| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1“Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. | 1"Man, born of woman, lives but a few days, and they are full of trouble. |
| 2He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not. | 2He grows up like a flower and then withers away; he flees like a shadow, and does not remain. |
| 3And do you open your eyes on such a one and bring me into judgment with you? | 3Do you fix your eye on such a one? And do you bring me before you for judgment? |
| 4Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? There is not one. | 4Who can make a clean thing come from an unclean? No one! |
| 5Since his days are determined, and the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass, | 5Since man's days are determined, the number of his months is under your control; you have set his limit and he cannot pass it. |
| 6look away from him and leave him alone, that he may enjoy, like a hired hand, his day. | 6Look away from him and let him desist, until he fulfills his time like a hired man. |
| 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. | 7"But there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail. |
| 8Though its root grow old in the earth, and its stump die in the soil, | 8Although its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump begins to die in the soil, |
| 9yet at the scent of water it will bud and put out branches like a young plant. | 9at the scent of water it will flourish and put forth shoots like a new plant. |
| 10But a man dies and is laid low; man breathes his last, and where is he? | 10But man dies and is powerless; he expires--and where is he? |
| 11As waters fail from a lake and a river wastes away and dries up, | 11As water disappears from the sea, or a river drains away and dries up, |
| 12so 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. | 12so man lies down and does not rise; until the heavens are no more, they will not awake nor arise from their sleep. |
| 13Oh 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! | 13"O that you would hide me in Sheol, and conceal me till your anger has passed! O that you would set me a time and then remember me! |
| 14If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come. | 14If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait until my release comes. |
| 15You would call, and I would answer you; you would long for the work of your hands. | 15You will call and I--I will answer you; you will long for the creature you have made. |
| 16For then you would number my steps; you would not keep watch over my sin; | 16"Surely now you count my steps; then you would not mark my sin. |
| 17my transgression would be sealed up in a bag, and you would cover over my iniquity. | 17My offenses would be sealed up in a bag; you would cover over my sin. |
| 18“But the mountain falls and crumbles away, and the rock is removed from its place; | 18But as a mountain falls away and crumbles, and as a rock will be removed from its place, |
| 19the waters wear away the stones; the torrents wash away the soil of the earth; so you destroy the hope of man. | 19as water wears away stones, and torrents wash away the soil, so you destroy man's hope. |
| 20You prevail forever against him, and he passes; you change his countenance, and send him away. | 20You overpower him once for all, and he departs; you change his appearance and send him away. |
| 21His sons come to honor, and he does not know it; they are brought low, and he perceives it not. | 21If his sons are honored, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he does not see it. |
| 22He feels only the pain of his own body, and he mourns only for himself.” | 22Only his flesh has pain for himself, and he mourns for himself." |
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