1 H ath not man a life of labour upon earth? and are not his days like the days of a hireling?

“Is not man made to work on earth? Are not his days like the days of a man paid to work?

2 A s a bondman earnestly desireth the shadow, and a hireling expecteth his wages,

Like a servant who desires to be out of the sun, and like a working man who waits for his pay,

3 S o am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.

I am given months of pain and nights of suffering for no reason.

4 I f I lie down, I say, When shall I rise up, and the darkness be gone? and I am full of tossings until the dawn.

When I lie down I say, ‘When will I get up?’ But the night is long, and I am always turning from side to side until morning.

5 M y flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and suppurates.

My flesh is covered with worms and dirt. My skin becomes hard and breaks open.

6 M y days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.

My days are faster than a cloth-maker’s tool, and come to their end without hope.

7 R emember thou that my life is wind; mine eye shall no more see good.

“Remember that my life is only a breath. My eye will not again see good.

8 T he eye of him that hath seen me shall behold me no: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.

The eye of him who sees me will see me no more. Your eyes will be on me, but I will be gone.

9 T he cloud consumeth and vanisheth away; so he that goeth down to Sheol shall not come up.

When a cloud goes away, it is gone. And he who goes down to the place of the dead does not come back.

10 H e shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him again.

He will not return to his house, and his place will not know him any more.

11 T herefore I will not restrain my mouth: I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

“So I will not keep my mouth shut. I will speak in the suffering of my spirit. I will complain because my soul is bitter.

12 A m I a sea, or a sea-monster, that thou settest a watch over me?

Am I the sea, or a large sea animal, that You put someone to watch me?

13 W hen I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint;

When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me, and there I will find rest from my complaining,’

14 T hen thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions;

then You send dreams to me which fill me with fear.

15 S o that my soul chooseth strangling, death, rather than my bones.

So a quick death by having my breath stopped would be better to me than my pains.

16 I loathe it; I shall not live always: let me alone, for my days are a breath.

I hate my life. I will not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are only a breath.

17 W hat is man, that thou makest much of him? and that thou settest thy heart upon him?

What is man, that You make so much of him? Why do You care about him,

18 A nd that thou visitest him every morning, triest him every moment?

that You look at him every morning, and test him all the time?

19 H ow long wilt thou not look away from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?

How long will it be until You look away from me? Will You not let me alone until I swallow my spit?

20 H ave I sinned, what do I unto thee, thou Observer of men? Why hast thou set me as an object of assault for thee, so that I am become a burden to myself?

Have I sinned? What have I done to You, O watcher of men? Why have you made me something to shoot at, so that I am a problem to myself?

21 A nd why dost not thou forgive my transgression and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I lie down in the dust, and thou shalt seek me early, and I shall not be.

Why then do You not forgive my wrong-doing and take away my sin? For now I will lie down in the dust. You will look for me, but I will not be.”