English Standard Version ESV
New International Version NIV
1 "Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble.
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“Mortals, born of woman, are of few days and full of trouble.
2 He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not.
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They spring up like flowers and wither away; like fleeting shadows, they do not endure.
3 And do you open your eyes on such a one and bring me into judgment with you?
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Do you fix your eye on them? Will you bring them before you for judgment?
4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? There is not one.
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Who can bring what is pure from the impure? No one!
5 Since his days are determined, and the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass,
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A person’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.
6 look away from him and leave him alone, that he may enjoy, like a hired hand, his day.
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So look away from him and let him alone, till he has put in his time like a hired laborer.
7 "For there is hope for a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its shoots will not cease.
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“At least there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail.
8 Though its root grow old in the earth, and its stump die in the soil,
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Its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil,
9 yet at the scent of water it will bud and put out branches like a young plant.
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yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant.
10 But a man dies and is laid low; man breathes his last, and where is he?
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But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last and is no more.
11 As waters fail from a lake and a river wastes away and dries up,
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As the water of a lake dries up or a riverbed becomes parched and dry,
12 so a man lies down and rises not again; till the heavens are no more he will not awake or be roused out of his sleep.
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so he lies down and does not rise; till the heavens are no more, people will not awake or be roused from their sleep.
13 Oh that you would hide me in Sheol, that you would conceal me until your wrath be past, that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!
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“If only you would hide me in the grave and conceal me till your anger has passed! If only you would set me a time and then remember me!
14 If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come.
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If someone dies, will they live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come.
15 You would call, and I would answer you; you would long for the work of your hands.
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You will call and I will answer you; you will long for the creature your hands have made.
16 For then you would number my steps; you would not keep watch over my sin;
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Surely then you will count my steps but not keep track of my sin.
17 my transgression would be sealed up in a bag, and you would cover over my iniquity.
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My offenses will be sealed up in a bag; you will cover over my sin.
18 "But the mountain falls and crumbles away, and the rock is removed from its place;
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“But as a mountain erodes and crumbles and as a rock is moved from its place,
19 the waters wear away the stones; the torrents wash away the soil of the earth; so you destroy the hope of man.
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as water wears away stones and torrents wash away the soil, so you destroy a person’s hope.
20 You prevail forever against him, and he passes; you change his countenance, and send him away.
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You overpower them once for all, and they are gone; you change their countenance and send them away.
21 His sons come to honor, and he does not know it; they are brought low, and he perceives it not.
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If their children are honored, they do not know it; if their offspring are brought low, they do not see it.
22 He feels only the pain of his own body, and he mourns only for himself."
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They feel but the pain of their own bodies and mourn only for themselves.”
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.