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

Man, born of woman! Of few days, and full of trouble!

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

As a flower he hath gone forth, and is cut off, And he fleeth as a shadow and standeth not.

3 Y ou open Your eyes on him and decide about him.

Also -- on this Thou hast opened Thine eyes, And dost bring me into judgment with Thee.

4 W ho can make clean what is unclean? No one!

Who giveth a clean thing out of an unclean? not 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.

If determined are his days, The number of his months with Thee, His limit Thou hast made, And he passeth not over;

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.

Look away from off him that he may cease, Till he enjoy as an hireling his day.

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.

For there is of a tree hope, if it be cut down, That again it doth change, That its tender branch doth not cease.

8 I ts roots grow old in the ground, and the base of the tree dies in the dry ground.

If its root becometh old in the earth, And its stem doth die in the dust,

9 B ut with water it will grow. Branches will grow from it like a plant.

From the fragrance of water it doth flourish, And hath made a crop as a plant.

10 B ut man dies and is laid low. Man dies, and where is he?

And a man dieth, and becometh weak, And man expireth, and where he?

11 A s water goes into the air from the sea, and the river wastes away and dries up,

Waters have gone away from a sea, And a river becometh waste and dry.

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.

And man hath lain down, and riseth not, Till the wearing out of the heavens they awake not, Nor are roused from their 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!

O that in Sheol Thou wouldst conceal me, Hide me till the turning of Thine anger, Set for me a limit, 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.

If a man dieth -- doth he revive? All days of my warfare I wait, till my change come.

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

Thou dost call, and I -- I answer Thee; To the work of Thy hands Thou hast desire.

16 F or now You number my steps. You do not write down my sin.

But now, my steps Thou numberest, Thou dost not watch over my sin.

17 M y sin is locked up in a bag. You cover my wrong-doing.

Sealed up in a bag my transgression, And Thou sewest up mine iniquity.

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

And yet, a falling mountain wasteth away, And a rock is removed 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.

Stones have waters worn away, Their outpourings wash away the dust of earth, And the hope of man Thou hast destroyed.

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

Thou prevailest him for ever, and he goeth, He is changing his countenance, And Thou sendest him away.

21 H is sons receive honor, but he does not know it. Or they lose honor, but he does not see it.

Honoured are his sons, and he knoweth not; And they are little, and he attendeth not to them.

22 H is body gives him pain, and he has sorrow only for himself.”

Only -- his flesh for him is pained, And his soul for him doth mourn.'