^{1 Ref} "Isn't a man forced to labor on earth? Aren't his days like the days of a hired hand?

^{2 Ref} As a servant who earnestly desires the shadow, As a hireling who looks for his wages,

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

^{4 Ref} When I lie down, I say, 'When shall I arise, and the night be gone?' I toss and turn until the dawning of the day.

^{5 Ref} My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust. My skin closes up, and breaks 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. My eye shall no more see good.

^{8 Ref} The eye of him who sees me shall see me no more. Your eyes shall be on me, but I shall not be.

^{9 Ref} As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, So he who goes 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 keep silent. 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 you put a guard over me?

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

^{14 Ref} Then you scar me with dreams, And terrify me through visions:

^{15 Ref} So that my soul chooses strangling, Death rather than my bones.

^{16 Ref} I loathe my life. I don't want to live forever. Leave me alone; for my days are but a breath.

^{17 Ref} What is man, that you should magnify him, That you should set your mind on him,

^{18 Ref} That you should visit him every morning, And test him every moment?

^{19 Ref} How long will you not look away from me, Nor leave me alone until I swallow down my spittle?

^{20 Ref} If I have sinned, what do I do to you, you watcher of men? Why have you set me as a mark for you, So that I am a burden to myself?

^{21 Ref} Why do you not pardon my disobedience, and take away my iniquity? For now shall I lie down in the dust. You will seek me diligently, but I shall not be."

^{1 Ref} Has not man his ordered time of trouble on the earth? and are not his days like the days of a servant working for payment?

^{2 Ref} As a servant desiring the shades of evening, and a workman looking for his payment:

^{3 Ref} So I have for my heritage months of pain to no purpose, and nights of weariness are given to me.

^{4 Ref} When I go to my bed, I say, When will it be time to get up? but the night is long, and I am turning from side to side till morning light.

^{5 Ref} My flesh is covered with worms and dust; my skin gets hard and then is cracked again.

^{6 Ref} My days go quicker than the cloth-worker's thread, and come to an end without hope.

^{7 Ref} O, keep in mind that my life is wind: my eye will never again see good.

^{8 Ref} The eye of him who sees me will see me no longer: your eyes will be looking for me, but I will be gone.

^{9 Ref} A cloud comes to an end and is gone; so he who goes down into the underworld comes not up again.

^{10 Ref} He will not come back to his house, and his place will have no more knowledge of him.

^{11 Ref} So I will not keep my mouth shut; I will let the words come from it in the pain of my spirit, my soul will make a bitter outcry.

^{12 Ref} Am I a sea, or a sea-beast, that you put a watch over me?

^{13 Ref} When I say, In my bed I will have comfort, there I will get rest from my disease;

^{14 Ref} Then you send dreams to me, and visions of fear;

^{15 Ref} So that a hard death seems better to my soul than my pains.

^{16 Ref} I have no desire for life, I would not be living for ever! Keep away from me, for my days are as a breath.

^{17 Ref} What is man, that you have made him great, and that your attention is fixed on him,

^{18 Ref} And that your hand is on him every morning, and that you are testing him every minute?

^{19 Ref} How long will it be before your eyes are turned away from me, so that I may have a minute's breathing-space?

^{20 Ref} If I have done wrong, what have I done to you, O keeper of men? why have you made me a mark for your blows, so that I am a weariness to myself?

^{21 Ref} And why do you not take away my sin, and let my wrongdoing be ended? for now I go down to the dust, and you will be searching for me with care, but I will be gone.

^{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!