He cometh up and is cut down like a flower. He flyeth as it were a shadow, and never continueth in one state.

“You also open Your eyes upon him
And bring him into judgment with Yourself.

Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

Let your eyes be turned away from him, and take your hand from him, so that he may have pleasure at the end of his day, like a servant working for payment.

But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?

As water disappears from the sea, or water evaporates from a river,

So man lieth down, and riseth not again; till the heavens be no more, they do not awake, nor are raised out of their sleep.

“Oh, that You would hide me in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead),
That You would conceal me until Your wrath is past,
That You would set a definite time and then remember me [and in Your lovingkindness imprint me on your heart]!

“[Then] You will call, and I will answer You;
You will long for [me] the work of Your hands.

For now my steps are numbered by you, and my sin is not overlooked.

Thou hast sealed up mine offenses, as it were in a bag: but be merciful unto my wickedness.

But, in very deed, a mountain falling, will lie prostrate, or, a rock moved out of its place:

The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.

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

Does a wise man answer with empty counsel
or fill himself with the hot east wind?

Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?

“Indeed, you are doing away with fear,
And you are diminishing meditation before God.

“For your guilt teaches your mouth,
And you choose [to speak] the language of the crafty and cunning.

“Your own mouth condemns you, and not I;
Yes, your own lips testify against you.

Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills?

“Do you hear the secret counsel of God,
And do you limit [the possession of] wisdom to yourself?

What knowledge have you which we have not? is there anything in your mind which is not in ours?

With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.

Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?

What -- doth thine heart take thee away? And what -- are thine eyes high?

That you should turn your spirit against God
And let such words [as you have spoken] go out of your mouth?

"What [is] a human being, that he can be clean, or that [one] born of a woman can be righteous?

Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.

Take note and give ear to my words; and I will say what I have seen:

To whom alone the land was given,
And no stranger passed among them [corrupting the truth].

The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, Even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.

“A [dreadful] sound of terrors is in his ears;
While at peace and in a time of prosperity the destroyer comes upon him [the tent of the robber is not at peace].

He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.

Sorrow and carefulness make him afraid, and compass him round about, like as it where a king with his host ready to the battle.

Running against him like a man of war, covered by his thick breastplate; even like a king ready for the fight,

And he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps.

He does not get wealth for himself, and is unable to keep what he has got; the heads of his grain are not bent down to the earth.

He does not come out of the dark; his branches are burned by the flame, and the wind takes away his bud.

He is like a vine whose grapes do not come to full growth, or an olive-tree dropping its flowers.

For the band of the evil-doers gives no fruit, and the tents of those who give wrong decisions for reward are burned with fire.

I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.

Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?

I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.

But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.

“If I speak [to you miserable comforters], my pain is not relieved;
And if I refrain [from speaking], what [pain or anguish] leaves me?

“You have taken a firm hold on me and have shriveled me up,
It has become a witness [against me];
And my leanness [and infirmity] rises up [as evidence] against me,
It testifies to my face [about my guilt].

I am broken by his wrath, and his hate has gone after me; he has made his teeth sharp against me: my haters are looking on me with cruel eyes;

Their mouths are open wide against me; the blows of his bitter words are falling on my face; all of them come together in a mass against me.

I was some time in wealth, but suddenly hath he brought me to naught. He hath taken me by the neck, he hath rent me, and set me, as it were a mark for him to shoot at.

I am broken with wound after wound; he comes rushing on me like a man of war.

“My face is red and swollen with weeping,
And on my eyelids is the shadow of death [my eyes are dimmed],

Although there is no violence or wrongdoing in my hands,
And my prayer is pure.

“O earth, do not cover my blood,
And let there be no [resting] place for my cry [where it will cease being heard].

My friends are my mockers; mine eye poureth out tears unto +God.

Oh that there were arbitration for a man with +God, as a son of man for his friend!

When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.

My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me.

Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation?

For a portion he sheweth friendship, And the eyes of his sons are consumed.

He hath made me as it were a byword of the common people. I am his jesting stock among them.

Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.

Astonished are the upright at this, And the innocent against the profane Stirreth himself up.

And the righteous layeth hold on his way, And the clean of hands addeth strength, And -- dumb are they all.

But indeed, as for them all, will ye bethink yourselves and enter into it, I pray you? Or shall I not find, among you, one who is wise?

My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart.

They are changing night into day; they say, The light is near the dark.

"If my hope were that my house is the afterlife itself, if I were to make my bed in darkness,

If I call out to the pit (grave), ‘You are my father’;
And to the worm [that feeds on decay], ‘You are my mother and my sister [because I will soon be closest to you],’

And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it?

They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.

How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? mark, and afterwards we will speak.

Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and reputed vile in your sight?

Thou that tearest thyself in thine anger, Shall the earth be forsaken for thee? Or shall the rock be removed out of its place?

Straitened are the steps of his strength, And cast him down doth his own counsel.

A rope lies hidden in the dirt; a trap lies waiting for him where he is walking."

"Fearfulness shall make him afraid on every side, that he shall not know where to get out.

Parts of his skin are eaten away;
death’s firstborn consumes his limbs.

He shall be rooted out of his tent where he trusteth; And he shall be brought to the king of terrors.

They who are none of his shall dwell in his tent; brimstone shall be showered upon his habitation:

From beneath his roots are dried up, And from above cut off is his crop.

He shall have neither son nor son's son among his people, Nor any remaining where he sojourned.

They that come after him shall be astonied at his day, as they that went before were affrighted.

Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God.

How long will ye grieve my soul? or crush me with words?

These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me.

“And if it were true that I have erred,
My error would remain with me [and I would be conscious of it].

If you really intend to vaunt yourselves over me, and make my problems the basis of your case against me,

He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am undone: My hope hath he taken away from me, as it were a tree plucked up by the root.

His wrath is kindled against me; he taketh me, as though I were his enemy.

His men of war came together, which made their way over me, and besieged my dwelling round about.

He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me.

Even young children have no respect for me; when I get up their backs are turned on me.

All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.

“My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh,
And I have escaped [death] by the skin of my teeth.

Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?

Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!

That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!

“Even after my [mortal] skin is destroyed [by death],
Yet from my [immortal] flesh I will see God,

Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another: my reins are consumed within me.

Be ye afraid because of the sword, For furious are the punishments of the sword, That ye may know that there is a judgment.