הֲלֹא־צָבָא לאֱנוֹשׁ עֲלֵ ־אָרֶץ וְכִימֵי שָׂכִיר יָמָיו

Truly, there is a limited term, years of life, for man on earth, and his days are like the days of a hireling. Just as a laborer is hired to work for a fixed period but no longer, one’s days in this world are limited. When one has completed his service, he does not remain a single moment longer in the world.

כְּעֶבֶד יִשְׁאַף־צֵל וּכְשָׂכִיר יְקַוֶּה פָעֳלוֹ

Man in this world is like a servant who yearns for shade. He is not free to do as he wishes during his period of servitude, but yearns to at least rest for a bit in the shade, and he is like a hireling who hopes for his wages.

כֵּן הָנְחַלְתִּי לִי יַרְחֵי־שָׁוְא וְלֵילוֹת עָמָל מִנּוּ לִי

Just as a servant’s time is limited and is entirely dependent upon his master, so have months of futility, empty of content, been bequeathed, allocated, to me, and nights of travail and suffering been appointed for me.

אִם־שָׁכַבְתִּי וְאָמַרְתִּי מָתַי אָקוּם וּמִדַּד עָרֶב וְשָׂבַעְתִּי נְדֻדִים עֲדֵי־נָשֶׁף

When I lie down at night, I say: When will I arise? Measuring the length of the night, as in my suffering I await the end of the night, I am filled with restlessness until dawn.

לָבַשׁ בְּשָׂרִי רִמָּה וְגוּשׁ עָפָר עוֹרִי רָגַע וַיִּמָּאֵס

My flesh is covered with worms; my skin is a clod of earth; it is cracked and has become repulsive.

יָמַי קַלּוּ מִנִּי־אָרֶג וַיִּכְלוּ בְּאֶפֶס תִּקְוָה

Unlike the nights of suffering, which feel as though they continue without end, my days, the days of good, were swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, as they left me quickly, and they ended with no hope.

זְכֹר כִּי רוּחַ חַיָּי לֹא־תָשׁוּב עֵינִי לִרְאוֹת טוֹב

God, remember that my life is passing by as wind. I am not an immortal creature, and I cannot bear this misery. My eye will not again see good, as it once saw in the past.

לֹא־תְשׁוּרֵנִי עֵין רֹאִי עֵינֶיךָ בִּי ואֵינֶנִּי

After I die, the eye of one who sees me, or who wishes to see me, will not behold me; Your eyes are on me, and I am not. You could cause my death by setting your eyes on me without causing me to suffer.

כָּלָה עָנָן וַיֵּלַךְ כֵּן יוֹרֵד שְׁאוֹל לֹא יַעֲלֶה

Just as a cloud dissipates and goes away, so one who descends to the grave will not come up. Death is irreversible.

לֹא־יָשׁוּב עוֹד לְבֵיתוֹ וְלֹא־יַכִּירֶנּוּ עוֹד מְקוֹמוֹ

He, the deceased, will not return to his house; his dignified place that he maintained in his lifetime will no longer recognize him. He will lose all connection to the place where he lived, and no memory of him will be preserved.

גַם־אֲנִי לֹא אֶחֱשָׂךְ פִּי אֲדַבְּרָה בְּצַר רוּחִי אָשִׂיחָה בְּמַר נַפְשִׁי

Job continues to speak to God: You do not ease my suffering, and therefore I too will not restrain my mouth from speaking to You. I will speak in, out of, the anguish of my spirit; I will converse in the bitterness of my soul.

הֲיָם אָנִי אִם־תַּנִּין כִּי־תָשִׂים עָלַי מִשְׁמָר

Am I a sea that threatens to drown everything within it, or a sea monster, an ancient creature that You have retained under Your direct control, that You place a watch over me? I am not a monster that seeks to rule over the entire inhabited world and that must be stopped in its tracks.

כִּי־אָמַרְתִּי תְּנַחֲמֵנִי עַרְשִׂי יִשָּׂא בְשִׂיחִי מִשְׁכָּבִי

For I said to myself that I hoped that my bed will console me, that my bedding will bear my discourse. I will find respite from my troubles and bitterness while sleeping, but I am unable to rest in tranquility,

וְחִתַּתַּנִי בַחֲלֹמוֹת וּמֵחֶזְיֹנוֹת תְּבַעֲתַנִּי

and You frighten me with dreams and terrify me from visions of the night.

וַתִּבְחַר מַחֲנָק נַפְשִׁי מָוֶת מעַצְמוֹתָי

My soul prefers strangling, death, rather than living this life in my bones, my body.

מָאַסְתִּי לֹא־לְעֹלָם אֶחְיֶה חֲדַל מִמֶּנִּי כִּי־הֶבֶל יָמָי

I loathe it, my present life, and as I will not live forever, let me be, as my days are futility. Stop afflicting me and let me live a life blessed with meaning and hope.

מָה אֱנוֹשׁ כִּי תְגַדְּלֶנּוּ וכִי־תָשִׁית אֵלָיו לִבֶּךָ

What is man, and what is his significance, that You make him great, and that You set Your heart toward him?

וַתִּפְקְדֶנּוּ לִבְקָרִים לִרְגָעִים תִּבְחָנֶנּוּ

You remember him to watch over him each morning and test him each moment. Why are You constantly examining man’s traits and deeds?

כַּמָּה לֹא־תִשְׁעֶה מִמֶּנִּי לֹא־תַרְפֵּנִי עַד־בִּלְעִי רֻקִּי

For how long will You not release me, not let me be, even to swallow my spittle? You do not leave me alone even for the short time necessary to swallow my saliva.

חָטָאתִי מָה אֶפְעַל לָךְ נֹצֵר הָאָדָם לָמָה שַׂמְתַּנִי לְמִפְגָּע לָךְ וָאֶהְיֶה עָלַי לְמַשָּׂא

Even if I have sinned, what have I done to You, Guardian of man? My sins do not affect You at all, as You are exalted above everything. Why did You set me as Your target, a target for You to strike, or, alternatively, why do You treat me as one who can strike You, as it were, and why do You treat me as though I have become a burden to myself, that is, to You?

וּמֶה לֹא־תִשָּׂא פִשְׁעִי וְתַעֲבִיר אֶת־עֲוֹנִי כִּי־עַתָּה לֶעָפָר אֶשְׁכָּב וְשִׁחַרְתַּנִי וְאֵינֶנִּי

Why don’t You bear my transgression and overlook my iniquity? For now, in a short while, I will lie down buried in the dust; You will seek me, but I will not be. Please free me from this suffering. I want to live in whatever manner I wish. I will die when I die, but there is no need to add any further torment. Although here Job speaks of his sins, he does not consider them the primary source of his suffering. He admits that, being human, he might have erred, but he argues that the punishments he has received do not correspond to the sum total of all the transgressions he could have conceivably committed. He therefore cannot understand why all this has happened to him. Moreover, he complains about his misery. Whereas he previously merely described his difficulties and the extent of his suffering, he now requests simply to be left to die in peace.