Study Desk

"I am disgusted with my own life; I will express my complaint freely; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

"I will say to God, 'Do not condemn me; Let me know why You contend with me.

I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.

'Is it right for You indeed to oppress, To reject the work of Your hands, And to look favorably on the plan of the wicked?

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?

'Do You have eyes of flesh? Or do You see as mankind sees?

Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?

'Are Your days like the days of a mortal, Or Your years like a man's year,

Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man's days,

That You should search for my guilt And carefully seek my sin?

That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?

'According to Your knowledge I am indeed not guilty, Yet there is no one to save me from Your hand.

Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.

'Your hands fashioned and made me altogether, Yet would You destroy me?

Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.

'Remember that You have made me as clay; Yet would You turn me into dust again?

Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?

'Did You not pour me out like milk, And curdle me like cheese,

Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?

Clothe me with skin and flesh, And intertwine me with bones and tendons?

Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.

'You have granted me life and goodness; And Your care has guarded my spirit.

Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.

'Yet You have concealed these things in Your heart; I know that this is within You:

And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.

If I have sinned, You will take note of me, And will not acquit me of my guilt.

If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.

'If I am wicked, woe to me! But if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head. I am full of shame, and conscious of my misery.

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;

'And should my head be high, You would hunt me like a lion; And You would show Your power against me again.

For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me.

'You renew Your witnesses against me And increase Your anger toward me; Hardship after hardship is with me.

Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.

'Why then did You bring me out of the womb? If only I had died and no eye had seen me!

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!

'I should have been as though I had not been, Brought from womb to tomb.'

I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

"Would He not leave my few days alone? Withdraw from me so that I may have a little cheerfulness

Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,

Before I go—and I shall not return— To the land of darkness and deep shadow,

Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;

The land of utter gloom like darkness itself, Of deep shadow without order, And it shines like darkness."

A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.