8
He is a human being who was himself formed from earth only a short while earlier, and after a little while, when he must return the soul that was lent to him, he will go back to the same earth. He is a human being, but he wastes his labor shaping a useless god out of the same clay that he uses to make pots.
9
His life will be short, and he will soon have to die, but he is not concerned about that. He wants to compete with those who work in gold, silver, and bronze, and make things like they do. He takes great pride in the things he makes, but they are counterfeit.
10
His heart is made of ashes. His hope is cheaper than dirt. His life is not worth as much as his clay,
11
because he never came to know the God who shaped him, who breathed into him an active soul and a living spirit.
12
He thinks of human life as just a game, a market where he can make a profit. He believes that he must make money however he can, even by evil ways.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.