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14 “Man, who is born of a woman,
    is of few days, and full of trouble.
He grows up like a flower, and is cut down.
    He also flees like a shadow, and doesn’t continue.
Do you open your eyes on such a one,
    and bring me into judgment with you?
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?
    Not one.
    Seeing his days are determined,
    the number of his months is with you,
    and you have appointed his bounds that he can’t pass;
Look away from him, that he may rest,
    until he accomplishes, as a hireling, his day.

“For there is hope for a tree if it is cut down,
    that it will sprout again,
    that the tender branch of it will not cease.
Though its root grows old in the earth,
    and its stock dies in the ground,
yet through the scent of water it will bud,
    and sprout boughs like a plant.
10 But man dies, and is laid low.
    Yes, man gives up the spirit, and where is he?
11 As the waters fail from the sea,
    and the river wastes and dries up,
12 so man lies down and doesn’t rise.
    Until the heavens are no more, they will not awake,
    nor be roused out of their sleep.

13 “Oh that you would hide me in Sheol,[a]
    that you would keep me secret until your wrath is past,
    that you would appoint me a set time and remember me!
14 If a man dies, will he live again?
    I would wait all the days of my warfare,
    until my release should come.
15 You would call, and I would answer you.
    You would have a desire for the work of your hands.
16 But now you count my steps.
    Don’t you watch over my sin?
17 My disobedience is sealed up in a bag.
    You fasten up my iniquity.

18 “But the mountain falling comes to nothing.
    The rock is removed out of its place;
19 The waters wear the stones.
    The torrents of it wash away the dust of the earth.
    So you destroy the hope of man.
20 You forever prevail against him, and he departs.
    You change his face, and send him away.
21 His sons come to honor, and he doesn’t know it.
    They are brought low, but he doesn’t perceive it of them.
22 But his flesh on him has pain,
    and his soul within him mourns.”

Footnotes

  1. 14:13 Sheol is the place of the dead.

14 Anyone born of woman
is short of days and full of trouble.(A)
He blossoms like a flower, then withers;(B)
he flees like a shadow and does not last.
Do you really take notice of one like this?
Will you bring me into judgment against you?[a](C)
Who can produce something pure from what is impure?
No one!
Since a person’s days are determined
and the number of his months depends on you,
and since you have set[b] limits he cannot pass,(D)
look away from him and let him rest
so that he can enjoy his day like a hired worker.(E)

There is hope for a tree:
If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
and its shoots will not die.
If its roots grow old in the ground
and its stump starts to die in the soil,
the scent of water makes it thrive
and produce twigs like a sapling.(F)
10 But a person dies and fades away;
he breathes his last—where is he?
11 As water disappears from a lake
and a river becomes parched and dry,
12 so people lie down never to rise again.
They will not wake up until the heavens are no more;(G)
they will not stir from their sleep.

13 If only you would hide me in Sheol(H)
and conceal me until your anger(I) passes.
If only you would appoint a time for me
and then remember me.
14 When a person dies, will he come back to life?
If so, I would wait(J) all the days of my struggle(K)
until my relief comes.
15 You would call, and I would answer you.
You would long for the work of your hands.(L)
16 For then you would count my steps(M)
but would not take note(N) of my sin.
17 My rebellion would be sealed up in a bag,
and you would cover over my iniquity.

18 But as a mountain collapses and crumbles
and a rock is dislodged from its place,
19 as water wears away stones
and torrents wash away the soil from the land,
so you destroy a man’s hope.(O)
20 You completely overpower him, and he passes on;
you change his appearance and send him away.
21 If his sons receive honor, he does not know it;
if they become insignificant, he is unaware of it.(P)
22 He feels only the pain of his own body
and mourns only for himself.

Footnotes

  1. 14:3 LXX, Syr, Vg read him
  2. 14:5 Lit set his