Chapter Three: Job curses the day he was born.

After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. Job said: "Let the day perish in which I was born, and the night that said, 'A man-child is conceived.' Let that day be darkness! May God above not seek it, or light shine on it. Let the gloom and deep darkness claim it. Let clouds settle upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it. That night--let thick darkness seize it! let it not rejoice among the days of the year; let it not come into the number of the months. Yes, let that night be barren; let no joyful cry be heard in it. Let those curse it who curse the Sea, those who are skilled to rouse up Leviathan. Let the stars of its dawn be dark; let it hope for light but have none; may it not see the eyelids of the morning--because it did not shut the doors of my mother's womb and hide trouble from my eyes."

"Why did I not die at birth, come forth from the womb and expire? Why were there knees to receive me, or breasts for me to suck? Now I would be laying down and quiet; I would be asleep, I would be at rest with kings and counselors of the earth who rebuild ruins for themselves, or with princes who have gold, who fill their houses with silver. Or why was I not buried like a stillborn child, like an infant that never sees the light? There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary are at rest. There the prisoners are at ease together; they do not hear the voice of the taskmaster. The small and the great are there, and the slaves are free from their masters."

"Why is light given to one in misery, and life to the bitter in soul, who long for death, but it does not come, and dig for more than hidden treasures; who rejoice exceedingly, and are glad when they find the grave? Why is light given to one who cannot see the way, whom God has fenced in? For my sighing comes like my bread, and my groanings are poured out like water. Truly the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet: I have no rest; but trouble comes."

Job's curse is addressed to inappropriate investigations into "spiritual science", "histories mysteries", and a list of other things. This can be moved forward with in light of the fifth amendment and good faith reporting requirements as they are related to transparency, which is intended to be a loyal assumption. It also strikes back against eighth amendment violations. In a more immediate sense of prayer with the expectation that such will be answered, Job blackens the day he was born, hoping that this will conceal him from his enemies who are perusing him.

Now Job's curse is not just for show, he is both paying and lamenting. Job's conundrum here, as a man of faith and prayer, is that while he is in fact addressing God, others are listening, and Job knows that. When you are dealing with a surveillance problem, there are only so many possible approaches, and often only one. Popular cults focus on Danial, who opened his window and prayed, but both Job and the story of Paul and Silas in prison are just as worthy. Joseph in prison speaking to the baker and cupbearer, and Moses in the wizard's duel against the priests of Midian with his brother are equal examples. The Bible contains many scenes of spy victims combatting surveillance, and in each case the rescue relies both on the victim having friends who can help, and on the victim's, prayers being answered. Remember that when Saul attacked David, both David was found by Jonathan and God heard David, and don't forget that God told Moses in a vison to ask his brother Aaron for help in the court atrocity at Pharoh's palace.