1 ¶ Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.

“Man who is born of woman lives only a short time and is full of trouble.

2 H e comes forth like an open flower and is cut down; he flees as a shadow and does not remain.

He grows up and dries like a flower. He leaves like a shadow and does not stay.

3 A nd dost thou open thine eyes upon such a one and bring me into judgment with thee?

You open Your eyes on him and decide about him.

4 W ho can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one.

Who can make clean what is unclean? No one!

5 S eeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass.

A man’s days are numbered. You know the number of his months. He cannot live longer than the time You have set.

6 I f thou should leave him, he will cease to exist; until then, he shall desire, as a hireling, his day.

So now look away from him that he may rest, until he has lived the time set for him like a man paid to work.

7 ¶ For there is yet hope for a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again and that its tender branch will not cease.

“For there is hope for a tree, when it is cut down, that it will grow again, and that its branches will not stop growing.

8 T hough its root waxes old in the earth and its trunk is dead in the ground,

Its roots grow old in the ground, and the base of the tree dies in the dry ground.

9 a t the scent of water it will bud and bring forth boughs like a new plant.

But with water it will grow. Branches will grow from it like a plant.

10 B ut when man shall die and be cut off, and the man shall perish, where shall he be?

But man dies and is laid low. Man dies, and where is he?

11 T he waters from the sea went, and the river ran out, it dried up.

As water goes into the air from the sea, and the river wastes away and dries up,

12 S o man lies down and does not rise; until there is no heaven, they shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleep.

so man lies down and does not get up again. Until the heavens are no more, he will not wake up or come out of his sleep.

13 O that thou would hide me in Sheol, that thou would keep me covered until thy wrath is past, that thou would appoint me a set time and remember me!

“If only You would hide me in the place of the dead! If only You would hide me until Your anger is past, and set a time for me and remember me!

14 I f a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time I will wait until my transformation comes.

If a man dies, will he live again? I will wait all the days of my trouble until a change comes.

15 T hen thou shalt call, and I will answer thee; thou wilt have a desire towards the work of thine hands.

You will call and I will answer You. You will wait for the work of Your hands.

16 ¶ For now thou dost number my steps; thou dost not open up my sin.

For now You number my steps. You do not write down my sin.

17 M y transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou dost sew up my iniquity.

My sin is locked up in a bag. You cover my wrong-doing.

18 A nd certainly the mountain that falls is undone, and the rocks are removed out of their place.

“But the mountain falls and breaks apart to nothing. The rock moves from its place.

19 T he impetuous waters break the stones and wash away the dust of the earth; in like manner thou dost cause man to lose hope.

Water wears away the stones. Its floods wash away the dust of the earth. So You destroy man’s hope.

20 T hou shalt be stronger than him for ever, and he passes; thou dost change his countenance and send him away.

You have power over him forever, and he leaves. You change what he looks like and send him away.

21 H is sons shall be honoured and he shall not know of it; or they shall be afflicted, but he shall not perceive of them.

His sons receive honor, but he does not know it. Or they lose honor, but he does not see it.

22 B ut while his flesh is upon him, he shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.

His body gives him pain, and he has sorrow only for himself.”