1 ¶ Man certainly has an appointed amount of time upon earth, and his days are 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 slave earnestly desires the shade and as a hireling waits for rest from his work,

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

3 s o I am 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 W hen I lie down, I say, When shall I arise? I measure the night, and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.

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 abominable.

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 ¶ Remember thou that my life is wind and that my eyes shall not return to see good.

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

8 T he eyes of those that see me now shall not see me again; thine eyes shall be upon me, and I will cease to be.

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

9 A s the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he that goes down to Sheol, who shall not come up again;

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 any more.

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

11 T herefore, I will not refrain 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 dragon, 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 dost scare me with dreams and terrify me with visions.

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

15 A nd my soul thought it better to be strangled and desired death more than my bones.

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

16 I loathed life; I do not desire to live for ever; let me alone; for my days are vanity.

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

17 ¶ What is man that thou should magnify him and that thou should set thine heart upon him

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

18 a nd that thou should visit him every morning and try him every moment?

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

19 F or how long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone until 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 I f I have sinned, what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? Why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am 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 thou not take away my rebellion and pass over my iniquity? For now I shall sleep in the dust; and if thou shalt seek me in the morning, I shall not be found.

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.”