1 “Is there not ^aa time of hard service for man on earth?
Are not his days also like the days of a hired man? ‡

2 Like a servant who¹ earnestly desires the shade,
And like a hired man who eagerly looks for his wages, ‡

3 So I have been allotted ^amonths of futility,
And wearisome nights have been appointed to me. ‡

4 ^aWhen I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise,
And the night be ended?’
For I have had my fill of tossing till dawn. ‡

5 My flesh is ^acaked with worms and dust,
My skin is cracked and breaks out afresh. ‡

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