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From NASB 1995

Job continues to curse his “day.”

16“Or like a miscarriage which is [g]hidden, I would not exist,

As infants that never saw light.

17“There the wicked cease from raging, their evil careers are ended.

And there the [h]weary are at rest.

More thinking about life after death, partly gleaned from the folk theology of his day, partly true.

All the weary? Some evil men are weary but their weariness will be greatly increased when Jesus returns, and/or after they die.

18“The prisoners are at ease together;

for some prisoners, yes. Not the evil ones.

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.

Great equality and peacefulness.

I’m tired Lord, take me home. We’ve heard true saints pray like this and seen their prayers answered. Their journey was indeed ended. Job is not going to get such a quick release. Maybe you aren’t either. Maybe there are still battles to fight and win.

He continues:

20“Why is light given to one burdened with grief,

And life to the bitter of soul,

When you are sound asleep and someone turns a light on.

21Who [i]long for death, but there is none,

And dig for it more than for hidden treasures;

People suffering from long term illnesses just want to go home.

22Who are filled with jubilation,

And rejoice when they find the grave?

23“Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden,

And whom God has shut off?

Now he seems to be blaming God for his problems. This won’t be the last time he does this, and he will be soundly rebuked for it. Yes, God has allowed it but God is not the author of evil. It’s a hard concept to grasp. Satan is behind the evil, God uses the evil for our good.

24“For my groaning comes at the sight of my food,

Ever been in depression so low that you lose your appetite?

And my cries pour out like water.

25“For [j]what I fear comes upon me,

And what I dread [k]encounters me.

The faith teachers grab on to this verse and tell us that all our troubles come because of negative thinking. But we’ve read the beginning of this book and we know that that is not what caused all this.

26“I am not at ease, nor am I quiet,

And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes.”