³ “May the day of my birth perish,
    and the night that said, ‘A boy is conceived!’^(B)
4 That day—may it turn to darkness;
    may God above not care about it;
    may no light shine on it.
⁵ May gloom and utter darkness^(C) claim it once more;
    may a cloud settle over it;
    may blackness overwhelm it.
⁶ That night—may thick darkness^(D) seize it;
    may it not be included among the days of the year
    nor be entered in any of the months.
⁷ May that night be barren;
    may no shout of joy^(E) be heard in it.
⁸ May those who curse days^[a] curse that day,^(F)
    those who are ready to rouse Leviathan.^(G)
9 May its morning stars become dark;
    may it wait for daylight in vain
    and not see the first rays of dawn,^(H)
10 for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me
    to hide trouble from my eyes.

¹¹ “Why did I not perish at birth,
    and die as I came from the womb?^(I)
12 Why were there knees to receive me^(J)
    and breasts that I might be nursed?
¹³ For now I would be lying down^(K) in peace;
    I would be asleep and at rest^(L)
14 with kings and rulers of the earth,^(M)
    who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,^(N)
15 with princes^(O) who had gold,
    who filled their houses with silver.^(P)
16 Or why was I not hidden away in the ground like a stillborn child,^(Q)
    like an infant who never saw the light of day?^(R)
17 There the wicked cease from turmoil,^(S)
    and there the weary are at rest.^(T)
18 Captives^(U) also enjoy their ease;
    they no longer hear the slave driver’s^(V) shout.^(W)
19 The small and the great are there,^(X)
    and the slaves are freed from their owners.

²⁰ “Why is light given to those in misery,
    and life to the bitter of soul,^(Y)
21 to those who long for death that does not come,^(Z)
    who search for it more than for hidden treasure,^(AA)
22 who are filled with gladness
    and rejoice when they reach the grave?^(AB)
23 Why is life given to a man
    whose way is hidden,^(AC)
    whom God has hedged in?^(AD)
24 For sighing^(AE) has become my daily food;^(AF)
    my groans^(AG) pour out like water.^(AH)
25 What I feared has come upon me;
    what I dreaded^(AI) has happened to me.^(AJ)
26 I have no peace,^(AK) no quietness;
    I have no rest,^(AL) but only turmoil.”^(AM)

⁴ I said, “Have mercy^(J) on me, Lord;
    heal^(K) me, for I have sinned^(L) against you.”
⁵ My enemies say of me in malice,
    “When will he die and his name perish?^(M)”
⁶ When one of them comes to see me,
    he speaks falsely,^(N) while his heart gathers slander;^(O)
    then he goes out and spreads^(P) it around.

⁷ All my enemies whisper together^(Q) against me;
    they imagine the worst for me, saying,
⁸ “A vile disease has afflicted him;
    he will never get up^(R) from the place where he lies.”
⁹ Even my close friend,^(S)
    someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
    has turned^[b] against me.^(T)

¹⁰ But may you have mercy^(U) on me, Lord;
    raise me up,^(V) that I may repay^(W) them.
¹¹ I know that you are pleased with me,^(X)
    for my enemy does not triumph over me.^(Y)
12 Because of my integrity^(Z) you uphold me^(AA)
    and set me in your presence forever.^(AB)

¹³ Praise^(AC) be to the Lord, the God of Israel,^(AD)
    from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.^(AE)