KJV ORIGINAL
I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
I should have been as if I never existed; I should have been carried straight from my mother's womb to the grave.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
Job is saying he wishes he had never been born, that he could have gone straight from birth to death without experiencing life's painful struggles.
📚 Historical Context
Job spoke these words during his intense suffering, after losing his children, wealth, and health. In ancient times, stillborn children were often seen as spared from life's hardships. Job's statement reflects the depth of his despair and follows a common theme in ancient literature where suffering people wished they had never been born.
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