| New King James Version | King James Bible |
| 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? | 1Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling? |
| 2Like a servant who earnestly desires the shade, And like a hired man who eagerly looks for his wages, | 2As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work: |
| 3So I have been allotted months of futility, And wearisome nights have been appointed to me. | 3So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed 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, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day. |
| 5My flesh is caked with worms and dust, My skin is cracked and breaks out afresh. | 5My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome. |
| 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 are spent without hope. |
| 7Oh, remember that my life is a breath! My eye will never again see good. | 7O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more 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 that hath seen me shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not. |
| 9As the cloud disappears and vanishes away, So he who goes down to the grave does not come up. | 9As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. |
| 10He shall never return to his house, Nor shall his place know him anymore. | 10He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more. |
| 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. | 11Therefore I will not refrain 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 a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me? |
| 13When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me, My couch will ease my complaint,’ | 13When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint; |
| 14Then You scare me with dreams And terrify me with visions, | 14Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions: |
| 15So that my soul chooses strangling And death rather than my body. | 15So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life. |
| 16I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone, For my days are but a breath. | 16I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity. |
| 17“What is man, that You should exalt him, That You should set Your heart on him, | 17What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? |
| 18That You should visit him every morning, And test him every moment? | 18And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment? |
| 19How long? Will You not look away from me, And let me alone till I swallow my saliva? | 19How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle? |
| 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? | 20I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself? |
| 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.” | 21And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
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