1 taedet animam meam vitae meae
dimittam adversum me eloquium meum
loquar in amaritudine animae meae
2 dicam Deo noli me condemnare indica mihi cur me ita iudices
3 numquid bonum tibi videtur si calumnieris
et opprimas me opus manuum tuarum
et consilium impiorum adiuves
4 numquid oculi carnei tibi sunt aut sicut videt homo et tu videbis
5 numquid sicut dies hominis dies tui
et anni tui sicut humana sunt tempora
6 ut quaeras iniquitatem meam et peccatum meum scruteris
7 et scias quia nihil impium fecerim
cum sit nemo qui de manu tua possit eruere
8 manus tuae plasmaverunt me et fecerunt me totum in
circuitu
et sic repente praecipitas me
9 memento quaeso quod sicut lutum feceris me
et in pulverem reduces me
10 nonne sicut lac mulsisti me et sicut caseum me coagulasti
11 pelle et carnibus vestisti me
et ossibus et nervis conpegisti me
12 vitam et misericordiam tribuisti mihi
et visitatio tua custodivit spiritum meum
13 licet haec celes in corde tuo
tamen scio quia universorum memineris
14 si peccavi et ad horam pepercisti mihi
cur ab iniquitate mea mundum me esse non pateris
15 et si impius fuero vae mihi est
et si iustus non levabo caput saturatus adflictione et miseria
16 et propter superbiam quasi leaenam capies me
reversusque mirabiliter me crucias
17 instauras testes tuos contra me
et multiplicas iram tuam adversum me et poenae militant in me
18 quare de vulva eduxisti me
qui utinam consumptus essem ne oculus me videret
19 fuissem quasi qui non essem
de utero translatus ad tumulum
20 numquid non paucitas dierum meorum finietur brevi
dimitte ergo me ut plangam paululum dolorem meum
21 antequam vadam et non revertar
ad terram tenebrosam et opertam mortis caligine
22 terram miseriae et tenebrarum ubi umbra mortis et nullus ordo
et sempiternus horror inhabitans
1 My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. 2 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me. 3 Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked? 4 Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth? 5 Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man’s days, 6 That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin? 7 Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.
8 Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me. 9 Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again? 10 Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese? 11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews. 12 Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit. 13 And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.
14 If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity. 15 If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction; 16 For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me. 17 Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me. 18 Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me! 19 I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave. 20 Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, 21 Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; 22 A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.