¹“Man , who is born of a woman ,

is of few days , and full of trouble .

²He grows up like a flower , and is cut down .

He also flees like a shadow , and doesn’t continue .

³Do you open your eyes on such a one ,

and bring me into judgement with you ?

⁴Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean ?

Not one .

⁵Seeing his days are determined ,

the number of his months is with you ,

and you have appointed his bounds that he can ’t pass .

⁶Look away from him , that he may rest ,

until he accomplishes, as a hireling , his day .

⁷“For there is hope for a tree if it is cut down ,

that it will sprout again ,

that the tender branch of it will not cease .

⁸Though its root grows old in the earth ,

and its stock dies in the ground ,

⁹yet through the scent of water it will bud ,

and sprout boughs like a plant .

¹⁰But man dies , and is laid low.

Yes, man gives up the spirit, and where is he?

¹¹As the waters fail from the sea ,

and the river wastes and dries up ,

¹²so man lies down and doesn’t rise .

Until the heavens are no more , they will not awake ,

nor be roused out of their sleep .

¹³“Oh that you would hide me in Sheol ,[#14:13 Sheol is the place of the dead.]

that you would keep me secret until your wrath is past ,

that you would appoint me a set time and remember me !

¹⁴If a man dies , will he live again?

I would wait all the days of my warfare ,

until my release should come .

¹⁵You would call , and I would answer you .

You would have a desire for the work of your hands .

¹⁶But now you count my steps .

Don’t you watch over my sin ?

¹⁷My disobedience is sealed up in a bag .

You fasten up my iniquity .

¹⁸“But the mountain falling comes to nothing.

The rock is removed out of its place .

¹⁹The waters wear the stones.

The torrents of it wash away the dust of the earth .

So you destroy the hope of man.

²⁰You forever prevail against him , and he departs .

You change his face , and send him away .

²¹His sons come to honour , and he doesn’t know it .

They are brought low , but he doesn’t perceive it of them .

²²But his flesh on him has pain ,

and his soul within him mourns.”