<p class="poetry">Why did I ever come forth from my mother&#8217;s womb?p> <p class="poetry">All I experience is trouble and grief,p> <p class="poetry">and I spend my days in shame.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">He<n id="1" /> has not looked on iniquity in Jacob,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">nor has he seen trouble<n id="3" /> in Israel.p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> their God is with them;p> <p class="poetry">his acclamation<n id="4" /> as king is among them.p>

<p class="poetry">You have taken notice,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">for<n id="2" /> you always see<n id="3" /> one who inflicts pain and suffering.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">The unfortunate victim entrusts his cause to you;<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">you deliver<n id="6" /> the fatherless.<n id="7" />p>

<p class="poetry">The days of our lives add up to seventy years,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">or eighty, if one is especially strong.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">But even one&#8217;s best years are marred by trouble and oppression.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Yes,<n id="4" /> they pass quickly<n id="5" /> and we fly away.<n id="6" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">So I loathed all the fruit of<n id="1" /> my effort,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">for which I worked so hard<n id="3" /> on earth,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">because<n id="5" /> I must leave it<n id="6" /> behind<n id="7" /> in the hands of my successor.<n id="8" />p>

<p class="poetry">For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill;p> <p class="poetry">however, he must hand over<n id="1" /> the fruit of his labor<n id="2" /> as an inheritance<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">to someone else who did not work for it.p> <p class="poetry">This also is futile, and an awful injustice!<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">No one is concerned about justice;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">no one sets forth his case truthfully.p> <p class="poetry">They depend on false words<n id="2" /> and tell lies;p> <p class="poetry">they conceive of oppression<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and give birth to sin.p>

<p class="poetry">You are too just<n id="1" /> to tolerate<n id="2" /> evil;p> <p class="poetry">you are unable to condone<n id="3" /> wrongdoing.p> <p class="poetry">So why do you put up with such treacherous people?<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Why do you say nothing when the wicked devour<n id="5" /> those more righteous than they are?<n id="6" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Then I considered<n id="1" /> all the skillful work<n id="2" /> that is done:p> <p class="poetry">Surely it is nothing more than<n id="3" /> competition<n id="4" /> between one person and another.<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">This also is profitless &#8211; like<n id="6" /> chasing the wind.p>

<p class="poetry">Enjoy<n id="1" /> life with your beloved wife<n id="2" /> during all the days of your fleeting<n id="3" /> lifep> <p class="poetry">that God<n id="4" /> has given you on earth<n id="5" /> during all your fleeting days;<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">for that is your reward in life and in your burdensome work<n id="7" /> on earth.<n id="8" />p>

<p class="poetry">A man who is all alone with no companion,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he has no children nor siblings;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">yet there is no end to all his toil,p> <p class="poetry">and he<n id="3" /> is never satisfied with riches.p> <p class="poetry">He laments,<n id="4" /> &#8220;For whom am I toiling and depriving myself<n id="5" /> of pleasure?&#8221;<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">This also is futile and a burdensome task!<n id="7" />p>