¶ My soul¹ is weary of my life²; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak³ in the bitterness of my soul.

I will say unto God, Do not⁴ condemn me; shew me⁵ wherefore thou contendest with me.

Is it good⁶ unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise⁷ the work⁸ of thine hands, and shine upon⁹ the counsel of the wicked?

Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou¹⁰ as man seeth?

¹¹Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man's days,

¹²That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?

Thou knowest¹³ that I am not wicked; and there¹⁴ is none that can deliver out of thine hand.

¶ Thine hands¹⁵ have made me¹⁶ and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.

Remember¹⁷, I beseech thee, that thou hast¹⁸ made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again¹⁹?

¶ Hast thou not poured²⁰ me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?

Thou hast clothed²¹ me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced²² me with bones and sinews.

Thou hast granted me life and favour²³, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.

And these things hast thou hid²⁴ in thine heart: I know²⁵ that this is with thee.

¶ If I sin, then²⁶ thou markest me, and thou wilt²⁷ not acquit me from mine iniquity.

If I be wicked²⁸, woe unto me; and if I be righteous²⁹, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full³⁰ of confusion; therefore see³¹ thou mine affliction;

For it increaseth. Thou huntest³² me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous³³ upon me.

Thou renewest thy witnesses³⁴ against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes³⁵ and war³⁶ are against me.

Wherefore then hast thou³⁷ brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up³⁸ the ghost, and no eye had seen me!

³⁹I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

¶ Are not my days few⁴⁰? cease⁴¹ then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,

Before I go whence⁴² I shall not return, even to the land⁴³ of darkness and the shadow⁴⁴ of death;

A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death⁴⁵, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.