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

“I hate my life. I will be free in my complaining. I will show how bitter I am in my soul when I speak.

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

I will say to God, ‘Do not say that I am guilty and punish me. Let me know why You work against me.

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

Do You think it is right for You to make it hard for me, to turn away from the work of Your hands and favor the plans of the sinful?

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

Do You have eyes of flesh? Do You see as a man sees?

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

Are Your days as the days of man, or Your years as man’s years,

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

that You should look for my wrong-doing and my sin?

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

You know that I am not guilty, yet there is no one who can take me away from Your hand.

8 ي َداكَ اللَّتانِ شَكَّلَتانِي وَصَنَعَتانِي، حاصَرَتانِي الآنَ وَدَمَّرَتانِي.

‘Your hands put me together and made me, and now would You destroy me?

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

Remember that You have made me as clay. Would 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 make me become hard like cheese?

11 أ لبَسْتَنِي جِلداً وَلَحماً، وَنَسَجْتَنِي مَعاً بِعِظامٍ وَأعْصابٍ.

You have given me clothing of skin and flesh, and have tied me together with bones and cord.

12 أ عْطَيْتَنِي حَياةً وَنِعمَةً، وَرَعَيْتَ رُوحِي بِعِنايَتِكَ.

You have given me life and loving-kindness. Your care has kept my spirit alive.

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

Yet You have hidden these things in Your heart. I know that this is in Your thoughts.

14 إ نْ أخطَأتُ سَتُراقِبُنِي، وَلَنْ تُبرِّئَنِي مِنْ شَرِّي.

If I sin, You would see me, and would not free me from my guilt.

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 sinful, it would be bad for me! If I am right and good, I cannot lift my head for I am filled with shame and see all my trouble.

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

If I would lift up my head, You would hunt me like a lion. Again You would show Your power against me.

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

You would send new ones who would speak against me, and become more angry with me. You would send me more and more trouble.

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

‘Why then did You let me be born? If only I had died and no one had seen me!

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

I should have been as if I had never lived, carried from my mother to the grave.’

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

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

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

before I go to a place from which I will not return. I will go to the land of darkness and shadow.

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

It is the land of complete darkness and shadow and trouble, where the light is darkness.”