"Man, born of woman, lives but a few days, and they are full of trouble.

You will call and I -- I will answer you; you will long for the creature you have made.

"Surely now you count my steps; then you would not mark my sin.

My offenses would be sealed up in a bag; you would cover over my sin.

But as a mountain falls away and crumbles, and as a rock will be removed from its place,

If his sons are honored, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he does not see it.

Only his flesh has pain for himself, and he mourns for himself."

as water wears away stones, and torrents wash away the soil, so you destroy man's hope.

You overpower him once for all, and he departs; you change his appearance and send him away.

Who can make a clean thing come from an unclean? No one!

If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait until my release comes.

"But there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail.

Since man's days are determined, the number of his months is under your control; you have set his limit and he cannot pass it.

so man lies down and does not rise; until the heavens are no more, they will not awake nor arise from their sleep.

He grows up like a flower and then withers away; he flees like a shadow, and does not remain.

But man dies and is powerless; he expires -- and where is he?

"O that you would hide me in Sheol, and conceal me till your anger has passed! O that you would set me a time and then remember me!

Look away from him and let him desist, until he fulfills his time like a hired man.

As water disappears from the sea, or a river drains away and dries up,

Do you fix your eye on such a one? And do you bring me before you for judgment?

Although its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump begins to die in the soil,

at the scent of water it will flourish and put forth shoots like a new plant.