1 “ Is not man forced to labor on earth, And are not his days like the days of a hired man?

Is there not a warfare to man upon earth? And are not his days like the days of a hireling?

2 “ As a slave who pants for the shade, And as a hired man who eagerly waits for his wages,

As a servant that earnestly desireth the shadow, And as a hireling that looketh for his wages:

3 S o am I allotted months of vanity, And nights of trouble are appointed me.

So am I made to possess months of misery, And wearisome nights are appointed to me.

4 “ When I lie down I say, ‘When shall I arise?’ But the night continues, And I am continually tossing until dawn.

When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? And I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.

5 “ My flesh is clothed with worms and a crust of dirt, My skin hardens and runs.

My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; My skin closeth up, and breaketh out afresh.

6 “ My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, And come to an end without hope.

My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, And are spent without hope.

7 “ Remember that my life is but breath; My eye will not again see good.

Oh remember that my life is a breath: Mine eye shall no more see good.

8 “ The eye of him who sees me will behold me no longer; Your eyes will be on me, but I will not be.

The eye of him that seeth me shall behold me no more; Thine eyes shall be upon me, but I shall not be.

9 “ When a cloud vanishes, it is gone, So he who goes down to Sheol does not come up.

As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, So he that goeth down to Sheol shall come up no more.

10 “ He will not return again to his house, Nor will his place know him anymore.

He shall return no more to his house, Neither shall his place know him any more.

11 “ Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

12 “ Am I the sea, or the sea monster, That You set a guard over me?

Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, That thou settest a watch over me?

13 “ If I say, ‘ My bed will comfort me, My couch will ease my complaint,’

When I say, My bed shall comfort me, My couch shall ease my complaint;

14 T hen You frighten me with dreams And terrify me by visions;

Then thou scarest me with dreams, And terrifiest me through visions:

15 S o that my soul would choose suffocation, Death rather than my pains.

So that my soul chooseth strangling, And death rather than these my bones.

16 “ I waste away; I will not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.

I loathe my life; I would not live alway: Let me alone; for my days are vanity.

17 “ What is man that You magnify him, And that You are concerned about him,

What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him, And that thou shouldest set thy mind upon him,

18 T hat You examine him every morning And try him every moment?

And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, And try him every moment?

19 “ Will You never turn Your gaze away from me, Nor let me alone until I swallow my spittle?

How long wilt thou not look away from me, Nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?

20 “ Have I sinned? What have I done to You, O watcher of men? Why have You set me as Your target, So that I am a burden to myself?

If I have sinned, what do I unto thee, O thou watcher of men? Why hast thou set me as a mark for thee, So that I am a burden to myself?

21 “ Why then do You not pardon my transgression And take away my iniquity? For now I will lie down in the dust; And You will seek me, but I will not be.”

And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? For now shall I lie down in the dust; And thou wilt seek me diligently, but I shall not be.