1 « عِفْتُ حَياتِي. سَأنطِقُ بِشَكوَايَ، وَسَأتَكَلَّمُ بِما فِي نَفسِي مِنْ مِرارَةٍ.

“My soul loathes my life; I will give free course to my complaint, I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

2 و َسَأقُولُ للهِ لا تُدِنِّي، عَرِّفنِي ما تَتَّهِمُنِي بِهِ.

I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me; Show me why You contend with me.

3 ف َهَلْ يَسُرُّكَ أنْ تَظلِمَنِي وَتَرفُضَ عَمَلَ يَدَيكَ؟ بَينَما تُشرِقُ علَى مُخَطَّطاتِ الأشْرارِ؟

Does it seem good to You that You should oppress, That You should despise the work of Your hands, And smile on the counsel of the wicked?

4 ه َلْ عَيناكَ كَعَينَيِّ الإنسانِ، أمْ أنَّكَ تَرَى الأُمُورَ كَما يَراها الإنسانُ؟

Do You have eyes of flesh? Or do You see as man sees?

5 ه َلْ أيّامُكَ كَأيّامِ البَشَرِ، فَتَمُرُّ عَلَيكَ السَّنَواتُ كَما تَمُرُّ عَلَى الإنسانِ؟

Are Your days like the days of a mortal man? Are Your years like the days of a mighty man,

6 أ سألُ هَذا لأنَّكَ تُفَتِّشُ عَن إثمِي وَتَبحَثُ عَن خَطِيَّتِي،

That You should seek for my iniquity And search out my sin,

7 و َأنتَ تَعلَمُ أنِّي لَمْ أقتَرِفْ ذَنباً، وَلا مَهرَبَ مِنكَ.

Although You know that I am not wicked, And there is no one who can deliver from Your hand?

8 ي َداكَ اللَّتانِ شَكَّلَتانِي وَصَنَعَتانِي، حاصَرَتانِي الآنَ وَدَمَّرَتانِي.

‘Your hands have made me and fashioned me, An intricate unity; Yet You would destroy me.

9 ا ذكُرْ أنَّكَ صَنَعْتَنِي طِيناً، فَهَلْ تُرْجِعُنِي ثانِيَةً إلَى تُرابٍ.

Remember, I pray, that You have made me like clay. And will You turn me into dust again?

10 أ لَمْ تَسكُبْنِي كَما يُسكَبُ الحَلِيبُ، وَتُخَثِّرُنِي كَما يُخَثَّرُ الجُبْنُ؟

Did You not pour me out like milk, And curdle me like cheese,

11 أ لبَسْتَنِي جِلداً وَلَحماً، وَنَسَجْتَنِي مَعاً بِعِظامٍ وَأعْصابٍ.

Clothe me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews?

12 أ عْطَيْتَنِي حَياةً وَنِعمَةً، وَرَعَيْتَ رُوحِي بِعِنايَتِكَ.

You have granted me life and favor, And Your care has preserved my spirit.

13 ك انَت هَذِهِ خِطَّتَكَ المَكتُومَةَ، وَأنا أعلَمُ أنَّ هَذا هُوَ قَصدُكَ.

‘And these things You have hidden in Your heart; I know that this was with You:

14 إ نْ أخطَأتُ سَتُراقِبُنِي، وَلَنْ تُبرِّئَنِي مِنْ شَرِّي.

If I sin, then You mark me, And will not acquit me of my iniquity.

15 إ نْ تَعَدَّيتُ حُدُودَكَ، فَالوَيلُ لِي! وَحَتَّى إنْ كُنْتُ بَرِيئاً، فَإنِّي لا أقدِرُ أنْ أرفَعَ رَأسِي. أنا فِي خِزيٍ كامِلٍ، وَكُلِّي آلامٌ.

If I am wicked, woe to me; Even if I am righteous, I cannot lift up my head. I am full of disgrace; See my misery!

16 إ ذا رَفَعْتُ نَفسِي فَسَوفَ تَطارِدُنِي كَأسَدٍ، وَتَعُودُ وَتُظهِرُ تَمَيُّزَ عَظَمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ.

If my head is exalted, You hunt me like a fierce lion, And again You show Yourself awesome against me.

17 ت َسْتَدْعِي شُهُوداً كَثِيرِينَ ضِدِّي، وَيَزدادُ غَضَبُكَ عَلَيَّ. فَتُرسِلُ جَيشاً بَعدَ جَيشٍ ضِدِّي.

You renew Your witnesses against me, And increase Your indignation toward me; Changes and war are ever with me.

18 ل ِمَ أخرَجتَنِي مِنْ بَطنِ أُمِّي؟ لِمَ لَمْ أمُتْ قَبلَ أنْ يَرانِي أحَدٌ؟

‘Why then have You brought me out of the womb? Oh, that I had perished and no eye had seen me!

19 ل َيتَنِي لَمْ أُولَدْ قَطُّ، لَيتَنِي نُقِلتُ مِنَ البَطْنِ إلَى القَبْرِ.

I would have been as though I had not been. I would have been carried from the womb to the grave.

20 أ لَيْسَتْ أيّامِي قَصِيرَةً؟ فَدَعْنِي إذاً، فأسْتَمتِعْ قَلِيلاً،

Are not my days few? Cease! Leave me alone, that I may take a little comfort,

21 ق َبلَ أنْ أمْضِيَ دُونَ رَجْعَةٍ إلَى مَكانِ الظَّلمَةِ وَعَتَمَةِ المَوتِ،

Before I go to the place from which I shall not return, To the land of darkness and the shadow of death,

22 م َكانِ ظَلمَةٍ مُخِيفٍ وَمَوتٍ، أرْضِ اضطِرابٍ حَيثُ النُّورُ كَظُلْمَةٍ عَمِيقَةٍ.»

A land as dark as darkness itself, As the shadow of death, without any order, Where even the light is like darkness.’”