3“Let the day of my birth be erased,

and the night I was conceived.

4Let that day be turned to darkness.

Let it be lost even to God on high,

and let no light shine on it.

5Let the darkness and utter gloom claim that day for its own.

Let a black cloud overshadow it,

and let the darkness terrify it.

6Let that night be blotted off the calendar,

never again to be counted among the days of the year,

never again to appear among the months.

7Let that night be childless.

Let it have no joy.

8Let those who are experts at cursing—

whose cursing could rouse Leviathan*3:8 The identification of Leviathan is disputed, ranging from an earthly creature to a mythical sea monster in ancient literature.—

curse that day.

9Let its morning stars remain dark.

Let it hope for light, but in vain;

may it never see the morning light.

10Curse that day for failing to shut my mother’s womb,

for letting me be born to see all this trouble.