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

“I hate my life. I will be free in my complaining. I will show how bitter I am in my soul when I speak.

2 I will tell God, ‘Do not condemn me. Show me why you contend with me.

I will say to God, ‘Do not say that I am guilty and punish me. Let me know why You work against me.

3 I s it good to you that you should oppress, that you should despise the work of your hands, and smile on the counsel of the wicked?

Do You think it is right for You to make it hard for me, to turn away from the work of Your hands and favor the plans of the sinful?

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

Do You have eyes of flesh? Do You see as a man sees?

5 A re your days as the days of mortals, or your years as man’s years,

Are Your days as the days of man, or Your years as man’s years,

6 t hat you inquire after my iniquity, and search after my sin?

that You should look for my wrong-doing and my sin?

7 A lthough you know that I am not wicked, there is no one who can deliver out of your hand.

You know that I am not guilty, yet there is no one who can take me away from Your hand.

8 “ ‘Your hands have framed me and fashioned me altogether, yet you destroy me.

‘Your hands put me together and made me, and now would You destroy me?

9 R emember, I beg you, that you have fashioned me as clay. Will you bring me into dust again?

Remember that You have made me as clay. Would You turn me into dust again?

10 H aven’t you poured me out like milk, and curdled me like cheese?

Did You not pour me out like milk and make me become hard like cheese?

11 Y ou have clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews.

You have given me clothing of skin and flesh, and have tied me together with bones and cord.

12 Y ou have granted me life and loving kindness. Your visitation has preserved my spirit.

You have given me life and loving-kindness. Your care has kept my spirit alive.

13 Y et you hid these things in your heart. I know that this is with you:

Yet You have hidden these things in Your heart. I know that this is in Your thoughts.

14 i f I sin, then you mark me. You will not acquit me from my iniquity.

If I sin, You would see me, and would not free me from my guilt.

15 I f I am wicked, woe to me. If I am righteous, I still shall not lift up my head, being filled with disgrace, and conscious of my affliction.

If I am sinful, it would be bad for me! If I am right and good, I cannot lift my head for I am filled with shame and see all my trouble.

16 I f my head is held high, you hunt me like a lion. Again you show yourself powerful to me.

If I would lift up my head, You would hunt me like a lion. Again You would show Your power against me.

17 Y ou renew your witnesses against me, and increase your indignation on me. Changes and warfare are with me.

You would send new ones who would speak against me, and become more angry with me. You would send me more and more trouble.

18 “ ‘Why, then, have you brought me out of the womb? I wish I had given up the spirit, and no eye had seen me.

‘Why then did You let me be born? If only I had died and no one had seen me!

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

I should have been as if I had never lived, carried from my mother to the grave.’

20 A ren’t my days few? Cease then. Leave me alone, that I may find a little comfort,

Are not my days few? Leave me alone, that I may find a little comfort

21 b efore I go where I shall not return from, to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death;

before I go to a place from which I will not return. I will go to the land of darkness and shadow.

22 t he land dark as midnight, of the shadow of death, without any order, where the light is as midnight.’”

It is the land of complete darkness and shadow and trouble, where the light is darkness.”