| English Standard Version | International Standard Version |
| 1“Has not man a hard service on earth, and are not his days like the days of a hired hand? | 1"Men have harsh servitude on earth, do they not? His days are like those of a hired laborer, are they not? |
| 2Like a slave who longs for the shadow, and like a hired hand who looks for his wages, | 2I'm like a servant who longs for the shade, like a hired laborer who is looking for his wages. |
| 3so I am allotted months of emptiness, and nights of misery are apportioned to me. | 3Truly I've been allotted months of emptiness; nights of trouble have been appointed for me. |
| 4When I lie down I say, ‘When shall I arise?’ But the night is long, and I am full of tossing till the dawn. | 4"When I lie down I ask, 'When will I wake up?' But the night continues and I keep tossing and turning until dawn. |
| 5My flesh is clothed with worms and dirt; my skin hardens, then breaks out afresh. | 5My skin is covered with worms and clods of dirt; my skin becomes rough and then breaks out afresh. |
| 6My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle and come to their end without hope. | 6My days pass as swiftly as a hand-loom; they come to their conclusion without hope. |
| 7“Remember that my life is a breath; my eye will never again see good. | 7Remember that my life is a breath; my eyes won't go back to seeing good things. |
| 8The eye of him who sees me will behold me no more; while your eyes are on me, I shall be gone. | 8The eyes of the one who sees me won't see me anymore; your eyes will look for me but I won't be around! |
| 9As the cloud fades and vanishes, so he who goes down to Sheol does not come up; | 9As a cloud fades away and vanishes, the one who descends to the afterlife doesn't return. |
| 10he returns no more to his house, nor does his place know him anymore. | 10He doesn't return again to his house, and his place won't recognize him anymore." |
| 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. | 11"In addition, I won't keep my opinion to myself; I'll speak from my distressed spirit; I'll complain with my bitter soul. |
| 12Am I the sea, or a sea monster, that you set a guard over me? | 12Am I the sea, or a sea monster, that you keep watching me? |
| 13When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me, my couch will ease my complaint,’ | 13For I've said, 'My bed will comfort me; my couch will ease my burdens while I complain.' |
| 14then you scare me with dreams and terrify me with visions, | 14But then you scared me with dreams; you terrified me with visions. |
| 15so that I would choose strangling and death rather than my bones. | 15I would rather die by strangulation than continue living. |
| 16I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are a breath. | 16I hate the thought of living forever! Leave me alone, because my days are pointless." |
| 17What is man, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart on him, | 17"What is a human being, that you make so much of him; that you set your affections on him, |
| 18visit him every morning and test him every moment? | 18visit him every morning, and test him continually? |
| 19How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone till I swallow my spit? | 19Why won't you look away from me? Why don't you leave me alone so I can swallow my saliva? |
| 20If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of mankind? Why have you made me your mark? Why have I become a burden to you? | 20So what if I sin? What have I done against you, you observer of humankind? Why have you made me your target? Why burden yourself with me? |
| 21Why do you not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For now I shall lie in the earth; you will seek me, but I shall not be.” | 21Why haven't you pardoned my transgression and taken away my iniquity? Now I'm about to lie down in the dust. You will seek me diligently, but I won't be around!" |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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