1 הֲלֹא־צָבָא לֶאֱנֹושׁ [עַל־ כ] (עֲלֵי־אָרֶץ ק) וְכִימֵי שָׂכִיר יָמָיו | 1 Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling? |
2 כְּעֶבֶד יִשְׁאַף־צֵל וּכְשָׂכִיר יְקַוֶּה פָעֳלֹו | 2 As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work: |
3 כֵּן הָנְחַלְתִּי לִי יַרְחֵי־שָׁוְא וְלֵילֹות עָמָל מִנּוּ־לִי | 3 So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me. |
4 אִם־שָׁכַבְתִּי וְאָמַרְתִּי מָתַי אָקוּם וּמִדַּד־עָרֶב וְשָׂבַעְתִּי נְדֻדִים עֲדֵי־נָשֶׁף | 4 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 לָבַשׁ בְּשָׂרִי רִמָּה [וְגִישׁ כ] (וְגוּשׁ ק) עָפָר עֹורִי רָגַע וַיִּמָּאֵס | 5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome. |
6 יָמַי קַלּוּ מִנִּי־אָרֶג וַיִּכְלוּ בְּאֶפֶס תִּקְוָה | 6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope. |
7 זְכֹר כִּי־רוּחַ חַיָּי לֹא־תָשׁוּב עֵינִי לִרְאֹות טֹוב | 7 O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good. |
8 לֹא־תְשׁוּרֵנִי עֵין רֹאִי עֵינֶיךָ בִּי וְאֵינֶנִּי | 8 The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not. |
9 כָּלָה עָנָן וַיֵּלַךְ כֵּן יֹורֵד אֹול לֹא יַעֲלֶה | 9 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. |
10 לֹא־יָשׁוּב עֹוד לְבֵיתֹו וְלֹא־יַכִּירֶנּוּ עֹוד מְקֹמֹו | 10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more. |
11 גַּם־אֲנִי לֹא אֶחֱשָׂךְ פִּי אֲדַבְּרָה בְּצַר רוּחִי אָשִׂיחָה בְּמַר נַפְשִׁי | 11 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 הֲיָם־אָנִי אִם־תַּנִּין כִּי־תָשִׂים עָלַי מִשְׁמָר | 12 Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me? |
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 thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions: |
15 וַתִּבְחַר מַחֲנָק נַפְשִׁי מָוֶת מֵעַצְמֹותָי | 15 So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life. |
16 מָאַסְתִּי לֹא־לְעֹלָם אֶחְיֶה חֲדַל מִמֶּנִּי כִּי־הֶבֶל יָמָי | 16 I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity. |
17 מָה־אֱנֹושׁ כִּי תְגַדְּלֶנּוּ וְכִי־תָשִׁית אֵלָיו לִבֶּךָ | 17 What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? |
18 וַתִּפְקְדֶנּוּ לִבְקָרִים לִרְגָעִים תִּבְחָנֶנּוּ | 18 And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment? |
19 כַּמָּה לֹא־תִשְׁעֶה מִמֶּנִּי לֹא־תַרְפֵּנִי עַד־בִּלְעִי רֻקִּי | 19 How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle? |
20 חָטָאתִי מָה אֶפְעַל ׀ לָךְ נֹצֵר הָאָדָם לָמָה שַׂמְתַּנִי לְמִפְגָּע לָךְ וָאֶהְיֶה עָלַי לְמַשָּׂא | 20 I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself? |
21 וּמֶה ׀ לֹא־תִשָּׂא פִשְׁעִי וְתַעֲבִיר אֶת־עֲוֹנִי כִּי־עַתָּה לֶעָפָר אֶשְׁכָּב וְשִׁחֲרְתַּנִי וְאֵינֶנִּי׃ פ | 21 And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be. |