¹

Is not the life of man upon earth a state of trial? and his existence as that of a hireling by the day?

¹

ΠΟΤΕΡΟΝ οὐχὶ πειρατήριόν ἐστιν ὁ βίος ἀνθρώπου ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ὥσπερ μισθίου αὐθημερινοῦ ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ;

²

Or as a servant that fears his master, and one who has grasped a shadow? or as a hireling waiting for his pay?

²

ἢ ὥσπερ θεράπων δεδοικὼς τὸν Κύριον αὐτοῦ καὶ τετευχὼς σκιᾶς; ἢ ὥσπερ μισθωτὸς ἀναμένων τὸν μισθὸν αὐτοῦ;

³

So have I also endured months of vanity, and nights of pain have been appointed me.

³

οὕτως κἀγὼ ὑπέμεινα μῆνας κενούς, νύκτες δὲ ὀδυνῶν δεδομέναι μοί εἰσιν.

⁴

Whenever I lie down, I say, When will it be day? and whenever I rise up, again I say when will it be evening? and I am full of pains from evening to morning.

⁴

ἐὰν κοιμηθῶ, λέγω· πότε ἡμέρα; ὡς δ᾿ ἂν ἀναστῶ, πάλιν· πότε ἑσπέρα; πλήρης δὲ γίνομαι ὀδυνῶν ἀπὸ ἑσπέρας ἕως πρωΐ.

⁵

And my body is covered with loathsome worms; and I waste away, scraping off clods of dust from my eruption.

⁵

φύρεται δέ μου τὸ σῶμα ἐν σαπρίᾳ σκωλήκων, τήκω δὲ βώλακας γῆς ἀπὸ ἰχῶρος ξύων.

⁶

And my life is lighter than a word, and has perished in vain hope.

⁶

ὁ δὲ βίος μού ἐστιν ἐλαφρότερος λαλιᾶς, ἀπόλωλε δὲ ἐν κενῇ ἐλπίδι.

⁷

Remember then that my life is breath, and mine eye shall not yet again see good.

⁷

μνήσθητι οὖν ὅτι πνεῦμά μου ἡ ζωὴ καὶ οὐκέτι ἐπανελεύσεται ὀφθαλμός μου ἰδεῖν ἀγαθόν.

⁸

The eye of him that sees me shall not see me again: thine eyes are upon me, and I am no more.

⁸

οὐ περιβλέψεταί με ὀφθαλμὸς ὁρῶντός με· οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ἐν ἐμοί, καὶ οὐκέτι εἰμὶ

⁹

I am as a cloud that is cleared away from the sky: for if a man go down to the grave, he shall not come up again:

⁹

ὥσπερ νέφος ἀποκαθαρθὲν ἀπ᾿ οὐρανοῦ. ἐὰν γὰρ ἄνθρωπος καταβῇ εἰς ᾄδην, οὐκέτι μὴ ἀναβῇ,

¹⁰

and he shall surely not return to his own house, neither shall his place know him any more.

¹⁰

οὐδ᾿ οὐ μὴ ἐπιστρέψῃ ἔτι εἰς τὸν ἴδιον οἶκον, οὐδ’ οὐ μὴ ἐπιγνῷ αὐτὸν ἔτι ὁ τόπος αὐτοῦ.

¹¹

Then neither will I refrain my mouth: I will speak being in distress; being in anguish I will disclose the bitterness of my soul.

¹¹

ἀτὰρ οὖν οὐδὲ ἐγὼ φείσομαι τῷ στόματί μου, λαλήσω ἐν ἀνάγκῃ ὤν, ἀνοίξω πικρίαν ψυχῆς μου συνεχόμενος.

¹²

Am I a sea, or a serpent, that thou hast set a watch over me?

¹²

πότερον θάλασσά εἰμι ἢ δράκων, ὅτι κατέταξας ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ φυλακήν;

¹³

I said that my bed should comfort me, and I would privately counsel with myself on my couch.

¹³

εἶπα ὅτι παρακαλέσει με ἡ κλίνη μου, ἀνοίσω δὲ πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν ἰδίᾳ λόγον τῇ κοίτῃ μου.

¹⁴

Thou scarest me with dreams, and dost terrify me with visions.

¹⁴

ἐκφοβεῖς με ἐνυπνίοις καὶ ὁράμασί με καταπλήσσεις.

¹⁵

Thou wilt separate life from my spirit; and yet keep my bones from death.

¹⁵

ἀπαλλάξεις ἀπὸ πνεύματός μου τὴν ψυχήν μου, ἀπὸ δὲ θανάτου τὰ ὀστᾶ μου·

¹⁶

For I shall not live for ever, that I should patiently endure: depart from me, for my life is vain.

¹⁶

οὐ γὰρ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ζήσομαι, ἵνα μακροθυμήσω· ἀπόστα ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ, κενὸς γάρ μου ὁ βίος.

¹⁷

For what is man, that thou hast magnified him? or that thou givest heed to him?

¹⁷

τί γάρ ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος ὅτι ἐμεγάλυνας αὐτὸν ἢ ὅτι προσέχεις τὸν νοῦν εἰς αὐτὸν

¹⁸

Wilt thou visit him till the morning, and judge him till the time of rest?

¹⁸

ἢ ἐπισκοπὴν αὐτοῦ ποιήσῃ ἕως τὸ πρωΐ καὶ εἰς ἀνάπαυσιν αὐτὸν κρινεῖς;

¹⁹

How long dost thou not let me alone, nor let me go, until I shall swallow down my spittle?

¹⁹

ἕως τίνος οὐκ ἐᾷς με οὐδὲ προΐῃ με, ἕως ἂν καταπίω τὸν πτύελόν μου ἐν ὀδύνῃ;

²⁰

If I have sinned, what shall I be able to do, O thou that understandest the mind of men? why hast thou made me as thine accuser, and why am I a burden to thee?

²⁰

εἰ ἐγὼ ἥμαρτον, τί δυνήσομαι πρᾶξαι, ὁ ἐπιστάμενος τὸν νοῦν τῶν ἀνθρώπων; διατί ἔθου με κατεντευκτήν σου, εἰμὶ δὲ ἐπὶ σοὶ φορτίον;

²¹

Why hast thou not forgotten my iniquity, and purged my sin? but now I shall depart to the earth; and in the morning, I am no more.

²¹

καὶ διατί οὐκ ἐποιήσω τῆς ἀνομίας μου λήθην καὶ καθαρισμὸν τῆς ἁμαρτίας μου; νυνὶ δὲ εἰς γῆν ἀπελεύσομαι, ὀρθρίζων δὲ οὐκέτι εἰμί.