« | Job 3 | » |
1 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed his day.
2 Job spoke out and said:
3 Perish the day on which I was born, the night when they said, "The child is a boy!"
4 May that day be darkness: let not God above call for it, nor light shine upon it!
5 May darkness and gloom claim it, clouds settle upon it, the blackness of night affright it!
6 May obscurity seize that day; let it not occur among the days of the year, nor enter into the count of the months!
7 May that night be barren; let no joyful outcry greet it!
8 Let them curse it who curse the sea, the appointed disturbers of Leviathan!
9 May the stars of its twilight be darkened; may it look for daylight, but have none, nor gaze on the eyes of the dawn,
10 Because it kept not shut the doors of the womb to shield my eyes from trouble!
11 Why did I not perish at birth, come forth from the womb and expire?
12 Wherefore did the knees receive me? or why did I suck at the breasts?
13 For then I should have lain down and been tranquil; had I slept, I should then have been at rest
14 With kings and counselors of the earth who built where now there are ruins
15 Or with princes who had gold and filled their houses with silver.
16 Or why was I not buried away like an untimely birth, like babes that have never seen the light?
17 There the wicked cease from troubling, there the weary are at rest.
18 There the captives are at ease together, and hear not the voice of the slave driver.
19 Small and great are there the same, and the servant is free from his master.
20 Why is light given to the toilers, and life to the bitter in spirit?
21 They wait for death and it comes not; they search for it rather than for hidden treasures,
22 Rejoice in it exultingly, and are glad when they reach the grave:
23 Men whose path is hidden from them, and whom God has hemmed in!
24 For sighing comes more readily to me than food, and my groans well forth like water.
25 For what I fear overtakes me, and what I shrink from comes upon me.
26 I have no peace nor ease; I have no rest, for trouble comes!
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU)
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU) is a highly respected English translation of the Bible known for its rigorous adherence to the original languages of Scripture. First published in 1995 by the Lockman Foundation, the NASU is an update of the New American Standard Bible (NASB), which was originally completed in 1971. The NASU seeks to improve upon the NASB by enhancing readability and modernizing the language while maintaining the translation’s reputation for being one of the most literal translations available. This makes the NASU a preferred choice for serious Bible study, preaching, and teaching.
A key feature of the NASU is its commitment to formal equivalence, or a word-for-word translation philosophy. The translators aimed to produce a text that is as close as possible to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts. This approach ensures that the NASU captures the precise meaning and structure of the original texts, providing readers with a highly accurate and reliable representation of the Scriptures. The use of formal equivalence makes the NASU particularly valuable for those who desire a deep and detailed understanding of the Bible, including scholars, theologians, and students of the Word.
In updating the NASB, the NASU made several important changes to improve clarity and readability. While maintaining the accuracy and literalness of the translation, the NASU incorporates modern English expressions and smoother sentence structures. This makes the text more accessible to contemporary readers without compromising the precision that the NASB is known for. The NASU also includes updated cross-references and footnotes, which provide additional context and insights, further aiding in the study and understanding of the biblical text.
Despite its many strengths, the NASU has faced some criticism. Some readers and scholars argue that the translation’s emphasis on literalness can sometimes result in a text that feels stiff or less fluid than more dynamic translations. Additionally, while the NASU’s updated language makes it more accessible, some feel that it could go further in adapting to contemporary usage without losing its accuracy. Nevertheless, the New American Standard Updated Version remains a highly esteemed translation, valued for its fidelity to the original texts and its usefulness for in-depth study and precise interpretation of the Bible.