1 My soul is weary of my life; I will give free course to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

1 נָֽקְטָ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֗י בְּחַ֫יָּ֥י אֶֽעֶזְבָ֣ה עָלַ֣י שִׂיחִ֑י אֲ֝דַבְּרָה֗ בְּמַ֣ר נַפְשִֽׁי׃

2 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; Show me wherefore thou contendest with me.

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

3 Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, That thou shouldest despise the work of thy hands, And shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

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

4 Hast thou eyes of flesh? Or seest thou as man seeth?

4 הַעֵינֵ֣י בָשָׂ֣ר לָ֑ךְ אִם־כִּרְאֹ֖ות אֱנֹ֣ושׁ תִּרְאֶֽה׃

5 Are thy days as the days of man, Or thy years as man's days,

5 הֲכִימֵ֣י אֱנֹ֣ושׁ יָמֶ֑יךָ אִםשְ֝־נֹותֶ֗יךָ כִּ֣ימֵי גָֽבֶר׃

6 That thou inquirest after mine iniquity, And searchest after my sin,

6 כִּֽי־תְבַקֵּ֥שׁ לַעֲוֹנִ֑י וּ֭לְחַטָּאתִ֥י תִדְרֹֽושׁ׃

7 Although thou knowest that I am not wicked, And there is none that can deliver out of thy hand?

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

8 Thy hands have framed me and fashioned me Together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.

8 יָדֶ֣יךָ עִ֭צְּבוּנִי וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֑וּנִי יַ֥חַד סָ֝בִ֗יב וַֽתְּבַלְּעֵֽנִי׃

9 Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast fashioned me as clay; And wilt thou bring me into dust again?

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

10 Hast thou not poured me out as milk, And curdled me like cheese?

10 הֲלֹ֣א כֶ֭חָלָב תַּתִּיכֵ֑נִי וְ֝כַגְּבִנָּ֗ה תַּקְפִּיאֵֽנִי׃

11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, And knit me together with bones and sinews.

11 עֹ֣ור וּ֭בָשָׂר תַּלְבִּישֵׁ֑נִי וּֽבַעֲצָמֹ֥ות וְ֝גִידִ֗ים תְּסֹכְכֵֽנִי׃

12 Thou hast granted me life and lovingkindness; And thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.

12 חַיִּ֣ים וָ֭חֶסֶד עָשִׂ֣יתָ עִמָּדִ֑י וּ֝פְקֻדָּתְךָ֗ שָֽׁמְרָ֥ה רוּחִֽי׃

13 Yet these things thou didst hide in thy heart; I know that this is with thee:

13 וְ֭אֵלֶּה צָפַ֣נְתָּ בִלְבָבֶ֑ךָ יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּי־זֹ֥את עִמָּֽךְ׃

14 If I sin, then thou markest me, And thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.

14 אִם־חָטָ֥אתִי וּשְׁמַרְתָּ֑נִי וּ֝מֵעֲוֹנִ֗י לֹ֣א תְנַקֵּֽנִי׃

15 If I be wicked, woe unto me; And if I be righteous, yet shall I not lift up my head; Being filled with ignominy, And looking upon mine affliction.

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

16 And if `my head' exalt itself, thou huntest me as a lion; And again thou showest thyself marvellous upon me.

16 וְ֭יִגְאֶה כַּשַּׁ֣חַל תְּצוּדֵ֑נִי וְ֝תָשֹׁ֗ב תִּתְפַּלָּא־בִֽי׃

17 Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, And increasest thine indignation upon me: Changes and warfare are with me.

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

18 Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me.

18 וְלָ֣מָּה מֵ֭רֶחֶם הֹצֵאתָ֑נִי אֶ֝גְוַ֗ע וְעַ֣יִן לֹא־תִרְאֵֽנִי׃

19 I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

19 כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־הָיִ֣יתִי אֶהְיֶ֑ה מִ֝בֶּ֗טֶן לַקֶּ֥בֶר אוּבָֽל׃

20 Are not my days few? cease then, And let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,

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

21 Before I go whence I shall not return, `Even' to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death;

21 בְּטֶ֣רֶם אֵ֭לֵךְ וְלֹ֣א אָשׁ֑וּב אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃

22 The land dark as midnight, `The land' of the shadow of death, without any order, And where the light is as midnight.

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