1 ⲙⲏ ⲟⲩϭⲱⲛⲧ ⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲱⲛϧ ⲛⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲓ ϩⲓϫⲉⲛⲡⲕⲁϩⲓⲭ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲡⲉϥⲱⲛϧ ⲙⲫⲣⲏϯ ⲛⲟⲩⲣⲉⲙⲃⲉⲭⲉ ⲙⲙⲏⲛⲓ .

Is not the life of man upon earth a state of trial? and his existence as that of a hireling by the day?

2 ⲓⲉ ⲙⲫⲣⲏϯ ⲛⲟⲩⲃⲱⲕ ⲉϥⲉⲣϩⲟϯ ϧⲁⲧϩⲏ ⲙⲡⲉϥϭⲟⲓⲥ ⲉⲁϥϫⲓⲙⲓ ⲛⲟⲩϧⲏⲓⲃⲓ ⲭ ⲓⲉ ⲙⲫⲣⲏϯ ⲛⲟⲩⲣⲉⲙⲃⲉⲭⲉ ⲉϥϫⲟⲩϣⲧ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϧⲁⲧϩⲏ ⲙⲡⲉϥⲃⲉⲭⲉ .

Or as a servant that fears his master, and one who has grasped a shadow? or as a hireling waiting for his pay?

3 ⲡⲁⲓⲣⲏϯ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ϩⲱ ⲁⲓⲁⲙⲟⲛⲓ ⲛⲧⲟⲧⲉϩⲁⲛⲉⲃⲏⲧ ⲉⲩϣⲟⲩⲓⲧ ⲭ ϩⲁⲛⲉϫⲱⲣϩ ⲛⲉⲙⲕⲁϩⲛϩⲏⲧ ⲡⲉⲧⲧⲟⲓ ⲛⲏⲓ .

So have I also endured months of vanity, and nights of pain have been appointed me.

4 ⲁⲓϣⲁⲛⲉⲛⲕⲟⲧ ϯϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ ϫⲉⲁⲣⲉ ϣⲱⲣⲡ ⲛⲁϣⲱⲡⲓ ⲛⲧⲛⲁⲩ ⲭ ⲡⲁⲗⲓⲛ ⲟⲛ ⲁⲓϣⲁⲛⲧⲱⲛⲧ ϯϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ ϫⲉⲉⲣⲉⲫⲣⲏ ⲛⲁϩⲱⲧⲡ ⲛⲧⲛⲁⲩ ⲭ ϯⲙⲉϩ ⲇⲉ ⲛⲉⲙⲕⲁϩⲛϩⲏⲧ ⲓⲥϫⲉⲛ ⲣⲟⲩϩⲓ ϣⲁϣⲱⲣⲡ .

Whenever I lie down, I say, When will it be day? and whenever I rise up, again I say when will it be evening? and I am full of pains from evening to morning.

5 ⲁϥⲃⲓϯ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛϫⲉⲡⲁⲕⲁⲥ ϩⲓⲧⲉⲛϩⲁⲛϥⲉⲛⲧ ⲉⲩϩⲱⲟⲩ ⲭ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲛⲁⲙⲟⲩⲃⲱⲛ ⲥⲉⲑⲣⲟ ⲙⲡⲓⲕⲁϩⲓ ⲗⲱⲕ ⲉⲓϧⲱϧ ⲉⲛⲁⲉⲣϧⲱⲧ .

And my body is covered with loathsome worms; and I waste away, scraping off clods of dust from my eruption.

6 ⲡⲁϫⲓⲛⲱⲛϧ ⲇⲉ ϥⲁⲥⲓⲱⲟⲩ ⲉϩⲟⲧⲉ ⲟⲩϫⲓⲛⲥⲁϫⲓ ⲭ ⲁϥⲧⲁⲕⲟ ⲇⲉ ϧⲉⲛⲟⲩϩⲉⲗⲡⲓⲥ ⲉⲥϣⲟⲩⲓⲧ .

And my life is lighter than a word, and has perished in vain hope.

7 ⲁⲣⲓⲫⲙⲉⲩⲓ ⲟⲩⲛ ϫⲉⲟⲩⲡⲛⲉⲩⲙⲁ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁⲱⲛϧ ⲭ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ϥⲛⲁⲧⲁⲥⲑⲟ ⲁⲛ ϫⲉⲉⲛⲁⲩ ⲉϩⲁⲛⲁⲅⲁⲑⲟⲛ ⲛϫⲉⲡⲁⲃⲁⲗ .

Remember then that my life is breath, and mine eye shalt not yet again see good.

8 ⲛⲛⲉϥⲥⲟⲙⲥ ⲛϫⲉⲫⲃⲁⲗ ⲙⲫⲏⲉⲑⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲣⲟⲓ ⲛⲉⲕⲃⲁⲗ ⲛϧⲏⲧⲟⲩ ⲭ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ϯϣⲟⲡ ⲁⲛ ϫⲉ .

The eye of him that sees me shall not see me again: thine eyes are upon me, and I am no more.

9 ⲙⲫⲣⲏϯ ⲛⲟⲩϭⲏⲡⲓ ⲉⲁⲥⲧⲟⲩⲃⲟ ⲉⲃⲟⲗϧⲉⲛ ⲧⲫⲉ ⲭ ⲁⲣⲉϣⲁⲛ ⲣⲱⲙⲓ ϣⲉⲛⲁϥ ⲉϧⲣⲏⲓ ⲉⲁⲙⲉⲛϯ ⲙⲡⲁϥⲓ ⲉⲡϣⲱⲓ ϫⲉ .

I am as a cloud that is cleared away from the sky: for if a man go down to the grave, he shall not come up again:

10 ⲟⲩⲇⲉ ⲛⲛⲉϥϫⲉ ⲉⲡⲉϥⲏⲓ ⲙⲙⲓⲛⲙⲙⲟϥ ⲟⲩⲇⲉ ⲛⲛⲉϥⲥⲟⲩⲱⲛϥ ⲛϫⲉⲡⲉϥⲙⲁ .

and he shall surely not return to his own house, neither shall his place know him any more.

11 ⲉⲑⲃⲉⲫⲁⲓ ⲟⲩⲛ ⲟⲩⲇⲉ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲛⲛⲁϯⲁⲥⲟ ϧⲉⲛⲣⲱⲓ ⲉⲓⲥⲁϫⲓ ⲭ ⲉⲓⲭⲏ ϧⲉⲛϩⲁⲛⲁⲛⲁⲅⲕⲏ ⲛⲧⲉⲡⲁⲡⲛⲉⲩⲙⲁ ⲭ ⲉⲓⲉⲁⲟⲩⲱⲛ ⲙⲡϣⲁϣⲓ ⲛⲧⲉⲧⲁⲯⲩⲭⲏ ⲉⲓⲧⲁⲧϩⲏⲟⲩⲧ .

Then neither will I refrain my mouth: I will speak being in distress; being in anguish I will disclose the bitterness of my soul.

12 ⲙⲏ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲟⲩⲓⲟⲙ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲓⲉ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲟⲩⲇⲣⲁⲕⲱⲛ ⲭ ϫⲉⲕⲑⲱϣ ⲛⲟⲩϫⲓⲛⲁⲣⲉϩ ⲉϩⲣⲏⲓ ⲉϫⲱⲓ .

Am I a sea, or a serpent, that thou hast set a watch over me?

13 ⲁⲓϫⲟⲥ ϫⲉϥⲛⲁϯⲛⲟⲙϯ ⲛⲏⲓ ⲛϫⲉⲡⲁϭⲗⲟϫ ⲭ ϯⲛⲁϫⲉ ⲟⲩⲥⲁϫⲓ ⲇⲉ ϧⲁⲣⲓϧⲁⲣⲟⲓ ϩⲓϫⲉⲛⲡⲁⲙⲁⲛⲉⲛⲕⲟⲧ .

I said that my bed should comfort me, and I would privately counsel with myself on my couch.

14 ⲕϯϩⲟϯ ⲛⲏⲓ ϧⲉⲛϩⲁⲛⲣⲁⲥⲟⲩⲓ ⲭ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲕϣⲑⲟⲣⲧⲉⲣ ⲙⲙⲟⲓ ϧⲉⲛϩⲁⲛϩⲟⲣⲁⲙⲁ .

Thou scarest me with dreams, and dost terrify me with visions.

15 ⲉⲕⲉⲱⲗⲓ ⲛⲧⲁⲯⲩⲭⲏ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϧⲉⲛⲡⲁⲡⲛⲉⲩⲙⲁ ⲭ ⲛⲁⲕⲁⲥ ⲇⲉ ⲉⲃⲟⲗϩⲁ ⲫⲙⲟⲩ .

Thou wilt separate life from my spirit; and yet keep my bones from death.

16 ⲁⲓⲛⲁⲱⲛϧ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲁⲛ ϣⲁⲉⲛⲉϩ ϩⲓⲛⲁ ⲛⲧⲁⲱⲟⲩⲛϩⲏⲧ ⲭ ϩⲉⲛⲕ ⲟⲩⲛ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲙⲙⲟⲓ ⲭ ϥϣⲟⲩⲓⲧ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲛϫⲉⲡⲁⲱⲛϧ .

For I shall not live for ever, that I should patiently endure: depart from me, for my life is vain.

17 ⲟⲩ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲡⲉ ⲫⲣⲱⲙⲓ ϫⲉⲁⲕⲁⲓϥ ⲛⲛⲓϣϯ ⲭ ⲓⲉ ϫⲉⲕϯ ⲛϩⲑⲏⲕ ⲉⲣⲟϥ .

For what is man, that thou hast magnified him? or that thou givest heed to him?

18 ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲕϭⲓⲙⲡⲉϥϣⲓⲛⲓ ϣⲁϩⲁⲛⲁⲧⲟⲟⲩⲓ ⲭ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲕⲑⲱϣ ⲙⲙⲟϥ ⲉⲟⲩⲙⲧⲟⲛ .

Wilt thou visit him till the morning, and judge him till the time of rest?

19 ϣⲁⲧⲛⲁⲩ ϫⲉⲕⲭⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲓ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲁⲛ ⲭ ⲟⲩⲇⲉ ⲕϣⲱⲡ ⲙⲙⲟⲓ ⲁⲛ ϣⲁϯⲱⲙⲕ ⲙⲡⲁⲑⲁϥ ϧⲉⲛⲟⲩⲙⲕⲁϩⲛϩⲏⲧ .

How long dost thou not let me alone, nor let me go, until I shall swallow down my spittle?

20 ⲓⲥϫⲉ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲁⲓⲉⲣⲛⲟⲃⲓ ⲟⲩ ⲡⲉϯⲛⲁϣⲁⲓϥ ⲛⲁⲕ ⲫⲏⲉⲧⲥⲱⲟⲩⲛ ⲙⲡϩⲏⲧ ⲛⲛⲓⲣⲱⲙⲓ ⲭ ⲉⲑⲃⲉⲟⲩ ⲁⲕⲭⲁⲧ ⲉⲓⲥⲉⲙⲓ ⲟⲩⲃⲏⲕ ⲭ ϯⲟⲓ ⲇⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲧⲫⲱ ⲉϩⲣⲏⲓ ⲉϫⲱⲕ .

If I have sinned, what shall I be able to do, O thou that understandest the mind of men? why hast thou made me as thine accuser, and why am I a burden to thee?

21 ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲉⲑⲃⲉⲟⲩ ⲙⲡⲉⲕⲉⲣⲡⲱⲃϣ ⲛⲧⲁⲁⲛⲟⲙⲓⲁ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲛⲧⲉⲕⲧⲟⲩⲃⲟ ⲙⲡⲁⲛⲟⲃⲓ ⲭ ϯⲛⲟⲩ ⲇⲉ ϯⲛⲁϣⲉⲛⲏⲓ ⲉⲡⲕⲁϩⲓ ⲭ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲛⲧⲁϣⲧⲉⲙϣⲱⲡⲓ ϫⲉⲉⲓϣⲱⲣⲡ ⲙⲙⲟⲓ .

Why hast thou not forgotten my iniquity, and purged my sin? but now I shall depart to the earth; and in the morning I am no more.