1
"Is not
man forced to
labor on
earth, And are not his
days like the
days of a
hired man?
wy'm'y ryik'f yemyik.w l;[ vw{n/a,l a'b'c -a{l]h
2
"As a
slave who
pants for the
shade, And as a
hired man who
eagerly waits for his
wages,
w{l\['p h/W;q.y ryik'f.k.W lec -p;a.vIy d,b,[.K
3
So am I
allotted months of
vanity, And
nights of
trouble are
appointed me.
l'm'[ tw{lyel.w a.w'v -yex.r;y yil yiT.l;x.n'h !eK ? yil -.WNim
4
"When I
lie down I
say,
'When shall I
arise?' But the
night continues, And I am
continually tossing until dawn.
b,r'[ -d;Dim.W ~.Wq'a y;t'm yiT.r;m'a.w yiT.b;k'v -mia ? @,v'n -yed][ ~yidUd.n yiT.[;b'f.w
5
"My
flesh is
clothed with
worms and a
crust of
dirt, My
skin hardens and
runs.
[;g'r yirw{[ r'p'[ vyig.w h'Mir yir'f.B v;b'l ? sea'MiY;w
6
"My
days are
swifter than a
weaver's shuttle, And
come to an
end without hope.
h'w.qiT s,p,a.B .Wl.kiY;w g,r'a -yiNim .WL;q y;m'y
7
"Remember that my
life is but
breath; My
eye will not
again see good.
tw{a.ril yinye[ b.Wv't -a{l y'Y;x ;x.Wr -yiK r{k.z ? bw{j
8
"The
eye of him who
sees me will
behold me
no longer; Your
eyes will be on me, but I will not be.
yiN,nyea.w yiB '$y,nye[ ]yia{r !ye[ yiner.Wv.t -a{l
9
"When a
cloud vanishes, it is
gone,
So he who
goes down to
Sheol does not
come up.
h,l][;y a{l lw{a.v derw{y !eK .$;leY;w !'n'[ h'l'K
10
"He will not
return again to his
house,
Nor will his
place know him
anymore.
.WN,ryiK;y -a{l.w w{tyeb.l dw{[ b.Wv'y -a{l ? w{m{q.m dw{[
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.
yix.Wr r;c.B h'r.B;d]a yiP .$'f/x,a a{l yin]a -m;G ? yiv.p;n r;m.B h'xyif'a
12
"Am I the
sea,
or the
sea monster, That You
set a
guard over me?
y;l'[ ~yif't -yiK !yiN;T -mia yin'a -m'y]h ? r'm.vim
13
"If I
say, 'My
bed will
comfort me, My
couch will
ease my
complaint,'
yixyif.b a'FIy yif.r;[ yinem]x;n.T yiT.r;m'a -yiK ? yib'K.vim
14
Then You
frighten me with
dreams And
terrify me by
visions;
yiN;t][;b.T tw{n{y.z,xem.W tw{m{l]x;b yin;T;Tix.w
15
So that my
soul would
choose suffocation,
Death rather than my
pains.
y'tw{m.c;[em t,w'm yiv.p;n q'n]x;m r;x.biT;w
16
"I
waste away; I will not
live forever.
Leave me
alone, for my
days are but a
breath.
l,b,h -yiK yiN,Mim l;d]x h,y.x,a ~'l{[.l -a{l yiT.s;a'm ? y'm'y
17
"What is
man that You
magnify him, And that You are
concerned * about him,
wy'lea tyiv't -yik.w .WN,l.D;g.t yiK vw{n/a -h'm ? '$,Bil
18
That You
examine him every
morning And
try him every
moment?
.WN,n'x.biT ~yi['g.ril ~yir'q.bil .WN,d.q.piT;w
19
"Will You
never turn Your
gaze away from me,
Nor let me
alone until I
swallow my
spittle?
yi[.liB -d;[ yineP.r;t -a{l yiN,Mim h,[.vit -a{l h'M;K ? yiQUr
20
"Have I
sinned?
What have I
done to You, O
watcher of
men?
Why have You
set me as Your
target, So that I
am a
burden to myself?
yin;T.m;f h'm'l ~'d'a'h rec{n .$'l l;[.p,a h'm yita'j'x ? a'F;m.l y;l'[ h,y.h,a'w .$'l ['G.pim.l
21
"Why then do You not
pardon my
transgression And
take away my
iniquity? For
now I will
lie down in the
dust; And You will
seek me, but I will not be."
yin{w][ -t,a ryib][;t.w yi[.vip a'Fit -a{l h,m.W ? yiN,nyea.w yin;T.r]xiv.w b'K.v,a r'p'[,l h'T;[ -yiK