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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Remember that You have made me as clay. Would You turn me into dust again?

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

Did You not pour me out like milk and make me become hard like cheese?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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 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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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