1“I loathe my own life;
I will express my complaint
and speak in the bitterness of my soul.
1“ My soul Is weary of my life; I will leave upon myself my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2I will say to God:
Do not condemn me!
Let me know why You prosecute me.
2I will say to God: Do not condemn me! Let me know over what You contend with me.
3Does it please You to oppress me,
to reject the work of Your hands
and favor the schemes of the wicked?
3Is it good to You that You oppress, that You despise the work of Your hands, and upon the counsel of the wicked You shine?
4Do You have eyes of flesh?
Do You see as man sees?
4Are eyes of flesh unto You? Or do You see according to the seeing of a man?
5Are Your days like those of a mortal,
or Your years like those of a man,
5Are Your days like the days of a man? Or are Your years like the days of a man,
6that You should seek my iniquity
and search out my sin—
6that You would seek for my iniquity, and would search for my sin—
7though You know that I am not guilty,
and there is no deliverance from Your hand?
7upon Your knowledge that I am not wicked, and there is no delivering from Your hand?
8Your hands shaped me and altogether formed me.
Would You now turn and destroy me?
8Your hands formed me and made me entirely round about, yet You swallowed me up!
9Please remember that You molded me like clay.
Would You now return me to dust?
9Remember, please, that You made me as from the clay. And will You return me to the dust?
10Did You not pour me out like milk,
and curdle me like cheese?
10Was it not like milk that You poured me out, and like cheese You curdled me?
11You clothed me with skin and flesh,
and knit me together with bones and sinews.
11With skin and flesh You clothed me, and with bones and sinews You knit me together.
12You have granted me life and loving devotion,a
and Your care has preserved my spirit.
12Life and loving devotion You have done with me, and Your care has guarded my spirit.
13Yet You concealed these things in Your heart,
and I know that this was in Your mind:
13And these You have hidden in Your heart; I know that this was with You.
14If I sinned, You would take note,
and would not acquit me of my iniquity.
14If I sin then You keep watch on me, and You will not clear me from my iniquity.
15If I am guilty, woe to me!
And even if I am righteous, I cannot lift my head.
I am full of shame
and aware of my affliction.
15If I am wicked, woe to me! And if I am righteous, I cannot lift up my head; I am full of shame, and seeing my affliction.
16Should I hold my head high,
You would hunt me like a lion,
and again display Your power against me.
16And should it arise—as a lion You would hunt me, and turn back and work wonders against me.
17You produce new witnesses against me
and multiply Your anger toward me.
Hardships assault me
in wave after wave.
17You renew Your witnesses against me and increase Your indignation with me; changes and warfare are with me.
18Why then did You bring me from the womb?
Oh, that I had died, and no eye had seen me!
18And why did You bring me forth from the womb? Would that I had expired, and an eye had not seen me,
19If only I had never come to be,
but had been carried from the womb to the grave.
19as though I had never come to be—that I came from the womb and was carried to the grave!
20Are my days not few?
Withdraw from me, that I may have a little comfort,
20Are not my days few? Then cease and withdraw from me, and let me smile a little,
21before I go—never to return—
to a land of darkness and gloom,
21before I go—and I shall not return—to the land of darkness and the shadow of death,
22to a land of utter darkness,
of deep shadow and disorder,
where even the light is like darkness.”
22a land of obscurity like thick darkness of the shadow of death, and no order, and it shines like deep darkness.”