| King James Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling? | 1"Does not humanity have hard service on earth? Are not their days also like the days of a hired man? |
| 2As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work: | 2Like a servant longing for the evening shadow, and like a hired man looking for his wages, |
| 3So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me. | 3thus I have been made to inherit months of futility, and nights of sorrow have been appointed to me. |
| 4When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day. | 4If I lie down, I say, 'When will I arise?', and the night stretches on and I toss and turn restlessly until the day dawns. |
| 5My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome. | 5My body is clothed with worms and dirty scabs; my skin is broken and festering. |
| 6My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope. | 6My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle and they come to an end without hope. |
| 7O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good. | 7Remember that my life is but a breath, that my eyes will never again see happiness. |
| 8The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not. | 8The eye of him who sees me now will see me no more; your eyes will look for me, but I will be gone. |
| 9As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. | 9As a cloud is dispersed and then disappears, so the one who goes down to the grave does not come up again. |
| 10He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more. | 10He returns no more to his house, nor does his place of residence know him any more. |
| 11Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. | 11"Therefore, I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. |
| 12Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me? | 12Am I the sea, or the creature of the deep, that you must put me under guard? |
| 13When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint; | 13If I say, "My bed will comfort me, my couch will ease my complaint," |
| 14Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions: | 14then you scare me with dreams and terrify me with visions, |
| 15So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life. | 15so that I would prefer strangling, and death more than life. |
| 16I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity. | 16I loathe it; I do not want to live forever; leave me alone, for my days are a vapor! |
| 17What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? | 17"What is mankind that you make so much of them, and that you pay attention to them? |
| 18And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment? | 18And that you visit them every morning, and try them every moment? |
| 19How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle? | 19Will you never look away from me, will you not let me alone long enough to swallow my spittle? |
| 20I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself? | 20If I have sinned--what have I done to you, O watcher of men? Why have you set me as your target? Have I become a burden to you? |
| 21And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be. | 21And why do you not pardon my transgression, and take away my iniquity? For now I will lie down in the dust, and you will seek me diligently, but I will be gone." |
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