1 My soul is tired of life; I will let my sad thoughts go free in words; my soul will make a bitter outcry.

1 נָֽקְטָ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֗י בְּחַ֫יָּ֥י אֶֽעֶזְבָ֣ה עָלַ֣י שִׂיחִ֑י אֲ֝דַבְּרָה֗ בְּמַ֣ר נַפְשִֽׁי׃

2 I will say to God, Do not put me down as a sinner; make clear to me what you have against me.

2 אֹמַ֣ר אֶל־אֱ֭לֹוהַּ אַל־תַּרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי הֹֽ֝ודִיעֵ֗נִי עַ֣ל מַה־תְּרִיבֵֽנִי׃

3 What profit is it to you to be cruel, to give up the work of your hands, looking kindly on the design of evil-doers?

3 הֲטֹ֤וב לְךָ֨³׀ כִּֽי־תַעֲשֹׁ֗ק כִּֽי־תִ֭מְאַס יְגִ֣יעַ כַּפֶּ֑יךָ וְעַל־עֲצַ֖ת רְשָׁעִ֣ים הֹופָֽעְתָּ׃

4 Have you eyes of flesh, or do you see as man sees?

4 הַעֵינֵ֣י בָשָׂ֣ר לָ֑ךְ אִם־כִּרְאֹ֖ות אֱנֹ֣ושׁ תִּרְאֶֽה׃

5 Are your days as the days of man, or your years like his,

5 הֲכִימֵ֣י אֱנֹ֣ושׁ יָמֶ֑יךָ אִםשְ֝־נֹותֶ֗יךָ כִּ֣ימֵי גָֽבֶר׃

6 That you take note of my sin, searching after my wrongdoing,

6 כִּֽי־תְבַקֵּ֥שׁ לַעֲוֹנִ֑י וּ֭לְחַטָּאתִ֥י תִדְרֹֽושׁ׃

7 Though you see that I am not an evil-doer; and there is no one who is able to take a man out of your hands?

7 עַֽל־דַּ֭עְתְּךָ כִּי־לֹ֣א אֶרְשָׁ֑ע וְאֵ֖ין מִיָּדְךָ֣ מַצִּֽיל׃

8 Your hands made me, and I was formed by you, but then, changing your purpose, you gave me up to destruction.

8 יָדֶ֣יךָ עִ֭צְּבוּנִי וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֑וּנִי יַ֥חַד סָ֝בִ֗יב וַֽתְּבַלְּעֵֽנִי׃

9 O keep in mind that you made me out of earth; and will you send me back again to dust?

9 זְכָר־נָ֭א כִּי־כַחֹ֣מֶר עֲשִׂיתָ֑נִי וְֽאֶל־עָפָ֥ר תְּשִׁיבֵֽנִי׃

10 Was I not drained out like milk, becoming hard like cheese?

10 הֲלֹ֣א כֶ֭חָלָב תַּתִּיכֵ֑נִי וְ֝כַגְּבִנָּ֗ה תַּקְפִּיאֵֽנִי׃

11 By you I was clothed with skin and flesh, and joined together with bones and muscles.

11 עֹ֣ור וּ֭בָשָׂר תַּלְבִּישֵׁ֑נִי וּֽבַעֲצָמֹ֥ות וְ֝גִידִ֗ים תְּסֹכְכֵֽנִי׃

12 You have been kind to me, and your grace has been with me, and your care has kept my spirit safe.

12 חַיִּ֣ים וָ֭חֶסֶד עָשִׂ֣יתָ עִמָּדִ֑י וּ֝פְקֻדָּתְךָ֗ שָֽׁמְרָ֥ה רוּחִֽי׃

13 But you kept these things in the secret of your heart; I am certain this was in your thoughts:

13 וְ֭אֵלֶּה צָפַ֣נְתָּ בִלְבָבֶ֑ךָ יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּי־זֹ֥את עִמָּֽךְ׃

14 That, if I did wrong, you would take note of it, and would not make me clear from sin:

14 אִם־חָטָ֥אתִי וּשְׁמַרְתָּ֑נִי וּ֝מֵעֲוֹנִ֗י לֹ֣א תְנַקֵּֽנִי׃

15 That, if I was an evil-doer, the curse would come on me; and if I was upright, my head would not be lifted up, being full of shame and overcome with trouble.

15 אִם־רָשַׁ֡עְתִּי אַלְלַ֬י לִ֗י וְ֭צָדַקְתִּי לֹא־אֶשָּׂ֣א רֹאשִׁ֑י שְׂבַ֥ע קָ֝לֹ֗ון וּרְאֵ֥ה עָנְיִֽי׃

16 And that if there was cause for pride, you would go after me like a lion; and again put out your wonders against me:

16 וְ֭יִגְאֶה כַּשַּׁ֣חַל תְּצוּדֵ֑נִי וְ֝תָשֹׁ֗ב תִּתְפַּלָּא־בִֽי׃

17 That you would send new witnesses against me, increasing your wrath against me, and letting loose new armies on me.

17 תְּחַדֵּ֬שׁ עֵדֶ֨יךָ׀ נֶגְדִּ֗י וְתֶ֣רֶב כַּֽ֭עַשְׂךָ עִמָּדִ֑י חֲלִיפֹ֖ות וְצָבָ֣א עִמִּֽי׃

18 Why then did you make me come out of my mother's body? It would have been better for me to have taken my last breath, and for no eye to have seen me,

18 וְלָ֣מָּה מֵ֭רֶחֶם הֹצֵאתָ֑נִי אֶ֝גְוַ֗ע וְעַ֣יִן לֹא־תִרְאֵֽנִי׃

19 And for me to have been as if I had not been; to have been taken from my mother's body straight to my last resting-place.

19 כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־הָיִ֣יתִי אֶהְיֶ֑ה מִ֝בֶּ֗טֶן לַקֶּ֥בֶר אוּבָֽל׃

20 Are not the days of my life small in number? Let your eyes be turned away from me, so that I may have a little pleasure,

20 הֲלֹא־מְעַ֣ט יָמַ֣י יֶחְדָּל וַחֲדָ֑ל יָשִׁית וְשִׁ֥ית מִ֝מֶּ֗נִּי וְאַבְלִ֥יגָה מְּעָֽט׃

21 Before I go to the place from which I will not come back, to the land where all is dark and black,

21 בְּטֶ֣רֶם אֵ֭לֵךְ וְלֹ֣א אָשׁ֑וּב אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃

22 A land of thick dark, without order, where the very light is dark.

22 אֶ֤רֶץ עֵיפָ֨תָה׀ כְּמֹ֥ו אֹ֗פֶל צַ֭לְמָוֶת וְלֹ֥א סְדָרִ֗ים וַתֹּ֥פַע כְּמֹו־אֹֽפֶל׃