1 הֲלֹא־צָבָא לֶאֱנֹושׁ [עַל־ כ] (עֲלֵי־אָרֶץ ק) וְכִימֵי שָׂכִיר יָמָיו | 1 Is not man's life on earth a drudgery? Are not his days those of a hireling? |
2 כְּעֶבֶד יִשְׁאַף־צֵל וּכְשָׂכִיר יְקַוֶּה פָעֳלֹו | 2 He is a slave who longs for the shade, a hireling who waits for his wages. |
3 כֵּן הָנְחַלְתִּי לִי יַרְחֵי־שָׁוְא וְלֵילֹות עָמָל מִנּוּ־לִי | 3 So I have been assigned months of misery, and troubled nights have been told off for me. |
4 אִם־שָׁכַבְתִּי וְאָמַרְתִּי מָתַי אָקוּם וּמִדַּד־עָרֶב וְשָׂבַעְתִּי נְדֻדִים עֲדֵי־נָשֶׁף | 4 If in bed I say, "When shall I arise?" then the night drags on; I am filled with restlessness until the dawn. |
5 לָבַשׁ בְּשָׂרִי רִמָּה [וְגִישׁ כ] (וְגוּשׁ ק) עָפָר עֹורִי רָגַע וַיִּמָּאֵס | 5 My flesh is clothed with worms and scabs; my skin cracks and festers; |
6 יָמַי קַלּוּ מִנִּי־אָרֶג וַיִּכְלוּ בְּאֶפֶס תִּקְוָה | 6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle; they come to an end without hope. |
7 זְכֹר כִּי־רוּחַ חַיָּי לֹא־תָשׁוּב עֵינִי לִרְאֹות טֹוב | 7 Remember that my life is like the wind; I shall not see happiness again. |
8 לֹא־תְשׁוּרֵנִי עֵין רֹאִי עֵינֶיךָ בִּי וְאֵינֶנִּי | 8 The eye that now sees me shall no more behold me; as you look at me, I shall be gone. |
9 כָּלָה עָנָן וַיֵּלַךְ כֵּן יֹורֵד אֹול לֹא יַעֲלֶה | 9 As a cloud dissolves and vanishes, so he who goes down to the nether world shall come up no more. |
10 לֹא־יָשׁוּב עֹוד לְבֵיתֹו וְלֹא־יַכִּירֶנּוּ עֹוד מְקֹמֹו | 10 He shall not again return to his house; his place shall know him no more. |
11 גַּם־אֲנִי לֹא אֶחֱשָׂךְ פִּי אֲדַבְּרָה בְּצַר רוּחִי אָשִׂיחָה בְּמַר נַפְשִׁי | 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 הֲיָם־אָנִי אִם־תַּנִּין כִּי־תָשִׂים עָלַי מִשְׁמָר | 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 כִּי־אָמַרְתִּי תְּנַחֲמֵנִי עַרְשִׂי יִשָּׂא בְשִׂיחִי מִשְׁכָּבִי | 13 When I say, "My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint," |
14 וְחִתַּתַּנִי בַחֲלֹמֹות וּמֵחֶזְיֹנֹות תְּבַעֲתַנִּי | 14 Then you affright me with dreams and with visions terrify me, |
15 וַתִּבְחַר מַחֲנָק נַפְשִׁי מָוֶת מֵעַצְמֹותָי | 15 So that I should prefer choking and death rather than my pains. |
16 מָאַסְתִּי לֹא־לְעֹלָם אֶחְיֶה חֲדַל מִמֶּנִּי כִּי־הֶבֶל יָמָי | 16 I waste away: I cannot live forever; let me alone, for my days are but a breath. |
17 מָה־אֱנֹושׁ כִּי תְגַדְּלֶנּוּ וְכִי־תָשִׁית אֵלָיו לִבֶּךָ | 17 What is man, that you make much of him, or pay him any heed? |
18 וַתִּפְקְדֶנּוּ לִבְקָרִים לִרְגָעִים תִּבְחָנֶנּוּ | 18 You observe him with each new day and try him at every moment! |
19 כַּמָּה לֹא־תִשְׁעֶה מִמֶּנִּי לֹא־תַרְפֵּנִי עַד־בִּלְעִי רֻקִּי | 19 How long will it be before you look away from me, and let me alone long enough to swallow my spittle? |
20 חָטָאתִי מָה אֶפְעַל ׀ לָךְ נֹצֵר הָאָדָם לָמָה שַׂמְתַּנִי לְמִפְגָּע לָךְ וָאֶהְיֶה עָלַי לְמַשָּׂא | 20 Though I have sinned, what can I do to you, O watcher of men? |
21 וּמֶה ׀ לֹא־תִשָּׂא פִשְׁעִי וְתַעֲבִיר אֶת־עֲוֹנִי כִּי־עַתָּה לֶעָפָר אֶשְׁכָּב וְשִׁחֲרְתַּנִי וְאֵינֶנִּי׃ פ | 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. |