1 “ Is not man made to work on earth? Are not his days like the days of a man paid to work?

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

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

As a servant earnestly longs for the shade and the evening shadows, and as a hireling who looks for the reward of his work,

3 I am given months of pain and nights of suffering for no reason.

So am I allotted months of futile, and nights of misery are appointed to me.

4 W hen 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.

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

5 M y flesh is covered with worms and dirt. My skin becomes hard and breaks open.

My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken and has become loathsome, and it closes up and breaks out afresh.

6 M y days are faster than a cloth-maker’s tool, and come to their end without hope.

My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.

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

Oh, remember that my life is but wind (a puff, a breath, a sob); my eye shall see good no more.

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

The eye of him who sees me shall see me no more; while your eyes are upon me, I shall be gone.

9 W hen a cloud goes away, it is gone. And he who goes down to the place of the dead does not come back.

As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he who goes down to Sheol (the place of the dead) shall come up no more.

10 H e will not return to his house, and his place will not know him any more.

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

11 “ 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.

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!

12 A m I the sea, or a large sea animal, that You put someone to watch me?

Am I the sea, or the sea monster, that You set a watch over me?

13 W hen I say, ‘My bed will comfort me, and there I will find rest from my complaining,’

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

14 t hen You send dreams to me which fill me with fear.

Then You scare me with dreams and terrify me through visions,

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

So that I would choose strangling and death rather than these my bones.

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

I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone, for my days are a breath (futility).

17 W hat is man, that You make so much of him? Why do You care about him,

What is man that You should magnify him and think him important? And that You should set Your mind upon him?

18 t hat You look at him every morning, and test him all the time?

And that You should visit him every morning and try him every moment?

19 H ow long will it be until You look away from me? Will You not let me alone until I swallow my spit?

How long will Your glance not look away from me, nor You let me alone till I swallow my spittle?

20 H ave 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?

If I have sinned, what have I done You, O You Watcher and Keeper of men? Why have You set me as a mark for You, so that I am a burden to myself ?

21 W hy 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.”

And why do You not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For now shall I lie down in the dust; and You will seek me diligently, I shall not be.