“Is not man aconscripted to labor on earth,
And are not his days like the days of ba hired man?
2 As a slave who pants for the shade,
And as a hired man who eagerly hopes for his wages,
3 So am I apportioned months of worthlessness,
And anights of trouble are appointed me.
4 If I alie down I say,
‘When shall I arise?’
But the twilight continues,
And I am saturated with tossing until dawn.
5 My aflesh is clothed with worms and a crust of dirt;
My skin scabs over and flows out again.
6 My days are aswifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And come to an end bwithout hope.
7 “Remember that my life ais but wind;
My eye will bnot again see good.
8 The aeye of him who sees me will behold me no longer;
Your eyes will be on me, but bI will not be.
9 A acloud vanishes, and it is gone,
So bhe who goes down to cSheol does not come up.
10 He will not return again to his house,
Nor will ahis place recognize him anymore.
11 “Indeed aI will not hold back my mouth;
I will speak in the distress of my spirit;
I will muse on the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I the sea or athe sea monster,
That You set a guard over me?
13 If I say, ‘aMy bed will comfort me;
My couch will ease my bitter musing,’
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 have arejected everything; I will not live forever.
Leave me alone, bfor my days are but a breath.
17 aWhat is man that You magnify him,
And that You set Your heart on him,
18 That aYou examine him every morning
And test him every moment?
19 aWill You never turn Your gaze away from me,
Nor let me alone until I swallow my spit?
20 aHave I sinned? What have I done to You,
O bwatcher of men?
Why have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden to myself?
21 Why then ado You not forgive my transgression
And take away my iniquity?
For now I will blie down in the dust;
And You will seek me earnestly, cbut I will not be.”