| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1"Does not humanity have hard service on earth? Are not their days also like the days of a hired man? | 1“Is not all human life a struggle? Our lives are like that of a hired hand, |
| 2Like a servant longing for the evening shadow, and like a hired man looking for his wages, | 2like a worker who longs for the shade, like a servant waiting to be paid. |
| 3thus I have been made to inherit months of futility, and nights of sorrow have been appointed to me. | 3I, too, have been assigned months of futility, long and weary nights of misery. |
| 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. | 4Lying in bed, I think, ‘When will it be morning?’ But the night drags on, and I toss till dawn. |
| 5My body is clothed with worms and dirty scabs; my skin is broken and festering. | 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 they come to an end without hope. | 6“My days fly faster than a weaver’s shuttle. They end without hope. |
| 7Remember that my life is but a breath, that my eyes will never again see happiness. | 7O God, remember that my life is but a breath, and I will never again feel happiness. |
| 8The eye of him who sees me now will see me no more; your eyes will look for me, but I will be gone. | 8You see me now, but not for long. You will look for me, but I will be gone. |
| 9As a cloud is dispersed and then disappears, so the one who goes down to the grave does not come up again. | 9Just as a cloud dissipates and vanishes, those who die will not come back. |
| 10He returns no more to his house, nor does his place of residence know him any more. | 10They are gone forever from their home— never to be seen again. |
| 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. | 11“I cannot keep from speaking. I must express my anguish. My bitter soul must complain. |
| 12Am I the sea, or the creature of the deep, that you must put me under guard? | 12Am I a sea monster or a dragon that you must place me under guard? |
| 13If I say, "My bed will comfort me, my couch will ease my complaint," | 13I think, ‘My bed will comfort me, and sleep will ease my misery,’ |
| 14then you scare me with dreams and terrify me with visions, | 14but then you shatter me with dreams and terrify me with visions. |
| 15so that I would prefer strangling, and death more than life. | 15I would rather be strangled— rather die than suffer like this. |
| 16I loathe it; I do not want to live forever; leave me alone, for my days are a vapor! | 16I hate my life and don’t want to go on living. Oh, leave me alone for my few remaining days. |
| 17"What is mankind that you make so much of them, and that you pay attention to them? | 17“What are people, that you should make so much of us, that you should think of us so often? |
| 18And that you visit them every morning, and try them every moment? | 18For you examine us every morning and test us every moment. |
| 19Will you never look away from me, will you not let me alone long enough to swallow my spittle? | 19Why won’t you leave me alone, at least long enough for me to swallow! |
| 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? | 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 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." | 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.” |
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