1 Has not man his ordered time of trouble on the earth? and are not his days like the days of a servant working for payment?
2 As a servant desiring the shades of evening, and a workman looking for his payment:
3 So I have for my heritage months of pain to no purpose, and nights of weariness are given to me.
4 When I go to my bed, I say, When will it be time to get up? but the night is long, and I am turning from side to side till morning light.
5 My flesh is covered with worms and dust; my skin gets hard and then is cracked again.
6 My days go quicker than the cloth-worker's thread, and come to an end without hope.
7 O, keep in mind that my life is wind: my eye will never again see good.
8 The eye of him who sees me will see me no longer: your eyes will be looking for me, but I will be gone.
9 A cloud comes to an end and is gone; so he who goes down into the underworld comes not up again.
10 He will not come back to his house, and his place will have no more knowledge of him.
11 So I will not keep my mouth shut; I will let the words come from it in the pain of my spirit, my soul will make a bitter outcry.
12 Am I a sea, or a sea-beast, that you put a watch over me?
13 When I say, In my bed I will have comfort, there I will get rest from my disease;
14 Then you send dreams to me, and visions of fear;
15 So that a hard death seems better to my soul than my pains.
16 I have no desire for life, I would not be living for ever! Keep away from me, for my days are as a breath.
17 What is man, that you have made him great, and that your attention is fixed on him,
18 And that your hand is on him every morning, and that you are testing him every minute?
19 How long will it be before your eyes are turned away from me, so that I may have a minute's breathing-space?
20 If I have done wrong, what have I done to you, O keeper of men? why have you made me a mark for your blows, so that I am a weariness to myself?
21 And why do you not take away my sin, and let my wrongdoing be ended? for now I go down to the dust, and you will be searching for me with care, but I will be gone.
1 He teka ranei kua takoto he pakanga mo te tangata i runga i te whenua, he rite ano ona ra ki nga ra o te kaimahi?
2 E rite ana ki te pononga, e matenui nei ki te atarangi, ki te kaimahi, e tumanako nei ki te utu mo tana mahi;
3 Koia toku rite, ka whiwhi nei ki nga marama horihori, a he mauiui nga po kua whakaritea moku.
4 Ka takoto ahau, ka mea ahau, A hea ahau ara ai? he roa ia te po; heoi ka tahurihuri kau ahau a ao noa.
5 Ko te kakahu mo oku kikokiko he kutukutu, he pokuru oneone; ka kukuti toku kiri, a ka ngatata ano.
6 Ko oku ra hohoro atu i te rakau a te kaiwhatu; pau ake, te ai he tumanakohanga atu.
7 Kia mahara he hau oku ra; heoi ano kitenga o toku kanohi i te pai.
8 Ko te kanohi o te tangata e kite ana i ahau, heoi ano tona tirohanga mai ki ahau: kei runga i ahau ou kanohi, heoi kahore iho ahau.
9 Memeha atu te kapua, ngaro atu: he pera ano te tangata e haere ana ki te urupa; e kore e hoki ake.
10 E kore ia e hoki mai ano ki tona whare, e kore ano tona wahi e mahara ki a ia i muri.
11 Na e kore e kaiponuhia e ahau toku mangai; ka korero ahau i toku wairua e mamae nei; ka tangi i te kawa i toku ngakau.
12 He moana ranei ahau, he tohora, i mea ai koe i te kaitirotiro moku/
13 Ki te mea ahau, kei toku moenga ahau te marie ai, ma toku takotoranga e whakamama taku tangi;
14 Na ka whakahaehaetia ahau e koe ki nga moe, ka whakawehia ahau ki nga mea e whakakitea mai.
15 A ki ta toku wairua he pai te tarona; pai ake te mate i enei wheua oku.
16 E whakarihariha ana ahau ki toku ora; kahore oku hiahia kia ora tonu ahau: waiho noa iho ahau, he mea teka noa hoki oku ra.
17 He aha te tangata, i whakanuia ai e koe? i anga ai tou ngakau ki a ia?
18 I titiro ai koe i a ia i tenei ata, i tenei ata, i honohono ai tau whakamatautau i a ia?
19 Kia pehea ake te roa ou kahore nei e tahuri atu i ahau, oku kahore nei e waiho noa iho e koe, kia horomia ai toku huware?
20 Mehemea kua hara ahau, kia aha atu ahau ki a koe, e te kaitiaki o nga tangata? he aha ahau i waiho ai e koe hei patunga mau i taimaha iho ai ahau ki ahau ano.
21 He aha koe te whakarere noa ai i toku he, te whakapahemo ai i toku kino? Akuanei hoki ahau moe ai ki te puehu, a ka ata rapu koe i ahau, otiia kahore noa iho ahau.