1 A minha alma tem tédio à minha vida;
darei livre curso à minha queixa,
falarei com amargura da minha alma.
2 Direi a Deus: Não me condenes;
faze-me saber por que contendes comigo.
3 Parece-te bem que me oprimas,
que rejeites a obra das tuas mãos
e favoreças o conselho dos perversos?
4 Tens tu olhos de carne?
Acaso, vês tu como vê o homem?
5 São os teus dias como os dias do mortal?
Ou são os teus anos como os anos de um homem,
6 para te informares da minha iniquidade
e averiguares o meu pecado?
7 Bem sabes tu que eu não sou culpado;
todavia, ninguém há que me livre da tua mão.
8 As tuas mãos me plasmaram e me aperfeiçoaram,
porém, agora, queres devorar-me.
9 Lembra-te de que me formaste como em barro;
e queres, agora, reduzir-me a pó?
10 Porventura, não me derramaste como leite
e não me coalhaste como queijo?
11 De pele e carne me vestiste
e de ossos e tendões me entreteceste.
12 Vida me concedeste na tua benevolência,
e o teu cuidado a mim me guardou.
13 Estas coisas, as ocultaste no teu coração;
mas bem sei o que resolveste contigo mesmo.
14 Se eu pecar, tu me observas;
e da minha iniquidade não me perdoarás.
15 Se for perverso, ai de mim!
E, se for justo, não ouso levantar a cabeça,
pois estou cheio de ignomínia
e olho para a minha miséria.
16 Porque, se a levanto, tu me caças como a um leão feroz
e de novo revelas poder maravilhoso contra mim.
17 Tu renovas contra mim as tuas testemunhas
e multiplicas contra mim a tua ira;
males e lutas se sucedem contra mim.
18 Por que, pois, me tiraste da madre?
Ah! Se eu morresse antes que olhos nenhuns me vissem!
19 Teria eu sido como se nunca existira
e já do ventre teria sido levado à sepultura.
20 Não são poucos os meus dias?
Cessa, pois, e deixa-me,
para que por um pouco eu tome alento,
21 antes que eu vá para o lugar de que não voltarei,
para a terra das trevas e da sombra da morte;
22 terra de negridão, de profunda escuridade,
terra da sombra da morte e do caos,
onde a própria luz é tenebrosa.
1 My soul is weary of my life;
I will give free course to my complaint;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me;
Show me wherefore thou contendest with me.
3 Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress,
That thou shouldest despise the work of thy 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,
Or thy years as man’s days,
6 That thou inquirest after mine iniquity,
And searchest after my sin,
7 Although thou knowest that I am not wicked,
And there is none that can deliver out of thy hand?
8 Thy hands have framed me and fashioned me
Together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.
9 Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast fashioned me as 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 knit me together with bones and sinews.
12 Thou hast granted me life and lovingkindness;
And thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.
13 Yet these things thou didst hide in thy 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 shall I not lift up my head;
Being filled with ignominy,
And looking upon mine affliction.
16 And if my head exalt itself, thou huntest me as a lion;
And again thou showest thyself marvellous upon me.
17 Thou renewest thy witnesses against me,
And increasest thine indignation upon me:
Changes and warfare are with me.
18 Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb?
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 of the shadow of death;
22 The land dark as midnight,
The land of the shadow of death, without any order,
And where the light is as midnight.
1 "I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.
2 I say to God: Do not declare me guilty, but tell me what charges you have against me.
3 Does it please you to oppress me, to spurn the work of your hands, while you smile on the plans of the wicked?
4 Do you have eyes of flesh? Do you see as a mortal sees?
5 Are your days like those of a mortal or your years like those of a strong man,
6 that you must search out my faults and probe after my sin —
7 though you know that I am not guilty and that no one can rescue me from your hand?
8 "Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me?
9 Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again?
10 Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese,
11 clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews?
12 You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit.
13 "But this is what you concealed in your heart, and I know that this was in your mind:
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me and would not let my offense go unpunished.
15 If I am guilty —woe to me! Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head, for I am full of shame and drowned in "my affliction.
16 If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion and again display your awesome power against me.
17 You bring new witnesses against me and increase your anger toward me; your forces come against me wave upon wave.
18 "Why then did you bring me out of the womb? I wish I had died before any eye saw me.
19 If only I had never come into being, or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!
20 Are not my few days almost over? Turn away from me so I can have a moment's joy
21 before I go to the place of no return, to the land of gloom and utter darkness,
22 to the land of deepest night, of utter darkness and disorder, where even the light is like darkness."