Online Bible

“¹Is not man ^aconscripted to labor on earth,And are not his days like the days of ^ba hired man?2 “As a slave who pants for the shade,And as a hired man who eagerly hopes for his wages,3 So am I apportioned months of worthlessness,And ^anights of trouble are appointed me.4 “If I ^alie down I say,‘When shall I arise?’But the twilight continues,And I am saturated with tossing until dawn.5 “My ^aflesh is clothed with worms and a crust of dirt;My skin scabs over and flows out again.6 “My days are ^aswifter than a weaver’s shuttle,And come to an end ^bwithout hope.

7 “Remember that my life ^ais but wind;My eye will ^bnot again see good.8 “The ^aeye of him who sees me will behold me no longer;Your eyes will be on me, but ^bI will not be.9 “A ^acloud vanishes, and it is gone,So ^bhe who goes down to ^cSheol does not come up.10 “He will not return again to his house,Nor will ^ahis place recognize him anymore.

11 “Indeed ^aI will not hold back my mouth;I will speak in the distress of my spirit;I will muse on the bitterness of my soul.12 “Am I the sea or ^athe sea monster,That You set a guard over me?13 “If I say, ‘^aMy bed will comfort me;My couch will ¹ease my bitter musing,’14 Then You frighten me with dreamsAnd terrify me by visions,15 So that my soul would choose suffocation,Death rather than my ¹pains.16 “I have ^arejected everything; I will not live forever.Leave me alone, ^bfor my days are but a breath.17 “^aWhat is man that You magnify him,And that You set Your heart on him,18 That ^aYou ¹examine him every morningAnd test him every moment?19 “¹^aWill You never turn Your gaze away from me,Nor let me alone until I swallow my spit?20 “^aHave I sinned? What have I done to You,O ^bwatcher of men?Why have You set me as Your target,So that I am a burden to myself?21 “Why then ^ado You not forgive my transgressionAnd take away my iniquity?For now I will ^blie down in the dust;And You will seek me earnestly, ^cbut I will not be.”