^{1 Ref} Is there not a warfare to man upon earth? And are not his days like the days of a hireling?

^{2 Ref} As a servant that earnestly desireth the shadow, And as a hireling that looketh for his wages:

^{3 Ref} So am I made to possess months of misery, And wearisome nights are appointed to me.

^{4 Ref} 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 Ref} My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; My skin closeth up, and breaketh out afresh.

^{6 Ref} My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, And are spent without hope.

^{7 Ref} Oh remember that my life is a breath: Mine eye shall no more see good.

^{8 Ref} The eye of him that seeth me shall behold me no more; Thine eyes shall be upon me, but I shall not be.

^{9 Ref} As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, So he that goeth down to Sheol shall come up no more.

^{10 Ref} He shall return no more to his house, Neither shall his place know him any more.

^{11 Ref} 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 Ref} Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, That thou settest a watch over me?

^{13 Ref} When I say, My bed shall comfort me, My couch shall ease my complaint;

^{14 Ref} Then thou scarest me with dreams, And terrifiest me through visions:

^{15 Ref} So that my soul chooseth strangling, And death rather than `these' my bones.

^{16 Ref} I loathe `my life'; I would not live alway: Let me alone; for my days are vanity.

^{17 Ref} What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him, And that thou shouldest set thy mind upon him,

^{18 Ref} And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, And try him every moment?

^{19 Ref} How long wilt thou not look away from me, Nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?

^{20 Ref} 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 Ref} 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.

^{1 Ref} Is there not a warfare to man on earth? And as the days of an hireling his days?

^{2 Ref} As a servant desireth the shadow, And as a hireling expecteth his wage,

^{3 Ref} So I have been caused to inherit months of vanity, And nights of misery they numbered to me.

^{4 Ref} If I lay down then I said, `When do I rise!' And evening hath been measured, And I have been full of tossings till dawn.

^{5 Ref} Clothed hath been my flesh `with' worms, And a clod of dust, My skin hath been shrivelled and is loathsome,

^{6 Ref} My days swifter than a weaving machine, And they are consumed without hope.

^{7 Ref} Remember Thou that my life `is' a breath, Mine eye turneth not back to see good.

^{8 Ref} The eye of my beholder beholdeth me not. Thine eyes `are' upon me -- and I am not.

^{9 Ref} Consumed hath been a cloud, and it goeth, So he who is going down to Sheol cometh not up.

^{10 Ref} He turneth not again to his house, Nor doth his place discern him again.

^{11 Ref} Also I -- I withhold not my mouth -- I speak in the distress of my spirit, I talk in the bitterness of my soul.

^{12 Ref} A sea-`monster' am I, or a dragon, That thou settest over me a guard?

^{13 Ref} When I said, `My bed doth comfort me,' He taketh away in my talking my couch.

^{14 Ref} And thou hast affrighted me with dreams, And from visions thou terrifiest me,

^{15 Ref} And my soul chooseth strangling, Death rather than my bones.

^{16 Ref} I have wasted away -- not to the age do I live. Cease from me, for my days `are' vanity.

^{17 Ref} What `is' man that Thou dost magnify him? And that Thou settest unto him Thy heart?

^{18 Ref} And inspectest him in the mornings, In the evenings dost try him?

^{19 Ref} How long dost Thou not look from me? Thou dost not desist till I swallow my spittle.

^{20 Ref} I have sinned, what do I to Thee, O watcher of man? Why hast Thou set me for a mark to Thee, And I am for a burden to myself -- and what?

^{21 Ref} Thou dost not take away my transgression, And cause to pass away mine iniquity, Because now, for dust I lie down: And Thou hast sought me -- and I am not!