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

1  For a mortal born of a woman is short lived, and full of wrath.

1  Man, born of woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.

2  He cometh forth like a flower, and withereth; he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

2  Or he falls like a flower that has bloomed; and he departs like a shadow, and cannot continue.

2  He comes forth like a flower, and is crushed, and he flees, as if a shadow, and never remains in the same state.

3  And dost Thou open Thine eyes upon such a one, and bringest me into judgment with Thee?

3  Hast thou not taken account even of him, and caused him to enter into judgement before thee?

3  And do you consider it fitting to look down with your eyes on someone in this way and to lead him into judgment with you?

4  Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.

4  For who shall be pure from uncleanness? not even one;

4  Who can make him clean who is conceived of unclean seed? Are you not the only one who can?

5  Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months is with Thee, and Thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

5  if even his life should be but one day upon the earth: and his months are numbered by him: thou hast appointed him for a time, and he shall by no means exceed it.

5  The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with you; you have determined his limits, which cannot be surpassed.

6  Look away from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as a hireling, his day.

6  Depart from him, that he may be quiet, and take pleasure in his life, though as a hireling.

6  Turn thy face away from him, and his days will be spent like a hireling.

7  For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.

7  A tree has hope: if it has been cut, it turns green again, and its branches spring forth.

8  Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;

8  For though its root should grow old in the earth, and its stem die in the rock;

8  If its roots grow old in the earth, and its trunk passes into dust,

9  Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and put forth boughs like a plant.

9  it will blossom from the scent of water, and will produce a crop, as one newly planted.

9  at the scent of water, it will sprout and bring forth leaves, as when it had first been planted.

10  But man dieth, and lieth low; yea, man perisheth, and where is he?

10  But a man that has died is utterly gone; and when a mortal has fallen, he is no more.

10  Truly, when a man dies, and has been left unprotected, and has decayed, I ask you where is he?

11  As the waters fail from the sea, and the river is drained dry;

11  For the sea wastes in length of time, and a river fails and is dried up.

11  It is as if the waters had receded from the sea and an emptied river had dried up;

12  So man lieth down and riseth not; till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be roused out of their sleep.

12  And man that has lain down in death shall certainly not rise again till the heaven be dissolved, and they shall not awake from their sleep.

12  just so, when a man is fallen asleep, he will not rise again, until the heavens are worn away; he will not awaken, nor rise from his sleep.

13  Oh that Thou wouldest hide me in the nether-world, that Thou wouldest keep me secret, until Thy wrath be past, that Thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!--

13  Who will grant this to me, that you will protect me in the underworld, and hide me until your fury passes by, and establish a time for me, in which you will remember me?

14  If a man die, may he live again? All the days of my service would I wait, till my relief should come--

14  For if a man should die, shall he live again, having accomplished the days of his life? I will wait till I exist again?

14  Do you suppose that a dead man will live again? On each of the days in which I now battle, I wait until my transformation occurs.

15  Thou wouldest call, and I would answer Thee; Thou wouldest have a desire to the work of Thy hands.

15  You will call me and I will answer you; to the work of your hands, you will extend your right hand.

16  But now Thou numberest my steps, Thou dost not even wait for my sin;

16  But thou hast numbered my devices: and not one of my sins shall escape thee?

16  Indeed, you have numbered my steps, but you have been lenient with my sins.

17  My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and Thou heapest up mine iniquity.

17  And thou hast sealed up my transgressions in a bag, and marked if I have been guilty of any transgression unawares.

17  You have sealed up my offenses, as if in a purse, but you have cured my iniquity.

18  And surely the mountain falling crumbleth away, and the rock is removed out of its place;

18  A falling mountain flows away, and a stone is transferred from its place.

19  The waters wear the stones; the overflowings thereof wash away the dust of the earth; so Thou destroyest the hope of man.

19  Waters wear away stones, and with a flood the land is reduced little by little; and similarly, you will destroy man.

20  Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth; Thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.

20  Thou drivest him to an end, and he is gone: thou settest thy face against him, and sendest him away;

20  You have strengthened him for a little while, so that he may cross over into eternity. You will change his face and send him forth.

21  His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he regardeth them not.

21  Whether his sons have been noble or ignoble, he will not understand.

21  If his sons multiply, he does not know it; if they decrease, he perceives it not of them.

22  But his flesh grieveth for him, and his soul mourneth over him.

22  And in this way his body, while he yet lives, will have grief, and his soul will mourn over himself.