1 “ Man who is born of woman lives only a short time and is full of trouble.
2 H e grows up and dries like a flower. He leaves like a shadow and does not stay.
3 Y ou open Your eyes on him and decide about him.
4 W ho can make clean what is unclean? No one!
5 A man’s days are numbered. You know the number of his months. He cannot live longer than the time You have set.
6 S o 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 hope for a tree, when it is cut down, that it will grow again, and that its branches will not stop growing.
8 I ts roots grow old in the ground, and the base of the tree dies in the dry ground.
9 B ut with water it will grow. Branches will grow from it like a plant.
10 B ut man dies and is laid low. Man dies, and where is he?
11 A s 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 get up again. Until the heavens are no more, he will not wake up or come out of his sleep.
13 “ 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, will he live again? I will wait all the days of my trouble until a change comes.
15 Y ou will call and I will answer You. You will wait for the work of Your hands.
16 F or now You number my steps. You do not write down my sin.
17 M y sin is locked up in a bag. You cover my wrong-doing.
18 “ But the mountain falls and breaks apart to nothing. The rock moves from its place.
19 W ater wears away the stones. Its floods wash away the dust of the earth. So You destroy man’s hope.
20 Y ou have power over him forever, and he leaves. You change what he looks like and send him away.
21 H is sons receive honor, but he does not know it. Or they lose honor, but he does not see it.
22 H is body gives him pain, and he has sorrow only for himself.”