1 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?

1 הֲלֹא־צָבָ֣א לֶאֱנֹ֣ושׁ עַל־ עֲלֵי־אָ֑רֶץ וְכִימֵ֖י שָׂכִ֣יר יָמָֽיו׃

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

2 כְּעֶ֥בֶד יִשְׁאַף־צֵ֑ל וּ֝כְשָׂכִ֗יר יְקַוֶּ֥ה פָעֳלֹֽו׃

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

3 כֵּ֤ן הָנְחַ֣לְתִּי לִ֭י יַרְחֵי־שָׁ֑וְא וְלֵילֹ֥ות עָ֝מָ֗ל מִנּוּ־לִֽי׃

4 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.

4 אִם־שָׁכַ֗בְתִּי וְאָמַ֗רְתִּי מָתַ֣י אָ֭קוּם וּמִדַּד־עָ֑רֶב וְשָׂבַ֖עְתִּי נְדֻדִ֣ים עֲדֵי־נָֽשֶׁף׃

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

5 לָ֘בַ֤שׁ בְּשָׂרִ֣י רִ֭מָּה וְגִישׁ וְג֣וּשׁ עָפָ֑ר עֹורִ֥י רָ֝גַ֗ע וַיִּמָּאֵֽס׃

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

6 יָמַ֣י קַ֭לּוּ מִנִּי־אָ֑רֶג וַ֝יִּכְל֗וּ בְּאֶ֣פֶס תִּקְוָֽה׃

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

7 זְ֭כֹר כִּי־ר֣וּחַ חַיָּ֑י לֹא־תָשׁ֥וּב עֵ֝ינִ֗י לִרְאֹ֥ות טֹֽוב׃

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

8 לֹֽא־תְ֭שׁוּרֵנִי עֵ֣ין רֹ֑אִי¹ עֵינֶ֖יךָ בִּ֣י וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃

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

9 כָּלָ֣ה עָ֭נָן וַיֵּלַ֑ךְ כֵּ֥ן יֹורֵ֥ד אֹ֗ול לֹ֣א יַעֲלֶֽה׃

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

10 לֹא־יָשׁ֣וּב עֹ֣וד לְבֵיתֹ֑ו וְלֹא־יַכִּירֶ֖נּוּ עֹ֣וד מְקֹמֹֽו׃

11 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.

11 גַּם־אֲנִי֮ לֹ֤א אֶחֱשָׂ֫ךְ פִּ֥י אֲ‍ֽ֭דַבְּרָה בְּצַ֣ר רוּחִ֑י אָ֝שִׂ֗יחָה בְּמַ֣ר נַפְשִֽׁי׃

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

12 הֲ‍ֽיָם־אָ֭נִי אִם־תַּנִּ֑ין כִּֽי־תָשִׂ֖ים עָלַ֣י מִשְׁמָֽר׃

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

13 כִּֽי־אָ֭מַרְתִּי תְּנַחֲמֵ֣נִי עַרְשִׂ֑י יִשָּׂ֥א בְ֝שִׂיחִ֗י מִשְׁכָּבִֽי׃

14 Then you send dreams to me, and visions of fear;

14 וְחִתַּתַּ֥נִי בַחֲלֹמֹ֑ות וּֽמֵחֶזְיֹנֹ֥ות תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃

15 So that a hard death seems better to my soul than my pains.

15 וַתִּבְחַ֣ר מַחֲנָ֣ק נַפְשִׁ֑י מָ֝֗וֶת מֵֽעַצְמֹותָֽי׃

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

16 מָ֭אַסְתִּי לֹא־לְעֹלָ֣ם אֶֽחְיֶ֑ה חֲדַ֥ל מִ֝מֶּ֗נִּי כִּי־הֶ֥בֶל יָמָֽי׃

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

17 מָֽה־אֱ֭נֹושׁ כִּ֣י תְגַדְּלֶ֑נּוּ וְכִי־תָשִׁ֖ית אֵלָ֣יו לִבֶּֽךָ׃

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

18 וַתִּפְקְדֶ֥נּוּ לִבְקָרִ֑ים לִ֝רְגָעִ֗ים תִּבְחָנֶֽנּוּ׃

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

19 כַּ֭מָּה לֹא־תִשְׁעֶ֣ה מִמֶּ֑נִּי לֹֽא־תַ֝רְפֵּ֗נִי עַד־בִּלְעִ֥י רֻקִּֽי׃

20 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?

20 חָטָ֡אתִי מָ֤ה אֶפְעַ֨ל׀ לָךְ֮ נֹצֵ֪ר הָאָ֫דָ֥ם לָ֤מָה שַׂמְתַּ֣נִי לְמִפְגָּ֣ע לָ֑ךְ וָאֶהְיֶ֖ה עָלַ֣י לְמַשָּֽׂא׃

21 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.

21 וּמֶ֤ה׀ לֹא־תִשָּׂ֣א פִשְׁעִי֮ וְתַעֲבִ֪יר אֶת־עֲוֹ֫נִ֥י כִּֽי־עַ֭תָּה לֶעָפָ֣ר אֶשְׁכָּ֑ב וְשִׁ֖חֲרְתַּ֣נִי וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃