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

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

So am I made to possess months of misery, And wearisome nights 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 tossings to and fro unto 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 closeth up, and breaketh 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 a breath: Mine eye shall no more see good.

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

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 vanisheth away, So he that goeth down to Sheol 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 refrain 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 a sea, or a sea-monster, That thou settest 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 thou scarest me with dreams, And terrifiest me through visions:

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

So that my soul chooseth 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 alway: Let me alone; for my days are vanity.

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

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

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

And that thou shouldest 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 wilt thou not look away from me, Nor let me alone till I swallow down 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 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 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 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.