Job, taking liberty of complaint, expostulateth with God about his afflictions.

1 ¶ My soulº is wearyºª of my life;º I will leaveºª my complaintº upon² myself; I will speakºª in the bitternessº of my soul.º 2 I will sayºª unto² God,º Do not² condemnºª me; shewºª me wherefore²² thou contendestºª with me. 3 [Is it] good¹ª² unto thee that² thou shouldest oppress,ºª that² thou shouldest despiseºª the workº of thine hands,º and shineºª upon² the counselº of the wicked?º 4 Hast thou eyesº of flesh?º or² seestºª thou as manº seeth?ºª 5 [Are] thy daysº as the daysº of man?º [are] thy yearsº as man'sº days,º 6 That² thou enquirestºª after mine iniquity,º and searchestºª after my sin?º 7 Thou knowestº that² I am not² wicked;ºª and [there is] none² that can deliverºª out of thine hand.º² 8 Thine handsº have madeºª me and fashionedºª me togetherº round about;º yet thou dost destroyºª me. 9 Remember,ºª I beseech thee,² that² thou hast madeºª me as the clay;º and wilt thou bring¹ª me into dust¹ again?ºª²² 10 Hast thou not² poured me outºª as milk,º and curdledºª me like cheese?º 11 Thou hast clothedºª me with skinº and flesh,º and hast fencedºª me with bonesº and sinews.º 12 Thou hast grantedºª² me lifeº and favour,º and thy visitationº hath preservedºª my spirit.º 13 And these² [things] hast thou hidºª in thine heart:º I knowºª that² this² [is] with² thee. 14 If² I sin,ºª then thou markestºª me, and thou wilt not² acquitºª me from mine iniquity.º² 15 If² I be wicked,ºª woeº unto me; and [if] I be righteous,ºª [yet] will I not² lift upºª my head.º [I am] fullº of confusion;º therefore seeºª¹ª thou mine affliction;º 16 For it increaseth.ºª Thou huntestºª me as a fierce lion:º and againºª thou shewest thyself marvellousºª upon me. 17 Thou renewestºª thy witnessesº against² me, and increasestºª thine indignationº upon² me;¹ changesº and warº [are] against² me.

He complaineth of life, and craveth a little ease before death.

18 Wherefore² then hast thou brought me forthºª out of the womb?º² Oh that I had given up the ghost,ºª and no² eyeº had seenºª me! 19 I should have been² as though² I had not² been;² I should have been carriedºª from the wombº² to the grave.º 20 [Are] not² my daysº few?º ceaseºªªª [then, and] let me alone,ºªªª² that I may take comfortºª a little,º 21 Before² I go¹ª² [whence] I shall not² return,ºª [even] to² the landº of darknessº and the shadow of death;º 22 A landº of darkness,º as² darknessº [itself; and] of the shadow of death,º without² any order,º and [where] the lightºª [is] as² darkness.º