1 ¶ My soul is cut off in my life; therefore, I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

2 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; cause me to understand why thou dost contend with me.

3 I s it good unto thee that thou should oppress, that thou should reject the work of thine hands and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

4 H ast thou eyes of flesh? Dost thou see as man sees?

5 A re thy days as the days of man? Are thy years as man’s days,

6 t hat thou dost enquire after my iniquity and search after my sin?

7 T hou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is no one that can deliver out of thy hand.

8 ¶ Thine hands have formed me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.

9 R emember now that thou hast formed me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?

10 H ast thou not poured me out as milk and curdled me like cheese?

11 T hou hast clothed me with skin and flesh and hast hedged me with bones and sinews.

12 T hou hast granted me life and mercy, and thy visitation has kept my spirit.

13 A nd these things thou hast hid in thine heart; I know that this is with thee.

14 ¶ If I sinned, wilt thou mark me and not cleanse me from my iniquity?

15 I f I am wicked, woe unto me; and if I am righteous, I will not lift up my head, being full of dishonour and of seeing my affliction.

16 A nd thou dost increase. Thou dost hunt me as a fierce lion; turning and doing marvels in me.

17 T hou dost renew thy plagues against me and increase thine indignation upon me, bringing up armies against me.

18 W hy then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the spirit and no eye had seen me!

19 I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

20 A re not my days few? Cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,

21 b efore I go, to not return, to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death;

22 l and of darkness, as darkness itself, and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.