1“I loathe my very life;
therefore I will give free rein to my complaint
and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.
2I say to God: Do not declare me guilty,
but tell me what charges you have against me.
3Does it please you to oppress me,
to spurn the work of your hands,
while you smile on the plans of the wicked?
4Do you have eyes of flesh?
Do you see as a mortal sees?
5Are your days like those of a mortal
or your years like those of a strong man,
6that you must search out my faults
and probe after my sin—
7though you know that I am not guilty
and that no one can rescue me from your hand?
8“Your hands shaped me and made me.
Will you now turn and destroy me?
9Remember that you molded me like clay.
Will you now turn me to dust again?
10Did you not pour me out like milk
and curdle me like cheese,
11clothe me with skin and flesh
and knit me together with bones and sinews?
12You gave me life and showed me kindness,
and in your providence watched over my spirit.
13“But this is what you concealed in your heart,
and I know that this was in your mind:
14If I sinned, you would be watching me
and would not let my offense go unpunished.
15If I am guilty—woe to me!
Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head,
for I am full of shame
and drowned in10:15 Or and aware of my affliction.
16If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion
and again display your awesome power against me.
17You bring new witnesses against me
and increase your anger toward me;
your forces come against me wave upon wave.
18“Why then did you bring me out of the womb?
I wish I had died before any eye saw me.
19If only I had never come into being,
or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!
20Are not my few days almost over?
Turn away from me so I can have a moment’s joy
21before I go to the place of no return,
to the land of gloom and utter darkness,
22to the land of deepest night,
of utter darkness and disorder,
where even the light is like darkness.”
1“I’m sick of living.
So I’ll talk openly about my problems.
I’ll speak out because my spirit is bitter.
2I say to God, ‘Don’t find me guilty.
Instead, tell me what charges
you are bringing against me.
3Does it make you happy when you crush me?
Does it please you to turn your back on what you have made?
While you do those things,
you smile on the plans of sinful people!
4You don’t have human eyes.
You don’t see as people see.
5Your days aren’t like the days of a mere human being.
Your years aren’t even like the years of a strong man.
6So you search for my mistakes.
You look for my sin.
7You already know I’m not guilty.
No one can save me from your power.
8“ ‘Your hands shaped me and made me.
So are you going to destroy me now?
9Remember, you molded me like clay.
So are you going to turn me back into dust?
10Didn’t you pour me out like milk?
Didn’t you form me like cheese?
11Didn’t you put skin and flesh on me?
Didn’t you sew me together with bones and muscles?
12You gave me life. You were kind to me.
You took good care of me. You watched over me.
13“ ‘But here’s what you hid in your heart.
Here’s what you had on your mind.
14If I sinned, you would be watching me.
You wouldn’t let me go without punishing me.
15If I were guilty, how terrible that would be for me!
Even if I haven’t sinned,
I can’t be proud of what I’ve done.
That’s because I’m so full of shame.
I’m drowning in my suffering.
16If I become proud, you hunt me down like a lion.
You show your mighty power against me.
17You bring new witnesses against me.
You become more and more angry with me.
You use your power against me again and again.
18“ ‘Why did you bring me out of my mother’s body?
I wish I had died before anyone saw me.
19I wish I’d never been born!
I wish I’d been carried straight from my mother’s body to the grave!
20Aren’t my few days almost over?
Leave me so I can have a moment of joy.
21Turn away before I go to the place I can’t return from.
It’s the land of gloom and total darkness.
22It’s the land of darkest night
and total darkness and disorder.
There even the light is like darkness.’ ”
