1. 人在地上岂无劳役？他的日子岂不像雇工的日子？ Does not man have a term of hard service on earth? And are his days not like the days of a hired hand?
2. 正像奴仆切慕遮荫，又像雇工盼望工价， Like a servant who longs for the shade, And like a hired hand who waits for his pay,
3. 我也照样承受虚空的岁月，有苦难的黑夜为我派定。 So I am made to inherit months of vanity, And nights of trouble are appointed to me.
4. 我躺卧的时候，便说，我何时起来？但黑夜漫长，我尽是翻来覆去，直到天亮。 If I lie down, I say, When will I arise? But the evening is long, And I am full of tossings until the dawn.
5. 我的肉体以虫子和尘土为衣；我的皮肤才收了口，又重新流脓。 My flesh is clothed with worms and dirt clods; My skin crusts and then oozes again.
6. 我的日子比梭更快，都消耗在无指望之中。 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle And are spent without hope.
7. 求你记念，我的生命不过是一口气；我的眼睛必不再见福乐。 Remember that my life is a breath; My eye will not see good again.
8. 观看我的人，他的眼必不再见我；你的眼目要看我，我却不在了。 The eye of him who sees me will not look on me; Your eyes will be on me, but I will not be.
9. 云彩消散而去，照样，人下阴间也不再上来。 The cloud is consumed and goes away: Likewise he who goes down into Sheol does not come up.
10. 他不再回自己的家，他本地也不再认识他。 He returns no more to his house, Nor does his place know him anymore.
11. 至于我，我也不禁止我口；我灵困苦，我要发出言语；我魂苦恼，我要吐露哀情。 For my part, I also will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the distress of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12. 我岂是洋海，岂是大鱼，你竟防守我呢？ Am I the sea, or a sea serpent, That You must set a watch over me?
13. 当我说，我的床必安慰我，我的榻必承担我的苦情； When I say, My bed will comfort me, My couch will bear up my complaint;
14. 你就用梦惊骇我，用异象惊吓我； Then You scare me with dreams And terrify me with visions,
15. 以致我宁肯窒息而死，宁肯死亡，胜似留我这一身的骨头。 So that my soul would choose strangulation And death rather than my bones.
16. 我厌弃性命，不愿永远活着；你任凭我罢，因我的日子不过是一口气。 I loathe life; I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are a mere breath.
17. 人算什么，你竟看他为大，将他放在心上， What is man that You magnify him, And that You consider him,
18. 每早晨察访他，每时刻试验他？ And that You visit him every morning, You try him every moment?
19. 你到何时才转眼不看我，才任凭我咽下唾沫呢？ How long before You look away from me, Before You abandon me until I swallow my spittle?
20. 察看人的主阿，我若有罪，于你何妨？为何将我当作攻击的对象，使我成为你的重担呢？ If I have sinned, what have I done to You, O Watcher of man? Why have You made me Your target so that I have become a burden to myself?
21. 为何不赦免我的过犯，除掉我的罪孽？我现今要躺卧在尘土中；你要殷勤的寻找我，我却不在了。 And why do You not forgive my transgression And take away my iniquity? For now I may lie down in the dust; And You will seek me out, and I will not be.