King James Version KJV
New Revised Standard NRS
1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
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"A mortal, born of woman, few of days and full of trouble,
2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
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comes up like a flower and withers, flees like a shadow and does not last.
3 And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?
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Do you fix your eyes on such a one? Do you bring me into judgment with you?
4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
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Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one can.
5 Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
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Since their days are determined, and the number of their months is known to you, and you have appointed the bounds that they cannot pass,
6 Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.
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look away from them, and desist, that they may enjoy, like laborers, their days.
7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
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"For there is hope for a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its shoots will not cease.
8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
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Though its root grows old in the earth, and its stump dies in the ground,
9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
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yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth branches like a young plant.
10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
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But mortals die, and are laid low; humans expire, and where are they?
11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:
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As waters fail from a lake, and a river wastes away and dries up,
12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
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so mortals lie down and do not rise again; until the heavens are no more, they will not awake or be roused out of their sleep.
13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
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O that you would hide me in Sheol, that you would conceal me until your wrath is past, that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
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If mortals die, will they live again? All the days of my service I would wait until my release should come.
15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.
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You would call, and I would answer you; you would long for the work of your hands.
16 For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?
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For then you would not number my steps, you would not keep watch over my sin;
17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.
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my transgression would be sealed up in a bag, and you would cover over my iniquity.
18 And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place.
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"But the mountain falls and crumbles away, and the rock is removed from its place;
19 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.
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the waters wear away the stones; the torrents wash away the soil of the earth; so you destroy the hope of mortals.
20 Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.
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You prevail forever against them, and they pass away; you change their countenance, and send them away.
21 His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.
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Their children come to honor, and they do not know it; they are brought low, and it goes unnoticed.
22 But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.
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They feel only the pain of their own bodies, and mourn only for themselves."
The King James Version is in the public domain.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.