1 Man born of woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
2 He comes forth like a flower, and withers; he also flees as a shadow, and does not stand.
3 And You open Your eyes on such a one, and bring me into judgment with You.
4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one!
5 For his days are fixed, the number of his months is with You, and You have set his bounds so that he cannot pass;
6 look away from him, so that he may rest until he shall finish his day, as a hireling.
7 For there is hope of a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and its tender branch will not cease.
8 Though its root becomes old in the earth, and its stump dies in the dust,
9 yet at the scent of water it will bud and bring forth branches like a plant.
10 But man dies and is cut off; and man expires, and where is he?
11 As the waters fail from the sea, and a river falls away and dries up,
12 so man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, they shall not awake, nor be awakened out of their sleep.
13 Who will grant that You would hide me in the grave, that You would keep me secret, until Your wrath is past, that You would set me a fixed time and remember me?
14 If a man die, shall he revive? All the days of my warfare I will wait, until my change comes.
15 You shall call, and I will answer You; You shall have a desire to the work of Your hands.
16 For now You number my steps; do You not watch over my sin?
17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and You cover over my iniquity.
18 And surely a falling mountain crumbles away, and the rock moves out of its place.
19 The waters wear away the stones; the outpouring of it washes the dust of the earth; and You cause the hope of man to perish.
20 You overpower him forever, and he passes; You change his face, and send him away.
21 His sons come to honor, and he knows it not; they fall, but he does not mark it.
22 But his flesh is pained within him; and his soul mourns over him.