1 The end of my life is near. I can hardly breathe;
there is nothing left for me but the grave.
2 I watch how bitterly everyone mocks me.
3 I am being honest, God. Accept my word.
There is no one else to support what I say.
4 You have closed their minds to reason;
don't let them triumph over me now.
5 In the old proverb someone betrays his friends for money,
and his children suffer for it.
6 And now people use this proverb against me;
they come and spit in my face.
7 My grief has almost made me blind;
my arms and legs are as thin as shadows.
8 Those who claim to be honest are shocked,
and they all condemn me as godless.
9 Those who claim to be respectable
are more and more convinced they are right.
10 But if all of them came and stood before me,
I would not find even one of them wise.
11 My days have passed; my plans have failed;
my hope is gone.
12 But my friends say night is daylight;
they say that light is near,
but I know I remain in darkness.
13 My only hope is the world of the dead,
where I will lie down to sleep in the dark.
14 I will call the grave my father,
and the worms that eat me
I will call my mother and my sisters.
15 Where is there any hope for me?
Who sees any?
16 Hope will not go with me
when I go down to the world of the dead.
1 “ǃAruǀî ûis di tura-e ta ūhâ tama,
ti tsēdi go ǃgûtoa;
ǀhobas ǀguis ǃâu te hâ.
2 ǃHō-aon nams ǀguis ǃnâ ta hâ;
ti mûra ra ǁîn ǁgoaǂuide kōǀî.
3 Ti Elotse, mâǁkhaebas ase mâǂgâba te re.
Tari-e kha tita nî mâǂgâba?
4 Sats ge ti ǀhōsagu ti ǁnâuǃāga ge ǂganam,
ǁnā-amagats, ǁîga ti ǂama dansa mā tide.
5 Khoe-i ga ǁî-i ǀhōsana mari-i ǃaroma ǀapexū,
on ge ǁîn ôana ǁnās xa nî tsâǀkhāhe.
6 Elob ge khoen ǃhōxūse ge dī te;
ǁîn ge ra ǂāra-aiǃnâ te.
7 Ti mûra ge ǃoab xa ǁaubexa ra mûǀû ǁga;
ti hoaraga soros ge soms khami ī.
8 ǂHauǃnâ khoen ge ǁnās xa ra ǃhuri
tsî ǀhapio khoen ge eloxoresan ǃoagu ra khâi.
9 ǂHanu-ain ge ǁîn daob ai ra hâǀgara
tsî Elob aiǃâ ǃanu ǃomga ūhân,
ge ǃaruǀî ǀgui ra ǀgai.
10 Sago hoago ga ǃnās hoasa tita tawa oaǀkhī,
xawe ta ge sago ǃnâ, ǁnâuǃāxa ǀguib tsîna hō tide.
11 “Ti tsēdi ge ge ǃkharu; ti ǀapedi ge sîsen tama ge i;
ǃaruǀî ta ǃâubasen-i xare-e ūhâ tama.
12 ǁÎgu ge tsuxuba ra tsēa kai;
ǁîgu ge: ‘Tsuxub di ǁaegub ǃnâb, ǃnâba a ǀgū’ ti ra mî.
13 Tita ga ǁŌhân Hâǃkhaiba ti omse mûǂuibasen,
tsî ǁîb ǃkhaesiba ti kharose dī;
14 tsî ta ga ǀhoba-āb ǃoa: ‘Sats ge ti îtsa,’
tsî ǂunigu ǃoa:
‘Sago ge ti îs tamas ka io a ti ǃgâ’ ti mî;
15 os kha mâsa nî ti ǃâubasen?
Tari-e ti ǃâubasensa nî mû?
16 ǁÎsa ǁŌhân Hâǃkhaib ǃnâ nî saoǁgôa te?
ǁÎm hoama tsarab ǃnâ nî ǁgôa?”
