7:1

הֲלֹא־צָבָא לֶאֱנוֹשׁ על־[עֲלֵי־] אָרֶץ וְכִימֵי שָׂכִיר יָמָיו׃

Is there not a time of service to man upon earth? And are not his days like the days of a hireling?

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7:2

כְּעֶבֶד יִשְׁאַף־צֵל וּכְשָׂכִיר יְקַוֶּה פָעֳלוֹ׃

As a servant that eagerly longeth for the shadow, And as a hireling that looketh for his wages;

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7:3

כֵּן הָנְחַלְתִּי לִי יַרְחֵי־שָׁוְא וְלֵילוֹת עָמָל מִנּוּ־לִי׃

So am I made to possess—months of vanity, And wearisome nights are appointed to me.

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7:4

אִם־שָׁכַבְתִּי וְאָמַרְתִּי מָתַי אָקוּם וּמִדַּד־עָרֶב וְשָׂבַעְתִּי נְדֻדִים עֲדֵי־נָשֶׁף׃

When I lie down, I say: ‘When shall I arise?’ But the night is long, and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.

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7:5

לָבַשׁ בְּשָׂרִי רִמָּה וגיש [וְגוּשׁ] עָפָר עוֹרִי רָגַע וַיִּמָּאֵס׃

My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; My skin closeth up and breaketh out afresh.

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7:6

יָמַי קַלּוּ מִנִּי־אָרֶג וַיִּכְלוּ בְּאֶפֶס תִּקְוָה׃

My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, And are spent without hope.

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7:7

זְכֹר כִּי־רוּחַ חַיָּי לֹא־תָשׁוּב עֵינִי לִרְאוֹת טוֹב׃

O remember that my life is a breath; Mine eye shall no more see good.

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7:8

לֹא־תְשׁוּרֵנִי עֵין רֹאִי עֵינֶיךָ בִּי וְאֵינֶנִּי׃

The eye of him that seeth me shall behold me no more; While Thine eyes are upon me, I am gone.

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7:9

כָּלָה עָנָן וַיֵּלַךְ כֵּן יוֹרֵד שְׁאוֹל לֹא יַעֲלֶה׃

As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, So he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.

7:10

לֹא־יָשׁוּב עוֹד לְבֵיתוֹ וְלֹא־יַכִּירֶנּוּ עוֹד מְקֹמוֹ׃

He shall return no more to his house, Neither shall his place know him any more.

7:11

גַּם־אֲנִי לֹא אֶחֱשָׂךְ פִּי אֲ‍דַבְּרָה בְּצַר רוּחִי אָשִׂיחָה בְּמַר נַפְשִׁי׃

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.

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7:12

הֲ‍יָם־אָנִי אִם־תַּנִּין כִּי־תָשִׂים עָלַי מִשְׁמָר׃

Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, That Thou settest a watch over me?

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7:13

כִּי־אָמַרְתִּי תְּנַחֲמֵנִי עַרְשִׂי יִשָּׂא בְשִׂיחִי מִשְׁכָּבִי׃

When I say: ‘My bed shall comfort me, My couch shall ease my complaint’;

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7:14

וְחִתַּתַּנִי בַחֲלֹמוֹת וּמֵחֶזְיֹנוֹת תְּבַעֲתַנִּי׃

Then Thou scarest me with dreams, And terrifiest me through visions;

7:15

וַתִּבְחַר מַחֲנָק נַפְשִׁי מָוֶת מֵעַצְמוֹתָי׃

So that my soul chooseth strangling, And death rather than these my bones.

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7:16

מָאַסְתִּי לֹא־לְעֹלָם אֶחְיֶה חֲדַל מִמֶּנִּי כִּי־הֶבֶל יָמָי׃

I loathe it; I shall not live alway; Let me alone; for my days are vanity.

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7:17

מָה־אֱנוֹשׁ כִּי תְגַדְּלֶנּוּ וְכִי־תָשִׁית אֵלָיו לִבֶּךָ׃

What is man, that Thou shouldest magnify him, And that Thou shouldest set Thy heart upon him,

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7:18

וַתִּפְקְדֶנּוּ לִבְקָרִים לִרְגָעִים תִּבְחָנֶנּוּ׃

And that Thou shouldest remember him every morning, And try him every moment?

7:19

כַּמָּה לֹא־תִשְׁעֶה מִמֶּנִּי לֹא־תַרְפֵּנִי עַד־בִּלְעִי רֻקִּי׃

How long wilt Thou not look away from me, Nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?

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7:20

חָטָאתִי מָה אֶפְעַל לָךְ נֹצֵר הָאָדָם לָמָה שַׂמְתַּנִי לְמִפְגָּע לָךְ וָאֶהְיֶה עָלַי לְמַשָּׂא׃

If I have sinned, what do I unto Thee, O Thou watcher of men? Why hast Thou set me as a mark for Thee, So that I am a burden to myself?

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7:21

וּמֶה לֹא־תִשָּׂא פִשְׁעִי וְתַעֲבִיר אֶת־עֲוֺנִי כִּי־עַתָּה לֶעָפָר אֶשְׁכָּב וְשִׁחֲרְתַּנִי וְאֵינֶנִּי׃

And why dost Thou not pardon my transgression, And take away mine iniquity? For now shall I lie down in the dust; And Thou wilt seek me, but I shall not be.

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