| King James Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling? | 1“Is not all human life a struggle? Our lives are like that of a hired hand, |
| 2As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work: | 2like a worker who longs for the shade, like a servant waiting to be paid. |
| 3So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me. | 3I, too, have been assigned months of futility, long and weary nights of misery. |
| 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. | 4Lying in bed, I think, ‘When will it be morning?’ But the night drags on, and I toss till dawn. |
| 5My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome. | 5My body is covered with maggots and scabs. My skin breaks open, oozing with pus. Job Cries Out to God |
| 6My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope. | 6“My days fly faster than a weaver’s shuttle. They end without hope. |
| 7O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good. | 7O God, remember that my life is but a breath, and I will never again feel happiness. |
| 8The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not. | 8You see me now, but not for long. You 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. | 9Just as a cloud dissipates and vanishes, those who die will not come back. |
| 10He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more. | 10They are gone forever from their home— never to be seen again. |
| 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“I cannot keep from speaking. I must express my anguish. My bitter soul must complain. |
| 12Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me? | 12Am I a sea monster or a dragon that you must place me under guard? |
| 13When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint; | 13I think, ‘My bed will comfort me, and sleep will ease my misery,’ |
| 14Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions: | 14but then you shatter me with dreams and terrify me with visions. |
| 15So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life. | 15I would rather be strangled— rather die than suffer like this. |
| 16I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity. | 16I hate my life and don’t want to go on living. Oh, leave me alone for my few remaining days. |
| 17What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? | 17“What are people, that you should make so much of us, that you should think of us so often? |
| 18And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment? | 18For you examine us every morning and test us every moment. |
| 19How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle? | 19Why won’t you leave me alone, at least long enough for me to swallow! |
| 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 all humanity? Why make me your target? Am I 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. | 21Why not just forgive my sin and take away my guilt? For soon I will lie down in the dust and die. When you look for me, I will be gone.” |
| King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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