1 Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling? 2 As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work: 3 So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me. 4 When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day. 5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome. 6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.
7 O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good. 8 The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not. 9 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more . 10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more. 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. 12 Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me? 13 When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint; 14 Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions: 15 So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life. 16 I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity.
17 What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? 18 And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment? 19 How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle? 20 I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself? 21 And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be .
1 “Khoena kha ǃgom sîsengu ǃaroma ǃhūbaib ai hâ tama?
ǁÎn di ûitsēde kha ǀkhupisîsenao-i tsēdi khami ī tama?
2 ǁÎn ûib ge karasa somma ra ǁkhore khobo-i khami ī,
tsî ǀkhupisîsenao-i, ǁî-i mataresa ra ôa-i khami.
3 ǁKhâkorobes ǃgomma tsâs ǀguisa a ti ǀumixū;
tsuxub hoabab ǃoaba a ti ūhâxū.
4 ǁGoe ta ka sī, o ta mâ ǁae ta nî khâisa ra dîsen;
xaweb tsuxuba kaise a gaxu
tsî sâoǃnâsib xa ta ra ǁgoehō ǁoa hîas ǁgoasa ra hā.
5 Ti soros hoaragas ge ǂunin xa ǀoa hâ;
ǀgūb tsî ǂapagu tsîgu ge ǁîsa ǂnamiǂgā hâ;
ūb ge ǀû tamase ti ǀhapide xu ra dâuǂoa.
6 Ti tsēdi ge ǀhôa-aob di ǀhôa-ūnali xa a ǃhae
tsî di ge ǃâubasen-i ose ra ǃgûtoa.
7 “Ti Elotse ǂâi re, ti ûib ǂoa-i khami ī ǃkhaisa;
ti mûra tātsēs tsîna ǁkhawa ǃgâi-e mû tide ǃkhaisa.
8 Nēsi ra mû te mûs ge ǃaruǀî mû te tide.
Kō-ôa te du ka, xawe du ge ǃaruǀî hō te tide.
9 ǃÂus ra kā tsî bē khami i ge,
khoe-i ǁŌhân Hâǃkhaib ǃnâ ra ǁgôa-i,
ǁkhawa oahā tama khami.
10 ǁÎ-i oms ǁga i ge ǁkhawa ǁaruǀkhī tide,
tamas ka ion ge ǁî-i oms dina ǁî-e ra ǀuru.
11 ǁNā-amaga ta ge ti amsa ǂganam tide;
ti ǁaib di gagas ǃnâ ta nî ǃhoa;
ti tsûsa ǀoms ǃnâ ta nî ǃgae.
12 “Hurita kha tita, ots ra ǁkhaeǁgui te,
tamas ka io ta kha huriǀguru , ots nî ǃûi kai te?
13 Ti kharob ge nî ǁkhaeǂgao te
tsî ti ǂgoas ge ti ǃgaesa nî toa kai, ti ta ga mî;
14 ots ge ǁhapodi ǃnâ ǃaoǃao te
tsî ǃhuriǃhurisa īsigu ǀkha nî ǃaoro te.
15 ǁNā-amaga ta ǃkhōdomhesa ra ǁkhore,
tsî ǁōba ûi ta nîs ǃgâ-ai.
16 ǂGao tama ta hâ; ǀamosib kōse ta ûi ǂgao tide;
ǁnāxūǂui te, ti ûib tsēdi ǂoab khami ī xuige.
17 “Tare xū-e khoe-e,
o-i ǁî-e ǁnātikōse sa aiǃâ a ǂhâǂhâsa,
tsîts ǁnātikō ǂâisa ǁî-i ai ra ǂnûi?
18 ǁÎ-ets ge mâ ǁgoas hoasa ôaǃnâ
tsî mâ ǁaeb hoaba ra ǃâitsâ.
19 ǁAero-ets kha tita xu kōbē ǁoa?
ǀOm ta nî ǁaero-i tsîna kha a ǀkhai?
20 Khoen di ǃûi-aotse, ǁore ta ga hâ,
o mâ ǀgaus ai ta sa ǃoagu a mâ ǁkhā?
Tare-i ǃaromats kha tita ǀguita kōǂui hâ?
Tare-i ǃaroma ta kha go sa ǃgomsi kai?
21 Xarets kha ti ǁorena ǀûba te
tsî ti tsūdīna nî ūbēba te?
ǃHae ǁaeb ǃnâ ta ge ǃhūb ǃnâ nî ǂgâ,
tsîts nî ôa te, xawets ǁkhawa hō te tide.”
