1 “ I loathe my own life; I will give full vent to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

2 “ I will say to God, ‘ Do not condemn me; Let me know why You contend with me.

I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.

3 ‘ Is it right for You indeed to oppress, To reject the labor of Your hands, And to look favorably on the schemes of the wicked?

Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

4 ‘ Have You eyes of flesh? Or do You see as a man sees?

Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?

5 ‘ Are Your days as the days of a mortal, Or Your years as man’s years,

Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man’s days,

6 T hat You should seek for my guilt And search after my sin?

that thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?

7 ‘ According to Your knowledge I am indeed not guilty, Yet there is no deliverance from Your hand.

Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.

8 ‘ Your hands fashioned and made me altogether, And would You destroy me?

Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.

9 ‘ Remember now, that You have made me as clay; And would You turn me into dust again?

Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?

10 ‘ Did You not pour me out like milk And curdle me like cheese;

Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?

11 C lothe me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews?

Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.

12 ‘ You have granted me life and lovingkindness; And Your care has preserved my spirit.

Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.

13 ‘ Yet these things You have concealed in Your heart; I know that this is within You:

And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.

14 I f I sin, then You would take note of me, And would not acquit me of my guilt.

If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.

15 ‘ If I am wicked, woe to me! And if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head. I am sated with disgrace and conscious of my misery.

If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;

16 ‘ Should my head be lifted up, You would hunt me like a lion; And again You would show Your power against me.

for it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me.

17 ‘ You renew Your witnesses against me And increase Your anger toward me; Hardship after hardship is with me.

Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.

18 ‘ Why then have You brought me out of the womb? Would that I had died and no eye had seen me!

Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!

19 ‘ I should have been as though I had not been, Carried from womb to tomb.’

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

20 “ Would He not let my few days alone? Withdraw from me that I may have a little cheer

Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,

21 B efore I go— and I shall not return— To the land of darkness and deep shadow,

before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;

22 T he land of utter gloom as darkness itself, Of deep shadow without order, And which shines as the darkness.”

a land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.