| 1 "Has not man a hard service upon earth, and are not his days like the days of a hireling? | 1 Is not man's life on earth a drudgery? Are not his days those of a hireling? |
| 2 Like a slave who longs for the shadow, and like a hireling who looks for his wages, | 2 He is a slave who longs for the shade, a hireling who waits for his wages. |
| 3 so I am allotted months of emptiness, and nights of misery are apportioned to me. | 3 So I have been assigned months of misery, and troubled nights have been told off for me. |
| 4 When I lie down I say, 'When shall I arise?' But the night is long, and I am full of tossing till the dawn. | 4 If in bed I say, "When shall I arise?" then the night drags on; I am filled with restlessness until the dawn. |
| 5 My flesh is clothed with worms and dirt; my skin hardens, then breaks out afresh. | 5 My flesh is clothed with worms and scabs; my skin cracks and festers; |
| 6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and come to their end without hope. | 6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle; they come to an end without hope. |
| 7 "Remember that my life is a breath; my eye will never again see good. | 7 Remember that my life is like the wind; I shall not see happiness again. |
| 8 The eye of him who sees me will behold me no more; while thy eyes are upon me, I shall be gone. | 8 The eye that now sees me shall no more behold me; as you look at me, I shall be gone. |
| 9 As the cloud fades and vanishes, so he who goes down to Sheol does not come up; | 9 As a cloud dissolves and vanishes, so he who goes down to the nether world shall come up no more. |
| 10 he returns no more to his house, nor does his place know him any more. | 10 He shall not again return to his house; his place shall know him no 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. | 11 My own utterance I will not restrain; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. |
| 12 Am I the sea, or a sea monster, that thou settest a guard over me? | 12 Am I the sea, or a monster of the deep, that you place a watch over me? Why have you set me up as an object of attack; or why should I be a target for you? |
| 13 When I say, 'My bed will comfort me, my couch will ease my complaint,' | 13 When I say, "My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint," |
| 14 then thou dost scare me with dreams and terrify me with visions, | 14 Then you affright me with dreams and with visions terrify me, |
| 15 so that I would choose strangling and death rather than my bones. | 15 So that I should prefer choking and death rather than my pains. |
| 16 I loathe my life; I would not live for ever. Let me alone, for my days are a breath. | 16 I waste away: I cannot live forever; let me alone, for my days are but a breath. |
| 17 What is man, that thou dost make so much of him, and that thou dost set thy mind upon him, | 17 What is man, that you make much of him, or pay him any heed? |
| 18 dost visit him every morning, and test him every moment? | 18 You observe him with each new day and try him at every moment! |
| 19 How long wilt thou not look away from me, nor let me alone till I swallow my spittle? | 19 How long will it be before you look away from me, and let me alone long enough to swallow my spittle? |
| 20 If I sin, what do I do to thee, thou watcher of men? Why hast thou made me thy mark? Why have I become a burden to thee? | 20 Though I have sinned, what can I do to you, O watcher of men? |
| 21 Why dost thou not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For now I shall lie in the earth; thou wilt seek me, but I shall not be." | 21 Why do you not pardon my offense, or take away my guilt? For soon I shall lie down in the dust; and should you seek me I shall then be gone. |