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Job Curses His Birth

·After seven days [L Afterward] Job ·cried out [L opened his mouth] and cursed ·the day he had been born [L his day; Jer. 20:14–18], saying:

“Let the day I was born be destroyed,
    and the night it was said, ‘A boy is ·born [L conceived]!’
Let that day turn to darkness [C contrast Gen. 1:3].
    Don’t let God ·care about [L seek] it.
    Don’t let light shine on it.
Let darkness and gloom ·have that day [L redeem it].
    Let a cloud ·hide [L settle over] it.
    Let thick darkness ·cover its light [overwhelm the day].
Let thick darkness capture that night.
    Don’t count it among the days of the year
    or put it in any of the months.
Let that night be ·empty [barren],
    with no shout of joy ·to be heard [L entering it].
Let those who curse ·days [or the Sea; C a symbol of chaos] curse that day [C Balaam (Num. 22–24) is an example of a professional curser].
    Let them prepare to wake up the sea monster Leviathan [C a creature in ancient Near Eastern texts that represents chaos; 41:1, 12; Ps. 74:14; 104:26; Is. 27:1].
Let that day’s morning stars ·never appear [L become dark];
    let it ·wait [hope] for daylight that never comes.
    Don’t let it see the first light of dawn,
10 because it ·allowed me to be born [L did not shut the doors of my (mother’s) womb]
    and did not hide trouble from my eyes.

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