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

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

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

so I am made to possess months of vanity, 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? I measure the night, 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 is broken and abominable.

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.

¶ Remember thou that my life is wind and that my eyes shall not return to 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 eyes of those that see me now shall not see me again; thine eyes shall be upon me, and I will cease to 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 vanishes away, so he that goes down to Sheol, who shall not come up again;

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 dragon, 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 dost scare me with dreams and terrify me with visions.

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

And my soul thought it better to be strangled and desired death more than my bones.

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

I loathed life; I do not desire to live for ever; 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 should magnify him and that thou should set thine heart upon him

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

and that thou should 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?

For how long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone until 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 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?

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 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.