GOD'S WORD Translation GW
New King James Version NKJV
1 "A person who is born of a woman is short-lived and is full of trouble.
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"Man who is born of woman Is of few days and full of trouble.
2 He comes up like a flower; then he withers. He is like a fleeting shadow; he doesn't stay long.
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He comes forth like a flower and fades away; He flees like a shadow and does not continue.
3 You observe this and call me to account to you.
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And do You open Your eyes on such a one, And bring me to judgment with Yourself?
4 "If only an unclean person could become clean! It's not possible.
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Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one!
5 If the number of his days and the number of his months are determined by you, and you set his limit, then he cannot go past it.
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Since his days are determined, The number of his months is with You; You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass.
6 Look away from him, and he will cease to be. Meanwhile, he loves life as a laborer loves work.
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Look away from him that he may rest, Till like a hired man he finishes his day.
7 There is hope for a tree when it is cut down. It will sprout again. Its shoots will not stop sprouting.
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"For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And that its tender shoots will not cease.
8 If its roots grow old in the ground and its stump dies in the soil,
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Though its root may grow old in the earth, And its stump may die in the ground,
9 merely a scent of water will make it sprout and grow branches like a plant.
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Yet at the scent of water it will bud And bring forth branches like a plant.
10 But a human dies and is powerless. A person breathes his last breath, and where is he?
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But man dies and is laid away; Indeed he breathes his last And where is he?
11 [As] water drains out of a lake, or [as] a river dries up completely,
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As water disappears from the sea, And a river becomes parched and dries up,
12 so each person lies down and does not rise until the heavens cease to exist. He does not wake up. He is not awakened from his sleep.
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So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, They will not awake Nor be roused from their sleep.
13 I wish you would hide me in Sheol and keep me hidden there until your anger cools. Set a specific time for me when you will remember me.
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"Oh, that You would hide me in the grave, That You would conceal me until Your wrath is past, That You would appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14 "If a person dies, will he go on living? I will wait for my relief to come as long as my hard labor continues.
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If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, Till my change comes.
15 You will call, and I will answer you. You will long for the person your hands have made.
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You shall call, and I will answer You; You shall desire the work of Your hands.
16 Though now you count my steps, you will not keep [a record of] my sins.
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For now You number my steps, But do not watch over my sin.
17 My disobedience will be closed up in a bag, and you will cover over my sins.
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My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And You cover my iniquity.
18 As surely as a mountain falls and rocks are dislodged,
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"But as a mountain falls and crumbles away, And as a rock is moved from its place;
19 [so] water wears away stone, floods wash away soil from the land, and you destroy a mortal's hope.
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As water wears away stones, And as torrents wash away the soil of the earth; So You destroy the hope of man.
20 You overpower him forever, and he passes away. You change his appearance and send him away.
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You prevail forever against him, and he passes on; You change his countenance and send him away.
21 His sons are honored, and he doesn't know it. Or they become unimportant, and he doesn't realize it.
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His sons come to honor, and he does not know it; They are brought low, and he does not perceive it.
22 He feels only his body's pain. He is only worried about himself."
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But his flesh will be in pain over it, And his soul will mourn over it."