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 “Khoena kha ǃgom sîsengu ǃaroma ǃhūbaib ai hâ tama?
ǁÎn di ûitsēde kha ǀkhupisîsenao-i tsēdi khami ī tama?
2 ǁÎn ûib ge karasa somma ra ǁkhore khobo-i khami ī,
tsî ǀkhupisîsenao-i, ǁî-i mataresa ra ôa-i khami.
3 ǁKhâkorobes ǃgomma tsâs ǀguisa a ti ǀumixū;
tsuxub hoabab ǃoaba a ti ūhâxū.
4 ǁGoe ta ka sī, o ta mâ ǁae ta nî khâisa ra dîsen;
xaweb tsuxuba kaise a gaxu
tsî sâoǃnâsib xa ta ra ǁgoehō ǁoa hîas ǁgoasa ra hā.
5 Ti soros hoaragas ge ǂunin xa ǀoa hâ;
ǀgūb tsî ǂapagu tsîgu ge ǁîsa ǂnamiǂgā hâ;
ūb ge ǀû tamase ti ǀhapide xu ra dâuǂoa.
6 Ti tsēdi ge ǀhôa-aob di ǀhôa-ūnali xa a ǃhae
tsî di ge ǃâubasen-i ose ra ǃgûtoa.
7 “Ti Elotse ǂâi re, ti ûib ǂoa-i khami ī ǃkhaisa;
ti mûra tātsēs tsîna ǁkhawa ǃgâi-e mû tide ǃkhaisa.
8 Nēsi ra mû te mûs ge ǃaruǀî mû te tide.
Kō-ôa te du ka, xawe du ge ǃaruǀî hō te tide.
9 ǃÂus ra kā tsî bē khami i ge,
khoe-i ǁŌhân Hâǃkhaib ǃnâ ra ǁgôa-i,
ǁkhawa oahā tama khami.
10 ǁÎ-i oms ǁga i ge ǁkhawa ǁaruǀkhī tide,
tamas ka ion ge ǁî-i oms dina ǁî-e ra ǀuru.
11 ǁNā-amaga ta ge ti amsa ǂganam tide;
ti ǁaib di gagas ǃnâ ta nî ǃhoa;
ti tsûsa ǀoms ǃnâ ta nî ǃgae.
12 “Hurita kha tita, ots ra ǁkhaeǁgui te,
tamas ka io ta kha huriǀguru , ots nî ǃûi kai te?
13 Ti kharob ge nî ǁkhaeǂgao te
tsî ti ǂgoas ge ti ǃgaesa nî toa kai, ti ta ga mî;
14 ots ge ǁhapodi ǃnâ ǃaoǃao te
tsî ǃhuriǃhurisa īsigu ǀkha nî ǃaoro te.
15 ǁNā-amaga ta ǃkhōdomhesa ra ǁkhore,
tsî ǁōba ûi ta nîs ǃgâ-ai.
16 ǂGao tama ta hâ; ǀamosib kōse ta ûi ǂgao tide;
ǁnāxūǂui te, ti ûib tsēdi ǂoab khami ī xuige.
17 “Tare xū-e khoe-e,
o-i ǁî-e ǁnātikōse sa aiǃâ a ǂhâǂhâsa,
tsîts ǁnātikō ǂâisa ǁî-i ai ra ǂnûi?
18 ǁÎ-ets ge mâ ǁgoas hoasa ôaǃnâ
tsî mâ ǁaeb hoaba ra ǃâitsâ.
19 ǁAero-ets kha tita xu kōbē ǁoa?
ǀOm ta nî ǁaero-i tsîna kha a ǀkhai?
20 Khoen di ǃûi-aotse, ǁore ta ga hâ,
o mâ ǀgaus ai ta sa ǃoagu a mâ ǁkhā?
Tare-i ǃaromats kha tita ǀguita kōǂui hâ?
Tare-i ǃaroma ta kha go sa ǃgomsi kai?
21 Xarets kha ti ǁorena ǀûba te
tsî ti tsūdīna nî ūbēba te?
ǃHae ǁaeb ǃnâ ta ge ǃhūb ǃnâ nî ǂgâ,
tsîts nî ôa te, xawets ǁkhawa hō te tide.”
