise the work of your hands

and favor the designs of the wicked?

4Have you eyes of flesh?

Do you see as man sees?

5Are your days as the days of man,

or your years as a man’s years,

6that you seek out my iniquity

and search for my sin,

7although you know that I am not guilty,

and there is none to deliver out of your hand?

8Your hands fashioned and made me,

and now you have destroyed me altogether.

9Remember that you have made me like clay;

and will you return me to the dust?

10Did you not pour me out like milk

and curdle me like cheese?

11You clothed me with skin and flesh,

and knit me together with bones and sinews.

12You have granted me life and steadfast love,

and your care has preserved my spirit.

13Yet these things you hid in your heart;

I know that this was your purpose.

14If I sin, you watch me

and do not acquit me of my iniquity.

15If I am guilty, woe to me!

If I am in the right, I cannot lift up my head,

for I am filled with disgrace

and look on my affliction.

16And were my head lifted up, you would hunt me like a lion

and again work wonders against me.

17You renew your witnesses against me

and increase your vexation toward me;

you bring fresh troops against me.

18“Why did you bring me out from the womb?

Would that I had died before any eye had seen me

19and were as though I had not been,

carried from the womb to the grave.

20Are not my days few?

Then cease, and leave me alone, that I may find a little cheer

21before I go—and I shall not return—

to the land of darkness and deep shadow,

22the land of gloom like thick darkness,

like deep shadow without any order,

where light is as thick darkness.”

1“I loathe my very life;

therefore I will give free rein to my complaint

and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.

2I say to God: Do not declare me guilty,

but tell me what charges you have against me.

3Does it please you to oppress me,

to spurn the work of your hands,

while you smile on the plans of the wicked?

4Do you have eyes of flesh?

Do you see as a mortal sees?

5Are your days like those of a mortal

or your years like those of a strong man,

6that you must search out my faults

and probe after my sin—

7though you know that I am not guilty

and that no one can rescue me from your hand?

8“Your hands shaped me and made me.

Will you now turn and destroy me?

9Remember that you molded me like clay.

Will you now turn me to dust again?

10Did you not pour me out like milk

and curdle me like cheese,

11clothe me with skin and flesh

and knit me together with bones and sinews?

12You gave me life and showed me kindness,

and in your providence watched over my spirit.

13“But this is what you concealed in your heart,

and I know that this was in your mind:

14If I sinned, you would be watching me

and would not let my offense go unpunished.

15If I am guilty—woe to me!

Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head,

for I am full of shame

and drowned in my affliction.

16If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion

and again display your awesome power against me.

17You bring new witnesses against me

and increase your anger toward me;

your forces come against me wave upon wave.

18“Why then did you bring me out of the womb?

I wish I had died before any eye saw me.

19If only I had never come into being,

or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!

20Are not my few days almost over?

Turn away from me so I can have a moment’s joy

21before I go to the place of no return,

to the land of gloom and utter darkness,

22to the land of deepest night,

of utter darkness and disorder,

where even the light is like darkness.”