13. If I had died when I was born, I would be at peace now. I wish I were asleep and at rest
14. with the kings and their advisors who built palaces that are now in ruins.
15. I wish I were buried with rulers who filled their graves with gold and silver.
16. Why wasn’t I a child who died at birth and was put in the ground? I wish I had been buried like a baby who never saw the light of day.
17. There the wicked stop causing trouble, and the weary find rest.
18. Even prisoners find relief there; they no longer hear their guards shouting at them.
19. Everyone—from the greatest to the least important—will be there, and even the slave is free from his master.
20. “Why must a suffering person continue to live? Why let anyone live such a bitter life?
21. Such people want to die, but death does not come. They search for death more than for hidden treasure.
22. They would be happy to find their grave. They would rejoice to find their tomb.
23. But God keeps their future a secret and builds a wall around them to protect them.
24. When it is time to eat, all I can do is sigh with sadness, not joy. My groans pour out like water.
25. I was afraid something terrible would happen, and what I feared most has happened.