1
הֲלֹא־צָבָא לֶאֱנוֹשׁ על־עֲלֵי־אָרֶץ וְכִימֵי שָׂכִיר יָמָיו
Is there not a time of service to man upon earth? And are not his days like the days of a hireling?
Πότερον οὐχὶ πειρατήριόν ἐστιν ὁ βίος ἀνθρώπου ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς; καὶ ὥσπερ μισθίου αὐθημερινοῦ ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ;
Is not the life of man upon earth a state of trial? And his existence as that of a hireling by the day?
2
כְּעֶבֶד יִשְׁאַף־צֵל וּכְשָׂכִיר יְקַוֶּה פָעֳלוֹ
As a servant that eagerly longeth for the shadow, and as a hireling that looketh for his wages;
Ἢ ὥσπερ θεράπων δεδοικὼς τὸν Κύριον αὐτοῦ, καὶ τετευχὼς σκιᾶς; ἢ ὥσπερ μισθωτὸς ἀναμένων τὸν μισθὸν αὐτοῦ;
Or as a servant that fears his master, and one who has grasped a shadow? Or as a hireling waiting for his pay?
3
כֵּן הָנְחַלְתִּי לִי יַרְחֵי־שָׁוְא וְלֵילוֹת עָמָל מִנּוּ־לִי
So am I made to possess--months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.
Οὕτως κᾀγὼ ὑπέμεινα μῆνας κενοὺς, νύκτες δὲ ὀδυνῶν δεδομέναι μοι εἰσίν.
So have I also endured months of vanity, And nights of pain have been appointed me.
4
אִם־שָׁכַבְתִּי וְאָמַרְתִּי מָתַי אָקוּם וּמִדַּד־עָרֶב וְשָׂבַעְתִּי נְדֻדִים עֲדֵי־נָשֶׁף
When I lie down, I say: 'When shall I arise?' But the night is long, and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.
Ἐὰν κοιμηθῶ, λέγω, πότε ἡμέρα; ὡς δʼ ἂν ἀναστῶ, πάλιν, πότε ἑσπέρα; πλήρης δὲ γίνομαι ὀδυνῶν ἀπὸ ἑσπέρας ἕως πρωΐ.
Whenever I lie down, I say, When [will it be] day? And whenever I rise up, again [I say] when [will it be] evening? And I am full of pains from evening to morning.
5
לָבַשׁ בְּשָׂרִי רִמָּה וגיש וְגוּשׁ עָפָר עוֹרִי רָגַע וַיִּמָּאֵס
My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin closeth up and breaketh out afresh.
Φύρεται δέ μου τὸ σῶμα ἐν σαπρίᾳ σκωλήκων, τήκω δὲ βώλακας γῆς ἀπὸ ἰχῶρος ξύων.
And my body is covered with loathsome worms; And I waste away, scraping off clods of dust from my eruption.
6
יָמַי קַלּוּ מִנִּי־אָרֶג וַיִּכְלוּ בְּאֶפֶס תִּקְוָה
My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.
Ὁ δὲ βίος μου ἔστιν ἐλαφρότερος λαλιᾶς, ἀπόλωλε δὲ ἐν κενῇ ἐλπίδι.
And my life is lighter than a word, And has perished in vain hope.
7
זְכֹר כִּי־רוּחַ חַיָּי לֹא־תָשׁוּב עֵינִי לִרְאוֹת טוֹב
O remember that my life is a breath; mine eye shall no more see good.
Μνήσθητι οὖν ὅτι πνεῦμά μου ἡ ζωὴ, καὶ οὐκ ἔτι ἐπανελεύσεται ὀφθαλμός μου ἰδεῖν ἀγαθόν.
Remember then that my life is breath, And mine eye shall not yet again see good.
8
לֹא־תְשׁוּרֵנִי עֵין רֹאִי עֵינֶיךָ בִּי וְאֵינֶנִּי
The eye of him that seeth me shall behold me no more; while Thine eyes are upon me, I am gone.
Οὐ περιβλέψεταί με ὀφθαλμὸς ὁρῶντός με, οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ἐν ἐμοί, καὶ οὐκ ἔτι εἰμί·
The eye of him that sees me shall not see me [again]: Thine eyes are upon me, and I am no more.
9
כָּלָה עָנָן וַיֵּלַךְ כֵּן יוֹרֵד שְׁאוֹל לֹא יַעֲל͏ֶה
As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.
Ὥσπερ νέφος ἀποκαθαρθὲν ἀπʼ οὐρανοῦ· ἐὰν γὰρ ἄνθρωπος καταβῇ εἰς ᾅδην, οὐκ ἔτι μὴ ἀναβῇ,
[I am] as a cloud that is cleared away from the sky: For if a man go down to the grave, he shall not come up again:
10
לֹא־יָשׁוּב עוֹד לְבֵיתוֹ וְלֹא־יַכִּירֶנּוּ עוֹד מְקֹמוֹ
He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.
οὐδʼ οὐ μὴ ἐπιστρέψῃ εἰς τὸν ἴδιον οἶκον, οὐδʼ οὐ μὴ ἐπιγνῶ αὐτὸν ἔτι ὁ τόπος αὐτοῦ.
And he shall surely not return to his own house, Neither shall his place know him anymore.
11
גַּם־אֲנִי לֹא אֶחֱשָׂךְ פִּי אֲדַבְּרָה בְּצַר רוּחִי אָשִׂיחָה בְּמַר נַפְשִׁי
Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
Ἀτὰρ οὖν οὐδὲ ἐγὼ φείσομαι τῷ στόματί μου, λαλήσω ἐν ἀνάγκῃ ὤν, ἀνοίξω πικρίαν ψυχῆς μου συνεχόμενος.
Then neither will I refrain my mouth: I will speak being in distress; Being in anguish I will disclose the bitterness of my soul.
12
הֲיָם־אָנִי אִם־תַּנִּין כִּי־תָשִׂים עָלַי מִשְׁמָר
Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, that Thou settest a watch over me?
Πότερον θάλασσα εἰμὶ ἢ δράκων, ὅτι κατέταξας ἐπʼ ἐμὲ φυλακήν;
Am I a sea, or a serpent, That thou hast set a watch over me?
13
כִּי־אָמַרְתִּי תְּנַחֲמֵנִי עַרְשִׂי יִשָּׂא בְשִׂיחִי מִשְׁכָּבִי
When I say: 'My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint';
Εἴπα ὅτι παρακαλέσει με ἡ κλίνη μου, ἀνοίσω δὲ πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν ἰδίᾳ λόγον τῇ κοίτῃ μου.
I said that my bed should comfort me, And I would privately counsel with myself on my couch.
14
וְחִתַּתַּנִי בַחֲלֹמוֹת וּמֵחֶזְיֹנוֹת תְּבַעֲתַנִּי
Then Thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions;
Ἐκφοβεῖς με ἐνυπνίοις, καὶ ὁράμασί με καταπλήσσεις.
Thou scarest me with dreams, and dost terrify me with visions.
15
וַתִּבְחַר מַחֲנָק נַפְשִׁי מָוֶת מֵעַצְמוֹתָי
So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than these my bones.
Ἀπαλλάξεις ἀπὸ πνεύματός μου τὴν ψυχήν μου, ἀπὸ δὲ θανάτου τὰ ὀστᾶ μου.
Thou wilt separate life from my spirit; And yet [keep] my bones from death.
16
מָאַסְתִּי לֹא־לְעֹלָם אֶחְיֶה חֲדַל מִמֶּנִּי כִּי־הֶבֶל יָמָי
I loathe it; I shall not live alway; let me alone; for my days are vanity.
Οὐ γὰρ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ζήσομαι, ἵνα μακροθυμήσω· ἀπόστα ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ, κενὸς γάρ μου ὁ βίος.
For I shall not live forever, that I should patiently endure: Depart from me, for my life [is] vain.
17
מָה־אֱנוֹשׁ כִּי תְגַדְּלֶנּוּ וְכִי־תָשִׁית אֵלָיו לִבֶּךָ
What is man, that Thou shouldest magnify him, and that Thou shouldest set Thy heart upon him,
Τί γάρ ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος, ὅτι ἐμεγάλυνας αὐτόν; ἢ ὅτι προσέχεις τὸν νοῦν εἰς αὐτόν;
For what is man, that thou hast magnified him? Or that thou givest heed to him?
18
וַתִּפְקְדֶנּוּ לִבְקָרִים לִרְגָעִים תִּבְחָנֶנּוּ
And that Thou shouldest remember him every morning, and try him every moment?
Ἢ ἐπισκοπὴν αὐτοῦ ποιήσῃ ἕως τὸ πρωΐ; καὶ εἰς ἀνάπαυσιν αὐτὸν κρινεῖς;
Wilt thou visit him till the morning, And judge him till [the time of] rest?
19
כַּמָּה לֹא־תִשְׁעֶה מִמֶּנִּי לֹא־תַרְפֵּנִי עַד־בִּלְעִי רֻקִּי
How long wilt Thou not look away from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?
Ἕως τίνος οὐκ ἐᾷς με, οὐδὲ προΐῃ με, ἕως ἂν καταπίω τὸν πτύελόν μου;
How long dost thou not let me alone, Nor let me go, until I shall swallow down my spittle?
20
חָטָאתִי מָה אֶפְעַל לָךְ נֹצֵר הָאָדָם לָמָה שַׂמְתַּנִי לְמִפְגָּע לָךְ וָאֶהְיֶה עָלַי לְמַשָּׂא
If I have sinned, what do I unto Thee, O Thou watcher of men? Why hast Thou set me as a mark for Thee, so that I am a burden to myself?
Εἰ ἐγὼ ἥμαρτον, τί δυνήσομαι πρᾶξαι, ὁ ἐπιστάμενος τὸν νοῦν τῶν ἀνθρώπων; διατί ἔθου με κατεντευκτήν σου, εἰμὶ δὲ ἐπὶ σοὶ φορτίον;
If I have sinned, what shall I be able to do, O thou that understandest the mind of men? Why hast thou made me as thine accuser, And [why] am I a burden to thee?
21
וּמֶה לֹא־תִשָּׂא פִשְׁעִי וְתַעֲבִיר אֶת־עֲוֺנִי כִּי־עַתָּה לֶעָפָר אֶשְׁכָּב וְשִׁחֲרְתַּנִי וְאֵינֶנִּי
And why dost Thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? For now shall I lie down in the dust; and Thou wilt seek me, but I shall not be.
Διατί οὐκ ἐποιήσω τῆς ἀνομίας μου λήθην, καὶ καθαρισμὸν τῆς ἁμαρτίας μου; νυνὶ δὲ εἰς γῆν ἀπελεύσομαι, ὀρθρίζων δὲ οὐκ ἔτι εἰμί.
Why hast thou not forgotten my iniquity, And purged my sin? But now I shall depart to the earth; And in the morning, I am no more.