2He comes forth like a flower, and withers and fades away; he flees like a shadow, and continues not.

3And dost thou open thine eyes upon such a one, and bring him into judgment with thee?

4Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one.

5Seeing his days are determined and the number of his months are decreed, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot trespass them;

6Turn thy face away from him, and his days will be spent like a hireling.

7For there is hope for a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again and its tender shoots will not cease.

8Though its root wax old in the earth and its stock die in the ground,

9Yet through the scent of water it will bud and bring forth leaves like a plant;

10But man dies, and fades away; yea, man perishes, and he is no more.

11As the waters fail from the sea, and a river becomes desolate and dries up;

12So man who lies down does not rise again; until the heavens are no more, they shall not awake, nor be roused out of their sleep.

13O that thou wouldst hide me in Sheol, that thou wouldst keep me in a secret place until thy wrath is spent, that thou wouldst appoint me a set time and remember me!

14If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of his youth he waits till old age comes.

15If thou wouldst call me, I would answer thee; thou wilt think of the work of thy hands.

16For now thou numberest not my steps: and thou keepest not watch over my sins.

17My transgressions are sealed up in a bag, and thou removest from me my sins.

18Truly a great mountain falls, and a rock moves out of its place.

19The waters wear away the stones and wash away the soil of the earth; so thou destroyest the hope of man.

20Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passes; thou castest him away with shame on his face.

21If his sons multiply, he does not know it; if they decrease, he perceives it not of them.

22But his flesh upon him shall have pal,, and his soul within him shall mourn.