1 “ My soul loathes my life; I will give free course to my complaint, I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

My soul is weary of my life; I will give free course to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

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

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

3 D oes it seem good to You that You should oppress, That You should despise the work of Your hands, And smile on the counsel of the wicked?

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

4 D o You have eyes of flesh? Or do You see as man sees?

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

5 A re Your days like the days of a mortal man? Are Your years like the days of a mighty man,

Are thy days as the days of man, Or thy years as man's days,

6 T hat You should seek for my iniquity And search out my sin,

That thou inquirest after mine iniquity, And searchest after my sin,

7 A lthough You know that I am not wicked, And there is no one who can deliver from Your hand?

Although thou knowest that I am not wicked, And there is none that can deliver out of thy hand?

8 ‘ Your hands have made me and fashioned me, An intricate unity; Yet You would destroy me.

Thy hands have framed me and fashioned me Together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.

9 R emember, I pray, that You have made me like clay. And will You turn me into dust again?

Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast fashioned me as clay; And wilt thou bring me into dust again?

10 D id 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 knit me together with bones and sinews.

12 Y ou have granted me life and favor, And Your care has preserved my spirit.

Thou hast granted me life and lovingkindness; And thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.

13 ‘ And these things You have hidden in Your heart; I know that this was with You:

Yet these things thou didst hide in thy heart; I know that this is with thee:

14 I f I sin, then You mark me, And will not acquit me of my iniquity.

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

15 I f I am wicked, woe to me; Even if I am righteous, I cannot lift up my head. I am full of disgrace; See my misery!

If I be wicked, woe unto me; And if I be righteous, yet shall I not lift up my head; Being filled with ignominy, And looking upon mine affliction.

16 I f my head is exalted, You hunt me like a fierce lion, And again You show Yourself awesome against me.

And if my head exalt itself, thou huntest me as a lion; And again thou showest thyself marvellous upon me.

17 Y ou renew Your witnesses against me, And increase Your indignation toward me; Changes and war are ever with me.

Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, And increasest thine indignation upon me: Changes and warfare are with me.

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

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

19 I would have been as though I had not been. I would have been carried from the womb to the grave.

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

20 A re not my days few? Cease! Leave me alone, that I may take a little comfort,

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

21 B efore I go to the place from which I shall not return, To the land of darkness and the shadow of death,

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

22 A land as dark as darkness itself, As the shadow of death, without any order, Where even the light is like darkness.’”

The land dark as midnight, The land of the shadow of death, without any order, And where the light is as midnight.