| א הֲלֹא-צָבָא לֶאֱנוֹשׁ על- עֲלֵי- אָרֶץ; וְכִימֵי שָׂכִיר יָמָיו. |
1 Is there not a time of service to man upon earth? And are not his days like the days of a hireling? |
| ב כְּעֶבֶד יִשְׁאַף-צֵל; וּכְשָׂכִיר, יְקַוֶּה פָעֳלוֹ. |
2 As a servant that eagerly longeth for the shadow, and as a hireling that looketh for his wages; |
| ג כֵּן הָנְחַלְתִּי לִי, יַרְחֵי-שָׁוְא; וְלֵילוֹת עָמָל, מִנּוּ-לִי. |
3 So am I made to possess--months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me. |
|
ד אִם-שָׁכַבְתִּי-- וְאָמַרְתִּי, מָתַי אָקוּם וּמִדַּד-עָרֶב; וְשָׂבַעְתִּי נְדֻדִים עֲדֵי-נָשֶׁף. |
4 When I lie down, I say: 'When shall I arise?' But the night is long, {N} and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day. |
| ה לָבַשׁ בְּשָׂרִי רִמָּה, וגיש וְגוּשׁ עָפָר; עוֹרִי רָגַע, וַיִּמָּאֵס. |
5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin closeth up and breaketh out afresh. |
| ו יָמַי קַלּוּ, מִנִּי-אָרֶג; וַיִּכְלוּ, בְּאֶפֶס תִּקְוָה. |
6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope. |
| ז זְכֹר, כִּי-רוּחַ חַיָּי; לֹא-תָשׁוּב עֵינִי, לִרְאוֹת טוֹב. |
7 O remember that my life is a breath; mine eye shall no more see good. |
| ח לֹא-תְשׁוּרֵנִי, עֵין רֹאִי; עֵינֶיךָ בִּי וְאֵינֶנִּי. |
8 The eye of him that seeth me shall behold me no more; while Thine eyes are upon me, I am gone. |
| ט כָּלָה עָנָן, וַיֵּלַךְ; כֵּן יוֹרֵד שְׁאוֹל, לֹא יַעֲלֶה. |
9 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. |
| י לֹא-יָשׁוּב עוֹד לְבֵיתוֹ; וְלֹא-יַכִּירֶנּוּ עוֹד מְקֹמוֹ. |
10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more. |
|
יא גַּם-אֲנִי, לֹא אֶחֱשָׂךְ-פִּי: אֲדַבְּרָה, בְּצַר רוּחִי; אָשִׂיחָה, בְּמַר נַפְשִׁי. |
11 Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; {N} I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. |
| יב הֲיָם-אָנִי, אִם-תַּנִּין: כִּי-תָשִׂים עָלַי מִשְׁמָר. |
12 Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, that Thou settest a watch over me? |
| יג כִּי-אָמַרְתִּי, תְּנַחֲמֵנִי עַרְשִׂי; יִשָּׂא בְשִׂיחִי, מִשְׁכָּבִי. |
13 When I say: 'My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint'; |
| יד וְחִתַּתַּנִי בַחֲלֹמוֹת; וּמֵחֶזְיֹנוֹת תְּבַעֲתַנִּי. |
14 Then Thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions; |
| טו וַתִּבְחַר מַחֲנָק נַפְשִׁי; מָוֶת, מֵעַצְמוֹתָי. |
15 So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than these my bones. |
| טז מָאַסְתִּי, לֹא-לְעֹלָם אֶחְיֶה; חֲדַל מִמֶּנִּי, כִּי-הֶבֶל יָמָי. |
16 I loathe it; I shall not live alway; let me alone; for my days are vanity. |
| יז מָה-אֱנוֹשׁ, כִּי תְגַדְּלֶנּוּ; וְכִי-תָשִׁית אֵלָיו לִבֶּךָ. |
17 What is man, that Thou shouldest magnify him, and that Thou shouldest set Thy heart upon him, |
| יח וַתִּפְקְדֶנּוּ לִבְקָרִים; לִרְגָעִים, תִּבְחָנֶנּוּ. |
18 And that Thou shouldest remember him every morning, and try him every moment? |
| יט כַּמָּה, לֹא-תִשְׁעֶה מִמֶּנִּי; לֹא-תַרְפֵּנִי, עַד-בִּלְעִי רֻקִּי. |
19 How long wilt Thou not look away from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle? |
|
כ חָטָאתִי, מָה אֶפְעַל לָךְ-- נֹצֵר הָאָדָם: לָמָה שַׂמְתַּנִי לְמִפְגָּע לָךְ; וָאֶהְיֶה עָלַי לְמַשָּׂא. |
20 If I have sinned, what do I unto Thee, O Thou watcher of men? {N} Why hast Thou set me as a mark for Thee, so that I am a burden to myself? |
|
כא וּמֶה, לֹא-תִשָּׂא פִשְׁעִי-- וְתַעֲבִיר אֶת-עֲוֺנִי: כִּי-עַתָּה, לֶעָפָר אֶשְׁכָּב; וְשִׁחַרְתַּנִי וְאֵינֶנִּי. |
21 And why dost Thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? {N} For now shall I lie down in the dust; and Thou wilt seek me, but I shall not be. |