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10 “I ·hate [am disgusted with] my life,
    so I will ·complain without holding back [L abandon myself to my sighs];
    I will speak ·because I am so unhappy [L in my bitterness].
I will say to God: Do not ·hold [declare] me guilty,
    but tell me ·what you have against [why you accuse] me.
·Does it make you happy [or Is it right for you] to ·trouble [oppress] me?
    ·Don’t you care about [L Must you despise] me, the work of your hands?
    ·Are you happy with [or Do you favor] the plans of evil people?
Do you have ·human eyes [L eyes of flesh]
    that see ·as we see [L with human vision]?
Are your days like the days of humans,
    and your years like our years?
[L For] You ·look for the evil I have done [L investigate my transgression]
    and search for my sin.
You know I am not guilty,
    but no one can ·save [rescue] me from your ·power [L hand].

“Your hands shaped and made me.
    Do you now turn around and ·destroy [L swallow] me?
Remember that you molded me like a piece of clay.
    Will you now turn me back into dust [Gen. 2:7; Eccl. 12:7]?
10 ·You formed me inside my mother
    like cheese formed from milk [L Do you not pour me out like milk, curdle me like cheese?].
11 You dressed me with skin and flesh;
    you ·sewed [knit] me together with bones and ·muscles [sinews].
12 You gave me life and showed me ·kindness [loyalty],
    and in your care you ·watched over my life [L set a watch over me].

13 “But in your heart you hid ·other plans [L these things].
    I know this was in your mind.
14 If I sinned, you would watch me
    and would not ·let my sin go unpunished [L declare me innocent of my transgression].
15 ·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] me if I am guilty!
    Even if I am ·right [righteous], I cannot lift my head.
I am full of shame
    and ·experience [L look on] only ·pain [affliction].
16 ·If I hold up my head, you hunt me like a lion [or Proud like a lion you hunt me]
    and again show your terrible power against me.
17 You bring new witnesses against me
    and increase your anger against me.
    Your armies come against me.

18 “So why did you ·allow me to be born [L bring me out of the womb]?
    ·I wish I had died [L Why did I not die…?] before ·anyone [L any eye] saw me.
19 I wish I had never lived,
    but had been carried straight from ·birth [L womb] to the grave.
20 The few days of my life are almost over.
    Leave me alone so I can have a moment of joy [Eccl. 2:24–26; 3:12–14, 22; 8:15; 5:19–20; 9:7–10].
21 Soon I will leave; I will not return
    from the land of darkness and gloom,
22 the land of ·darkest night [or dimness and blackness],
    from the land of gloom and ·confusion [chaos],
    where even the light is darkness.”

10 “I loathe my very life;(A)
    therefore I will give free rein to my complaint
    and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.(B)
I say to God:(C) Do not declare me guilty,
    but tell me what charges(D) you have against me.(E)
Does it please you to oppress me,(F)
    to spurn the work of your hands,(G)
    while you smile on the plans of the wicked?(H)
Do you have eyes of flesh?
    Do you see as a mortal sees?(I)
Are your days like those of a mortal
    or your years like those of a strong man,(J)
that you must search out my faults
    and probe after my sin(K)
though you know that I am not guilty(L)
    and that no one can rescue me from your hand?(M)

“Your hands shaped(N) me and made me.
    Will you now turn and destroy me?(O)
Remember that you molded me like clay.(P)
    Will you now turn me to dust again?(Q)
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(R) with bones and sinews?
12 You gave me life(S) and showed me kindness,(T)
    and in your providence(U) watched over(V) my spirit.

13 “But this is what you concealed in your heart,
    and I know that this was in your mind:(W)
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me(X)
    and would not let my offense go unpunished.(Y)
15 If I am guilty(Z)—woe to me!(AA)
    Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head,(AB)
for I am full of shame
    and drowned in[a] my affliction.(AC)
16 If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion(AD)
    and again display your awesome power against me.(AE)
17 You bring new witnesses against me(AF)
    and increase your anger toward me;(AG)
    your forces come against me wave upon wave.(AH)

18 “Why then did you bring me out of the womb?(AI)
    I wish I had died before any eye saw me.(AJ)
19 If only I had never come into being,
    or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!(AK)
20 Are not my few days(AL) almost over?(AM)
    Turn away from me(AN) so I can have a moment’s joy(AO)
21 before I go to the place of no return,(AP)
    to the land of gloom and utter darkness,(AQ)
22 to the land of deepest night,
    of utter darkness(AR) and disorder,
    where even the light is like darkness.”(AS)

Footnotes

  1. Job 10:15 Or and aware of