1 Human life is like forced army service,
like a life of hard manual labor,
2 like a slave longing for cool shade;
like a worker waiting to be paid.
3 Month after month I have nothing to live for;
night after night brings me grief.
4 When I lie down to sleep, the hours drag;
I toss all night and long for dawn.
5 My body is full of worms;
it is covered with scabs;
pus runs out of my sores.
6 My days pass by without hope,
pass faster than a weaver's shuttle.
7 Remember, O God, my life is only a breath;
my happiness has already ended.
8 You see me now, but never again.
If you look for me, I'll be gone.
9-10 Like a cloud that fades and is gone,
we humans die and never return;
we are forgotten by all who knew us.
11 No! I can't be quiet!
I am angry and bitter.
I have to speak.
12 Why do you keep me under guard?
Do you think I am a sea monster?
13 I lie down and try to rest;
I look for relief from my pain.
14 But you—you terrify me with dreams;
you send me visions and nightmares
15 until I would rather be strangled
than live in this miserable body.
16 I give up; I am tired of living.
Leave me alone. My life makes no sense.
17 Why are people so important to you?
Why pay attention to what they do?
18 You inspect them every morning
and test them every minute.
19 Won't you look away long enough
for me to swallow my spit?
20 Are you harmed by my sin, you jailer?
Why use me for your target practice?
Am I so great a burden to you?
21 Can't you ever forgive my sin?
Can't you pardon the wrong I do?
Soon I will be in my grave,
and I'll be gone when you look for me.
1 “Omuinyo womundu u ri otja otjiungura
tjoṋiṋikizire tjotjimbumba tjovita,
notja oviungura ovizeu vyokomake,
2 notja omukarere ngu ma
zeri omuzire omutarazu,
notja omuungure ngu ma
undju ondjambi ye.
3 Omueze nga komueze hi
notjiṋa tji mbi hupira;
ouṱuku nga kouṱuku mbi kara noruhoze.
4 Tji mba ka rara, ouṱuku unana;
mbi rara ame nyinganyinga
ouṱuku auhe ame zeri kutja pe tje.
5 Orutu rwandje rwe ura nomativa,
rwa vandekwa novinyuru;
outwika mau ziza movirwaro vyandje.
6 Omayuva wandje ye kapita
nokuhinomaundjiro,
nowo ye kapita hakahana
pomutiri womuwoze.
7 “Zemburuka, Ndjambi, kutja omuinyo
wandje osuvaneno uriri;
omeho wandje kamaa e kamuna
ondjoroka rukwao.
8 Ove nai mo ndji munu,
nungwari komoo ndji munu rukwao.
Tji mo ndji paha, ami tjandje mba i.
9 Otja otjikamba tji tji pizuka natji zengi,
omundu otje koka
10 na ha kotoka rukwao;
eye u zembwa i avehe mbe mu i.
11 Kako! Ami himee mwina ko!
Ami me hungire mombamisiro
yombepo yandje,
nu me urakana momatetarero
womuinyo wandje.
12 “Okutjavi tji mo ndji tjevere?
Mo ripura kutja owami
otjipuka otjitirise tjokuvare are?
13 Ami me rangavara ne roro okusuva;
me paha okukuturwa
komuhihamo wandje.
14 Nungwari ove,
ove mo ndji tirisa noturoto;
mo ndji urumisa
novirimunikise vyoturoto,
15 ngandu indu tji me ṱokusiniwa
komeho yokukara nai
norutu ndwi orunandjenda.
16 Ami mbe rihahiza;
mba urwa okukara nomuinyo.
Ndji esa mbi rikarere erike.
Omuinyo wandje otjikongo uriri.
17 “Okutjavi omundu tje ri
omunanḓengu nai kove?
Okutjavi tji mo rikende na
imbi eye mbi ma tjiti?
18 Ove u mu konḓonona omuhuka auhe
nu u mu rora okaruveze akehe.
19 Ko nokutaviza orure nai kwarwe, nga
ami tji mba ṋiṋa omate wandje are?
20 Ove, mutjevere wovandu,
wa hihamisiwa i ourunde wandje are?
Okutjavi tji mo ndji tjiti
omuhunga womayahero?
Owami omutwaro
omuzeu nai kove are?
21 Hapo, ko nokundjiisira
ouvi wandje are?
Ko nokundjizembira
ozondataiziro zandje are?
Nambano ami mbi ri
pokuhita meyendo randje;
nu tji mo ndji paha,
ami tjandje mba zengi.”
