[1] “Is a person not forced to labor on earth, And are his days not like the days of a hired worker? [2] “As a slave pants for the shade, And as a hired worker who eagerly waits for his wages, [3] So I am allotted worthless months, And nights of trouble are apportioned to me. [4] “When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise?’ But the night continues, And I am continually tossing until dawn. [5] “My flesh is clothed with maggots and a crust of dirt, My skin hardens and oozes. [6] “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, And they come to an end without hope. [7] “Remember that my life is a mere breath; My eye will not see goodness again. [8] “The eye of him who sees me will no longer look at me; Your eyes will be on me, but I will not exist. [9] “When a cloud vanishes, it is gone; In the same way one who goes down to Sheol does not come up. [10] “He will not return to his house again, Nor will his place know about him anymore. [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. [12] “Am I the sea, or the sea monster, That You set a guard over me? [13] “If I say, ‘My couch will comfort me, My bed will ease my complaint,’ [14] Then You frighten me with dreams, And terrify me by visions, [15] So that my soul would choose suffocation, Death rather than my pains. [16] “I waste away; I will not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are only a breath. [17] “What is man that You exalt him, And that You are concerned about him, [18] That You examine him every morning And put him to the test every moment? [19] “Will You never turn Your gaze away from me, Nor leave me alone until I swallow my spittle? [20] “Have I sinned? What have I done to You, Watcher of mankind? Why have You made me Your target, So that I am a burden to myself? [21] “Why then do You not forgive my wrongdoing And take away my guilt? For now I will lie down in the dust; And You will search for me, but I will no longer exist.”
