Job 10

Job continues to speak

1 I do not want to live any longer.

I must continue to complain.

I am very upset and I have to speak about it.

2 This is what I will say to God:

“Do not say that I am guilty.

Tell me what bad things you think I have done.

3 Your own hands created me.

So you should not be cruel to me. It is not right.

Instead, you are kind to wicked people.

You help them to do the bad things that they want to do.

4 Do you see things as people see them?

Are your eyes only like human eyes?

10:4Job is asking God if he really sees what is true. Perhaps God is making a mistake when he says that Job is guilty.

5 Is your life like a human life?

It is surely not as short as that!

6 So why do you want to discover all my sins?

Why do you hurry to do that?

7 You know that I am not guilty.

But you also know that no one can save me from your power.

8 Your own hands have made me who I am.

But now you are completely destroying me.

9 Remember that you made me,

like someone who uses clay to make things.

Will you now make me become dust again?

10 You poured me like milk into my mother.

There you put my body together,

like milk that becomes cheese.

11 You joined my bones together,

and you covered them with skin.

12 You gave me life and you loved me faithfully.

You took care of me and you kept me safe.

13 But now I know what you have been thinking.

I have discovered your secret.

14 You were watching me to see if I did wrong things.

Then you would refuse to forgive me.

15 If I am guilty of sin,

that brings terrible trouble to me.

But if I am righteous,

I still feel ashamed.

Whatever I do, I have nothing but shame

and my life is full of trouble.

16 If I try to be brave,

you chase me like a hungry lion.

You show your power to hurt me.

17 You find more reasons to attack me.

You become more and more angry with me.

You attack me with even greater power.

18 Why did you let me be born?

I should have died before anyone saw me.

19 It would have been better if I had not been born.

Or they should have put me in my grave,

immediately after my birth.

20 I will only live for a few more days.

So leave me alone! Then I may be happy for a moment.

21 I will soon go to the dark place where there is no hope.

I will never come back from that place.

22 I will go to that very dark place where there are only shadows.

In that place, it is still dark when the light shines. ” ’