1
נָקְטָה נַפְשִׁי בְּחַיָּי אֶעֶזְבָה עָלַי שִׂיחִי אֲדַבְּרָה בְּמַר נַפְשִׁי
My soul is weary of my life; I will give free course to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
Καμνὼν τῇ ψυχῇ μου, στένων ἐπαφήσω ἐπʼ αὐτὸν τὰ ῥήματα μου· λαλήσω πικρίᾳ ψυχῆς μου συνεχόμενος,
Weary in my soul, I will pour my words with groans upon him: I will speak being straitened in the bitterness of my soul.
2
אֹמַר אֶל־אֱלוֹהַּ אַל־תַּרְשִׁיעֵנִי הוֹדִיעֵנִי עַל מַה־תְּרִיבֵנִי
I will say unto G-d: Do not condemn me; make me know wherefore Thou contendest with me.
καὶ ἐρῶ πρὸς Κύριον, μή με ἀσεβεῖν δίδασκε· καὶ διατί με οὕτως ἔκρινας;
And I will say to the Lord, Do not teach me to be impious; And wherefore hast thou thus judged me?
3
הֲטוֹב לְךָ כִּי־תַעֲשֹׁק כִּי־תִמְאַס יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ וְעַל־עֲצַת רְשָׁעִים הוֹפָעְתָּ
Is it good unto Thee that Thou shouldest oppress, that Thou shouldest despise the work of Thy hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?
Ἢ καλόν σοι ἐὰν ἀδικήσω; ὅτι ἀπείπω ἔργα χειρῶν σου, βουλῇ δὲ ἀσεβῶν προσέσχες.
Is it good before thee if I be unrighteous? For thou hast disowned the work of thy hands, And attended to the counsel of the ungodly.
4
הַעֵינֵי בָשָׂר לָךְ אִם־כִּרְאוֹת אֱנוֹשׁ תִּרְאֶה
Hast Thou eyes of flesh? or seest Thou as man seeth?
Ἢ ὥσπερ βροτὸς ὁρᾷ, καθορᾷς; ἢ καθὼς ὁρᾷ ἄνθρωπος, βλέψῃ;
Or dost thou see as a mortal sees? Or wilt thou look as a man sees?
5
הֲכִימֵי אֱנוֹשׁ יָמֶיךָ אִם־שְׁנוֹתֶיךָ כִּימֵי גָבֶר
Are Thy days as the days of man, or Thy years as a man's days,
Ἢ ὁ βίος σου ἀνθρώπινός ἐστιν, ἢ τὰ ἔτη σου ἀνδρὸς,
Or is thy life human, Or thy years [the years] of a man,
6
כִּי־תְבַקֵּשׁ לַעֲוֺנִי וּלְחַטָּאתִי תִדְרוֹשׁ
That Thou inquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin,
ὅτι ἀνεζήτησας τὴν ἀνομίαν μου, καὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας μου ἐξιχνίασας;
That thou hast inquired into mine iniquity, And searched out my sins?
7
עַל־דַּעְתְּךָ כִּי־לֹא אֶרְשָׁע וְאֵין מִיָּדְךָ מַצִּיל
Although Thou knowest that I shall not be condemned; and there is none that can deliver out of Thy hand?
Οἶδας γὰρ ὅτι οὐκ ἠσέβησα· ἀλλὰ τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν σου ἐξαιρούμενος;
For thou knowest that I have not committed iniquity: But who is he that can deliver out of thy hands?
8
יָדֶיךָ עִצְּבוּנִי וַיַּעֲשׂוּנִי יַחַד סָבִיב וַתְּבַלְּעֵנִי
Thy hands have framed me and fashioned me together round about; yet Thou dost destroy me!
Αἱ χεῖρές σου ἔπλασάν με καὶ ἐποίησάν με, μετὰ ταῦτα μεταβαλών με ἔπαισας.
Thy hands have formed me and made me; Afterward thou didst change [thy mind], and smite me.
9
זְכָר־נָא כִּי־כַחֹמֶר עֲשִׂיתָנִי וְאֶל־עָפָר תְּשִׁיבֵנִי
Remember, I beseech Thee, that Thou hast fashioned me as clay; and wilt Thou bring me into dust again?
Μνήσθητι, ὅτι πηλόν με ἔπλασας, εἰς δὲ γῆν με πάλιν ἀποστρέφεις.
Remember that thou hast made me [as] clay, And thou dost turn me again to earth.
10
הֲלֹא כֶחָלָב תַּתִּיכֵנִי וְכַגְּבִנָּה תַּקְפִּיאֵנִי
Hast Thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?
Ἢ οὐχ ὥσπερ γάλα με ἤμελξας, ἐτύρωσας δέ με ἶσα τυρῷ;
Hast thou not poured me out like milk, And curdled me like cheese?
11
עוֹר וּבָשָׂר תַּלְבִּישֵׁנִי וּבַעֲצָמוֹת וְגִידִים תְּסֹכְכֵנִי
Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews.
Δέρμα δὲ καὶ κρέας με ἐνέδυσας, ὀστέοις δὲ καὶ νεύροις με ἔνειρας.
And thou didst clothe me with skin and flesh, And frame me with bones and sinews.
12
חַיִּים וָחֶסֶד עָשִׂיתָ עִמָּדִי וּפְקֻדָּתְךָ שָׁמְרָה רוּחִי
Thou hast granted me life and favour, and Thy providence hath preserved my spirit.
Ζωὴν δὲ καὶ ἔλεος ἔθου παρʼ ἐμοὶ, ἡ δὲ ἐπισκοπή σου ἐφυλαξέ μου τὸ πνεῦμα.
And thou didst bestow upon me life and mercy, And thy oversight has preserved my spirit.
13
וְאֵלֶּה צָפַנְתָּ בִלְבָבֶךָ יָדַעְתִּי כִּי־זֹאת עִמָּךְ
Yet these things Thou didst hide in Thy heart; I know that this is with Thee;
Ταῦτα ἔχων ἐν σεαυτῷ, οἶδα ὅτι πάντα δύνασαι· ἀδυνατεῖ δέ σοι οὐθέν.
Having these things in thyself, I know that thou canst do all things; For nothing is impossible with thee.
14
אִם־חָטָאתִי וּשְׁמַרְתָּנִי וּמֵעֲוֺנִי לֹא תְנַקֵּנִי
If I sin, then Thou markest me, and Thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.
Ἐάν τε γὰρ ἁμάρτω, φυλάσσεις με, ἀπὸ δὲ ἀνομίας οὐκ ἀθῶόν με πεποίηκας.
And if I should sin, thou watchest me; And thou hast not cleared me from iniquity.
15
אִם־רָשַׁעְתִּי אַלְלַי לִי וְצָדַקְתִּי לֹא־אֶשָּׂא רֹאשִׁי שְׂבַע קָלוֹן וּרְאֵה עָנְי͏ִי
If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet shall I not lift up my head--being filled with ignominy and looking upon mine affliction.
Ἐάν τε γὰρ ἀσεβήσω, οἴμοι· ἐὰν δὲ ὦ δίκαιος, οὐ δύναμαι ἀνακύψαι, πλήρης γὰρ ἀτιμίας εἰμί.
Or if I should be ungodly, woe is me: And if I should be righteous, I cannot lift myself up, For I am full of dishonor.
16
וְיִגְאֶה כַּשַּׁחַל תְּצוּדֵנִי וְתָשֹׁב תִּתְפַּלָּא־בִי
And if it exalt itself, Thou huntest me as a lion; and again Thou showest Thyself marvellous upon me.
Ἀγρεύομαι γὰρ ὥσπερ λέων εἰς σφαγήν· πάλιν γὰρ μεταβαλὼν δεινῶς με ὀλέκεις,
For I am hunted like a lion for slaughter; For again thou hast changed and art terribly destroying me;
17
תְּחַדֵּשׁ עֵדֶיךָ נֶגְדִּי וְתֶרֶב כַּעַשְׂךָ עִמָּדִי חֲלִיפוֹת וְצָבָא עִמִּי
Thou renewest Thy witnesses against me, and increasest Thine indignation upon me; host succeeding host against me.
ἐπανακαινίζων ἐπʼ ἐμὲ τὴν ἔτασίν μου· ὀργῇ δὲ μεγάλῃ μοι ἐχρήσω, ἐπήγαγες δὲ ἐπʼ ἐμὲ πειρατήρια.
Renewing against me my torture: And thou hast dealt with me in great anger, And thou hast brought trials upon me.
18
וְלָמָּה מֵרֶחֶם הֹצֵאתָנִי אֶגְוַע וְעַיִן לֹא־תִרְאֵנִי
Wherefore then hast Thou brought me forth out of the womb? Would that I had perished, and no eye had seen me!
Ἱνατί οὖν ἐκ κοιλίας με ἐξήγαγες, καὶ οὐκ ἀπέθανον, ὀφθαλμὸς δέ με οὐκ εἶδε,
Why then didst thou bring me out of the womb? And why did I not die, and no eye see me,
19
כַּאֲשֶׁר לֹא־הָיִיתִי אֶהְיֶה מִבֶּטֶן לַקֶּבֶר אוּבָל
I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.
καὶ ὥσπερ οὐκ ὢν ἐγενόμην; διατί γὰρ ἐκ γαστρὸς εἰς μνῆμα οὐκ ἀπηλλάγην;
And I become as if I had not been? For why was I not carried from the womb to the grave?
20
הֲלֹא־מְעַט יָמַי יחדל וַחֲדָל ישית וְשִׁית מִמֶּנִּי וְאַבְלִיגָה מְּעָט
Are not my days few? Cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,
Ἢ οὐκ ὀλίγος ἐστὶν ὁ βίος τοῦ χρόνου μου; ἔασόν με ἀναπαύσασθαι μικρὸν,
Is not the time of my life short? Suffer me to rest a little,
21
בְּטֶרֶם אֵלֵךְ וְלֹא אָשׁוּב אֶל־אֶרֶץ חֹשֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָוֶת
Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death;
πρὸ τοῦ με πορευθῆναι ὅθεν οὐκ ἀναστρέψω, εἰς γῆν σκοτεινὴν καὶ γνοφερὰν,
Before I go whence I shall not return, To a land of darkness and gloominess;
22
אֶרֶץ עֵיפָתָה כְּמוֹ אֹפֶל צַלְמָוֶת וְלֹא סְדָרִים וַתֹּפַע כְּמוֹ־אֹפֶל
A land of thick darkness, as darkness itself; a land of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.
εἰς γῆν σκότους αἰωνίου, οὗ οὐκ ἔστι φέγγος, οὐδὲ ὁρᾷν ζωὴν βροτῶν.
To a land of perpetual darkness, where there is no light, Neither [can anyone] see the life of mortals.