Job Continues: Life Seems Futile

1  הֲלֹא־ (Is there not) צָבָ֣א (hard service) לֶאֱנ֣וֹשׁ (for man) עַל (on) אָ֑רֶץ (earth),

וְכִימֵ֖י (are like the days) שָׂכִ֣יר (of a hireling) יָמָֽיו׃ (are his days)?

2  כְּעֶ֥בֶד (As a servant) יִשְׁאַף־ (longs for) צֵ֑ל (shade),

וּ֝כְשָׂכִ֗יר (and as a hireling) יְקַוֶּ֥ה (awaits) פָעֳלֽוֹ׃ (his wages),

3  כֵּ֤ן (so) הָנְחַ֣לְתִּי (are allotted) לִ֭י (to me) יַרְחֵי־ (months) שָׁ֑וְא (of emptiness),

וְלֵיל֥וֹת (and nights) עָ֝מָ֗ל (of toil) מִנּוּ־ (are appointed) לִֽי׃ (to me).

4  אִם־ (When) שָׁכַ֗בְתִּי (I lie down), וְאָמַ֗רְתִּי (and I say),

מָתַ֣י (When) אָ֭קוּם (shall I arise)?

וּמִדַּד־ (And is measured out) עָ֑רֶב (the night),

וְשָׂבַ֖עְתִּי (and I am full of) נְדֻדִ֣ים (tossings) עֲדֵי־ (until) נָֽשֶׁף׃ (dawn).

5  לָ֘בַ֤שׁ (Is clothed) בְּשָׂרִ֣י (my flesh) רִ֭מָּה (with worm) וְגִישׁ (and clod) עָפָ֑ר (of the dust);

עוֹרִ֥י (my skin) רָ֝גַ֗ע (breaks) וַיִּמָּאֵֽס׃ (and festers).

6  יָמַ֣י (My days) קַ֭לּוּ (are swifter) מִנִּי־ (than) אָ֑רֶג (a weaver’s shuttle);

וַ֝יִּכְל֗וּ (and they end) בְּאֶ֣פֶס (without) תִּקְוָֽה׃ (hope).

7  זְ֭כֹר (Remember) כִּי־ (that) ר֣וּחַ (a breath) חַיָּ֑י (is my life);

לֹא־ (not) תָשׁ֥וּב (shall return) עֵ֝ינִ֗י (my eye) לִרְא֥וֹת (to see) טֽוֹב׃ (good).

8  לֹֽא־ (Not) תְ֭שׁוּרֵנִי (shall behold) עֵ֣ין (the eye) רֹ֑אִי (of the one seeing me);

עֵינֶ֖יךָ (your eyes are) בִּ֣י (on me), וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃ (and I will be no more).

9  כָּלָ֣ה (Is consumed) עָ֭נָן (a cloud) וַיֵּלַ֑ךְ (and goes away),

כֵּ֥ן (so) יוֹרֵ֥ד (the one going down) שְׁ֝א֗וֹל (to Sheol) לֹ֣א (not) יַעֲלֶֽה׃ (does ascend).

10  לֹא־ (Not) יָשׁ֣וּב (shall he return) ע֣וֹד (again) לְבֵית֑וֹ (to his house),

וְלֹא־ (and not) יַכִּירֶ֖נּוּ (shall recognize him) ע֣וֹד (anymore) מְקֹמֽוֹ׃ (his place).

11  גַּם־ (So) אֲנִי֮ (I) לֹ֤א (not) אֶחֱשָׂ֫ךְ (will restrain) פִּ֥י (my mouth);

אֲ‍ֽ֭דַבְּרָה (I will speak) בְּצַ֣ר (in the distress) רוּחִ֑י (of my spirit);

אָ֝שִׂ֗יחָה (I will complain) בְּמַ֣ר (in the bitterness) נַפְשִֽׁי׃ (of my soul).

12  הֲ‍ֽיָם־ (Is it that a sea) אָ֭נִי (I am), אִם־ (or) תַּנִּ֑ין (the sea monster),

כִּֽי־ (that) תָשִׂ֖ים (You set) עָלַ֣י (over me) מִשְׁמָֽר׃ (a guard).

13  כִּֽי־ (When) אָ֭מַרְתִּי (I say) תְּנַחֲמֵ֣נִי (will comfort me) עַרְשִׂ֑י (my bed),

יִשָּׂ֥א (will lift) בְ֝שִׂיחִ֗י (my complaint) מִשְׁכָּבִֽי׃ (my couch),

14  וְחִתַּתַּ֥נִי (and You shatter me) בַחֲלֹמ֑וֹת (with dreams),

וּֽמֵחֶזְיֹנ֥וֹת (and with visions) תְּבַעֲתַֽנִּי׃ (You terrify me),

15  וַתִּבְחַ֣ר (so that would choose) מַחֲנָ֣ק (strangling) נַפְשִׁ֑י (my soul), מָ֝֗וֶת (and death),

מֵֽעַצְמוֹתָֽי׃ (rather than my bones).

16  מָ֭אַסְתִּי (I loathe)— לֹא־ (not) לְעֹלָ֣ם (forever) אֶֽחְיֶ֑ה (would I live).

חֲדַ֥ל (Cease) מִ֝מֶּ֗נִּי (from me), כִּי־ (for) הֶ֥בֶל (are vapor) יָמָֽי׃ (are my days).

17  מָֽה־ (What is) אֱ֭נוֹשׁ (man) כִּ֣י (that) תְגַדְּלֶ֑נּוּ (You should magnify him),

וְכִי־ (and that) תָשִׁ֖ית (You would set) אֵלָ֣יו (toward him) לִבֶּֽךָ׃ (Your heart),

18  וַתִּפְקְדֶ֥נּוּ (that You attend to him) לִבְקָרִ֑ים (in the mornings)

לִ֝רְגָעִ֗ים (in the moments) תִּבְחָנֶֽנּוּ׃ (You will test him)?

19  כַּ֭מָּה (How long) לֹא־ (not) תִשְׁעֶ֣ה (will You look) מִמֶּ֑נִּי (away from me),

לֹֽא־ (not) תַ֝רְפֵּ֗נִי (leave me alone) עַד־ (until) בִּלְעִ֥י (I swallow) רֻקִּֽי׃ (my spittle)?

20  חָטָ֡אתִי (If I have sinned), מָ֤ה (what) אֶפְעַ֨ל׀ (have I done) לָךְ֮ (to You),

נֹצֵ֪ר (O watcher) הָאָ֫דָ֥ם (of mankind)?

לָ֤מָה (Why) שַׂמְתַּ֣נִי (have You set me) לְמִפְגָּ֣ע (to be a target) לָ֑ךְ (for You)

וָאֶהְיֶ֖ה (and why should I be) עָלַ֣י (to myself) לְמַשָּֽׂא׃ (a burden)?

21  וּמֶ֤ה׀ (And why) לֹא־ (not) תִשָּׂ֣א (do You lift) פִשְׁעִי֮ (my transgression)

וְתַעֲבִ֪יר (and make pass away) אֶת־ (-) עֲוֺ֫נִ֥י (my iniquity)?

כִּֽי־ (For) עַ֭תָּה (now) לֶעָפָ֣ר (in the dust) אֶשְׁכָּ֑ב (I might lie down),

וְשִׁ֖חֲרְתַּ֣נִי (and You will seek me), וְאֵינֶֽנִּי׃פ (and I will not be there).