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None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death. There is no escaping that obligation, that dark battle. And in the face of death, wickedness will certainly not rescue the wicked.

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As no one has power over the wind to contain it,
    so[a] no one has power over the time of their death.
As no one is discharged in time of war,
    so wickedness will not release those who practice it.

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 8:8 Or over the human spirit to retain it, / and so

You have decided the length of our lives.
    You know how many months we will live,
    and we are not given a minute longer.

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A person’s days are determined;(A)
    you have decreed the number of his months(B)
    and have set limits he cannot exceed.(C)

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48 No one can live forever; all will die.
    No one can escape the power of the grave.[a] Interlude

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Footnotes

  1. 89:48 Hebrew of Sheol.

48 Who can live and not see death,
    or who can escape the power of the grave?(A)

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27 And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,

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27 Just as people are destined to die once,(A) and after that to face judgment,(B)

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15 You boast, “We have struck a bargain to cheat death
    and have made a deal to dodge the grave.[a]
The coming destruction can never touch us,
    for we have built a strong refuge made of lies and deception.”

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Footnotes

  1. 28:15 Hebrew Sheol; also in 28:18.

15 You boast, “We have entered into a covenant with death,(A)
    with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement.
When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by,(B)
    it cannot touch us,
for we have made a lie(C) our refuge
    and falsehood[a] our hiding place.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 28:15 Or false gods

21 For who can prove that the human spirit goes up and the spirit of animals goes down into the earth?

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21 Who knows if the human spirit rises upward(A) and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”

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32 The wicked are crushed by disaster,
    but the godly have a refuge when they die.

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32 When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,(A)
    but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God.(B)

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They trust in their wealth
    and boast of great riches.
Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death[a]
    by paying a ransom to God.
Redemption does not come so easily,
    for no one can ever pay enough
to live forever
    and never see the grave.

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Footnotes

  1. 49:7 Some Hebrew manuscripts read no one can redeem the life of another.

those who trust in their wealth(A)
    and boast(B) of their great riches?(C)
No one can redeem the life of another
    or give to God a ransom for them—
the ransom(D) for a life is costly,
    no payment is ever enough—(E)
so that they should live on(F) forever
    and not see decay.(G)

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17 The wicked will go down to the grave.[a]
    This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.

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Footnotes

  1. 9:17 Hebrew to Sheol.

17 The wicked go down to the realm of the dead,(A)
    all the nations that forget God.(B)

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Although he was crucified in weakness, he now lives by the power of God. We, too, are weak, just as Christ was, but when we deal with you we will be alive with him and will have God’s power.

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For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness,(A) yet he lives by God’s power.(B) Likewise, we are weak(C) in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him(D) in our dealing with you.

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43 Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength.

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43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory;(A) it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;

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18 I will cancel the bargain you made to cheat death,
    and I will overturn your deal to dodge the grave.
When the terrible enemy sweeps through,
    you will be trampled into the ground.

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18 Your covenant with death will be annulled;
    your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand.(A)
When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by,(B)
    you will be beaten down(C) by it.

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18 Truly, you put them on a slippery path
    and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.
19 In an instant they are destroyed,
    completely swept away by terrors.
20 When you arise, O Lord,
    you will laugh at their silly ideas
    as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.

21 Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
    and I was all torn up inside.
22 I was so foolish and ignorant—
    I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
23 Yet I still belong to you;
    you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
    leading me to a glorious destiny.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
    I desire you more than anything on earth.
26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
    but God remains the strength of my heart;
    he is mine forever.

27 Those who desert him will perish,
    for you destroy those who abandon you.
28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
    I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
    and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

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18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;(A)
    you cast them down to ruin.(B)
19 How suddenly(C) are they destroyed,
    completely swept away(D) by terrors!
20 They are like a dream(E) when one awakes;(F)
    when you arise, Lord,
    you will despise them as fantasies.(G)

21 When my heart was grieved
    and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless(H) and ignorant;
    I was a brute beast(I) before you.

23 Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.(J)
24 You guide(K) me with your counsel,(L)
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?(M)
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.(N)
26 My flesh and my heart(O) may fail,(P)
    but God is the strength(Q) of my heart
    and my portion(R) forever.

27 Those who are far from you will perish;(S)
    you destroy all who are unfaithful(T) to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.(U)
    I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;(V)
    I will tell of all your deeds.(W)

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