Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth, a man with whom the whole land strives and contends! I have neither lent nor borrowed, yet everyone curses me.

我的母亲哪，我有祸了！因你生我作为遍地相争相竞的人。我素来没有借贷与人，人也没有借贷与我，人人却都咒骂我。

我的母亲哪，我有祸了！因你生我作全地争相指控的人。我素来没有借贷给人，人也没有借贷给我，人人却都咒骂我。

我的母亲哪，我有祸了！因你生我作全地争相指控的人。我素来没有借贷给人，人也没有借贷给我，人人却都咒骂我。

母亲啊，我真不幸，因为你生了我这个跟全犹大争论、激辩的人。我没有向人借贷，也没有借贷给人，然而人人都咒骂我。

我母亲哪！我有祸了，因为你生了我，这个跟全地相争相斗的人。我从没有借钱给人，也没有向人借钱，可是人人都咒骂我。

我的母親哪，我有禍了！因你生我作為遍地相爭相競的人。我素來沒有借貸與人，人也沒有借貸與我，人人卻都咒罵我。

我的母親哪，我有禍了！因你生我作全地爭相指控的人。我素來沒有借貸給人，人也沒有借貸給我，人人卻都咒罵我。

我的母親哪，我有禍了！因你生我作全地爭相指控的人。我素來沒有借貸給人，人也沒有借貸給我，人人卻都咒罵我。

母親啊，我真不幸，因為你生了我這個跟全猶大爭論、激辯的人。我沒有向人借貸，也沒有借貸給人，然而人人都咒罵我。

我母親哪！我有禍了，因為你生了我，這個跟全地相爭相鬥的人。我從沒有借錢給人，也沒有向人借錢，可是人人都咒罵我。

我母親哪，我有禍了，你生了我做對遍地吵鬧紛爭的人！我素來沒有拿錢借給人來取利息，人也沒有拿錢借給我來取利，然而人人都咒罵我。

我母歟、禍哉我也、爾之生我、為全地喜爭好競之人、我未貸金於人、人亦未貸金於我、然彼皆詛我、

耶利米曰、哀哉我母、何為產我、為通國之人所攻、我未貸眾以金、眾未貸我以金、藉權子母、而人莫不詛予。

先知自言曰、哀哉、我母何為生我、通國之人攻我、而與我爭、我未貸金於人、人亦未貸金於我、而人莫不詛我、

My mother, I wish I had never been born! The whole land opposes me. They fight against me. I haven’t made loans to anyone. And I haven’t borrowed anything. But everyone curses me anyway.

Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land! I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me.

Then I said,“ What sorrow is mine, my mother. Oh, that I had died at birth! I am hated everywhere I go. I am neither a lender who threatens to foreclose nor a borrower who refuses to pay— yet they all curse me.”

Woe is me, my mother, that you gave birth to me, a man who incites dispute and conflict in all the land. I did not lend or borrow, yet everyone curses me.

Woe to me, my mother, that you have given birth to me As a man of strife and a man of contention to all the land! I have not lent, nor have people lent money to me, Yet everyone curses me.

Woe is me, my mother, That you have borne me, A man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent for interest, Nor have men lent to me for interest. Every one of them curses me.

Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have not lent, neither have men lent to me; yet every one of them doth curse me.

Woe is me, my mother, that you gave birth to me, a man who incites dispute and conflict in all the land. I did not lend or borrow, yet everyone curses me.

Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury;[ yet] every one of them doth curse me.

I said,“ Oh, mother, how I regret that you ever gave birth to me! I am always starting arguments and quarrels with the people of this land. I have not lent money to anyone and I have not borrowed from anyone. Yet all of these people are treating me with contempt.”

Woe is me, my mother, that you have borne me, a man of strife, and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have not lent, neither have men lent to me; yet every one of them curses me.

“ If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest.

You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me.Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the Lord has brought me insult and reproach all day long.

Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land— against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land.They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken.

I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you,” declares the Lord.

After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.He said:“ May the day of my birth perish, and the night that said,‘ A boy is conceived!’That day— may it turn to darkness; may God above not care about it; may no light shine on it.May gloom and utter darkness claim it once more; may a cloud settle over it; may blackness overwhelm it.That night— may thick darkness seize it; may it not be included among the days of the year nor be entered in any of the months.May that night be barren; may no shout of joy be heard in it.May those who curse days curse that day, those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.May its morning stars become dark; may it wait for daylight in vain and not see the first rays of dawn,for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me to hide trouble from my eyes.“ Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?Why were there knees to receive me and breasts that I might be nursed?For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at restwith kings and rulers of the earth, who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.Or why was I not hidden away in the ground like a stillborn child, like an infant who never saw the light of day?There the wicked cease from turmoil, and there the weary are at rest.Captives also enjoy their ease; they no longer hear the slave driver’s shout.The small and the great are there, and the slaves are freed from their owners.“ Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter of soul,to those who long for death that does not come, who search for it more than for hidden treasure,who are filled with gladness and rejoice when they reach the grave?Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?For sighing has become my daily food; my groans pour out like water.What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.”

And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.

They brought them before the magistrates and said,“ These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproarby advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods.

Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.

The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat,“ There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”“ The king should not say such a thing,” Jehoshaphat replied.

Ahab said to Elijah,“ So you have found me, my enemy!”“ I have found you,” he answered,“ because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord.

When he saw Elijah, he said to him,“ Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”“ I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied.“ But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals.

For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings.We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world— right up to this moment.

Do not charge a fellow Israelite interest, whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest.You may charge a foreigner interest, but not a fellow Israelite, so that the Lord your God may bless you in everything you put your hand to in the land you are entering to possess.

Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother:“ This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,

Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me not be blessed!Cursed be the man who brought my father the news, who made him very glad, saying,“ A child is born to you— a son!”May that man be like the towns the Lord overthrew without pity. May he hear wailing in the morning, a battle cry at noon.For he did not kill me in the womb, with my mother as my grave, her womb enlarged forever.Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame?

He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said:“ You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business.And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all.There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.”When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting:“ Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”

But the people of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate.But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are.I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.”

“ Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.

Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek, that I live among the tents of Kedar!Too long have I lived among those who hate peace.

Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

“ Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Do not take interest or any profit from them, but fear your God, so that they may continue to live among you.

But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting:“ These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here,and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.”When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil.

While they curse, may you bless; may those who attack me be put to shame, but may your servant rejoice.

Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews.Some were saying,“ We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.”Others were saying,“ We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.”Still others were saying,“ We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our fellow Jews and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.”When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry.