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¹ Is there not a warfare to man on earth? And as the days of an hireling his days?² As a servant desireth the shadow, And as a hireling expecteth his wage,³ So I have been caused to inherit months of vanity, And nights of misery they numbered to me.⁴ If I lay down then I said, `When do I rise!' And evening hath been measured, And I have been full of tossings till dawn.⁵ Clothed hath been my flesh [with] worms, And a clod of dust, My skin hath been shrivelled and is loathsome,⁶ My days swifter than a weaving machine, And they are consumed without hope.

⁷ Remember Thou that my life [is] a breath, Mine eye turneth not back to see good.⁸ The eye of my beholder beholdeth me not. Thine eyes [are] upon me -- and I am not.⁹ Consumed hath been a cloud, and it goeth, So he who is going down to Sheol cometh not up.¹⁰ He turneth not again to his house, Nor doth his place discern him again.¹¹ Also I -- I withhold not my mouth -- I speak in the distress of my spirit, I talk in the bitterness of my soul.¹² A sea-[monster] am I, or a dragon, That thou settest over me a guard?¹³ When I said, `My bed doth comfort me,' He taketh away in my talking my couch.¹⁴ And thou hast affrighted me with dreams, And from visions thou terrifiest me,¹⁵ And my soul chooseth strangling, Death rather than my bones.¹⁶ I have wasted away -- not to the age do I live. Cease from me, for my days [are] vanity.

¹⁷ What [is] man that Thou dost magnify him? And that Thou settest unto him Thy heart?¹⁸ And inspectest him in the mornings, In the evenings dost try him?¹⁹ How long dost Thou not look from me? Thou dost not desist till I swallow my spittle.²⁰ I have sinned, what do I to Thee, O watcher of man? Why hast Thou set me for a mark to Thee, And I am for a burden to myself -- and what?²¹ Thou dost not take away my transgression, And cause to pass away mine iniquity, Because now, for dust I lie down: And Thou hast sought me -- and I am not!