| New King James Version | English Standard Version |
| 1“Is there not a time of hard service for man on earth? Are not his days also like the days of a hired man? | 1“Has not man a hard service on earth, and are not his days like the days of a hired hand? |
| 2Like a servant who earnestly desires the shade, And like a hired man who eagerly looks for his wages, | 2Like a slave who longs for the shadow, and like a hired hand who looks for his wages, |
| 3So I have been allotted months of futility, And wearisome nights have been appointed to me. | 3so I am allotted months of emptiness, and nights of misery are apportioned to me. |
| 4When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise, And the night be ended?’ For I have had my fill of tossing till dawn. | 4When I lie down I say, ‘When shall I arise?’ But the night is long, and I am full of tossing till the dawn. |
| 5My flesh is caked with worms and dust, My skin is cracked and breaks out afresh. | 5My flesh is clothed with worms and dirt; my skin hardens, then breaks out afresh. |
| 6“My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, And are spent without hope. | 6My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle and come to their end without hope. |
| 7Oh, remember that my life is a breath! My eye will never again see good. | 7“Remember that my life is a breath; my eye will never again see good. |
| 8The eye of him who sees me will see me no more; While your eyes are upon me, I shall no longer be. | 8The eye of him who sees me will behold me no more; while your eyes are on me, I shall be gone. |
| 9As the cloud disappears and vanishes away, So he who goes down to the grave does not come up. | 9As the cloud fades and vanishes, so he who goes down to Sheol does not come up; |
| 10He shall never return to his house, Nor shall his place know him anymore. | 10he returns no more to his house, nor does his place know 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“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. |
| 12Am I a sea, or a sea serpent, That You set a guard over me? | 12Am I the sea, or a sea monster, that you set a guard over me? |
| 13When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me, My couch will ease my complaint,’ | 13When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me, my couch will ease my complaint,’ |
| 14Then You scare me with dreams And terrify me with visions, | 14then you scare me with dreams and terrify me with visions, |
| 15So that my soul chooses strangling And death rather than my body. | 15so that I would choose strangling and death rather than my bones. |
| 16I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone, For my days are but a breath. | 16I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are a breath. |
| 17“What is man, that You should exalt him, That You should set Your heart on him, | 17What is man, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart on him, |
| 18That You should visit him every morning, And test him every moment? | 18visit him every morning and test him every moment? |
| 19How long? Will You not look away from me, And let me alone till I swallow my saliva? | 19How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone till I swallow my spit? |
| 20Have I sinned? What have I done to You, O watcher of men? Why have You set me as Your target, So that I am a burden to myself? | 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? |
| 21Why then do You not pardon my transgression, And take away my iniquity? For now I will lie down in the dust, And You will seek me diligently, But I will no longer be.” | 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.” |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | 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. |
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