1Man, born of a woman, has only a few days, and they are full of trouble.
2He comes up like a flower, and is cut down. He runs away like a shadow, and does not stay.
3And do you open your eyes on someone like this? Do you bring me into court with you?
4Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean one? Not one.
5His days are decided. The number of his months is with you. You have set him limits that he cannot cross.
6Turn away from him, so that he may rest, until he has finished his day like a hired worker.
7For there is hope for a tree. If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its young branches will not stop coming.
8Its root may grow old in the earth, and its stump may die in the ground,
9yet at the scent of water it will bud, and put out branches like a young plant.
10But man dies, and wastes away. Yes, man breathes his last, and where is he?
11As the waters drain away from the sea, and the river runs low and dries up,
12so man lies down, and does not rise. Until the heavens are no more, they will not wake, nor be roused out of their sleep.
13If only you would hide me in the grave, and keep me secret until your anger is past! If only you would set me a time, and remember me!
14If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my appointed time I will wait, until my change comes.
15You will call, and I will answer you. You will long for the work of your hands.
16For now you count my steps. Do you not watch over my sin?
17My wrongdoing is sealed up in a bag, and you sew up my guilt.
18And surely the mountain that falls comes to nothing, and the rock is moved out of its place.
19The waters wear away the stones. You wash away the things that grow out of the dust of the earth. And you destroy the hope of man.
20You overpower him for ever, and he passes away. You change his face, and send him away.
21His sons come to honour, and he does not know it. They are brought low, but he does not see it.
22But his flesh upon him will have pain, and his soul within him will mourn.