| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Human beings born by women are short-lived and full of trouble. | 1"Man, born of woman, lives but a few days, and they are full of trouble. |
| 2He springs up like a flower and then withers. Like a shadow, he disappears and doesn't last. | 2He grows up like a flower and then withers away; he flees like a shadow, and does not remain. |
| 3Indeed, have you opened your eyes on one like this— to bring me into a legal fight with you? | 3Do you fix your eye on such a one? And do you bring me before you for judgment? |
| 4Who can produce a clean thing from an unclean thing? No one! | 4Who can make a clean thing come from an unclean? No one! |
| 5Since his days have been determined, the number of his months is known to you. You've set his limit and he cannot exceed it. | 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, so he can enjoy his time, like a hired worker." | 6Look away from him and let him desist, until he fulfills his time like a hired man. |
| 7"There is hope for the tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its shoots won't stop growing. | 7"But there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail. |
| 8Even if its roots have grown ancient in the earth, and its stump begins to rot in the ground, | 8Although its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump begins to die in the soil, |
| 9the presence of water will make it to bud so that it sprouts new branches like a young plant. | 9at the scent of water it will flourish and put forth shoots like a new plant. |
| 10"But when a person dies and wastes away, when a person breathes his last, where will he be? | 10But man dies and is powerless; he expires--and where is he? |
| 11As water disappears from the sea, or water evaporates from a river, | 11As water disappears from the sea, or a river drains away and dries up, |
| 12so also a person lies down and does not get up; they won't awaken until the heavens are no more, nor will they arise from their sleep." | 12so man lies down and does not rise; until the heavens are no more, they will not awake nor arise from their sleep. |
| 13"Won't you keep me safe in the afterlife? Conceal me until your anger subsides. Set an appointment for me, then 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 human being dies, will he live again? I will endure the entire time of my assigned service, until I am changed. | 14If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait until my release comes. |
| 15You'll call and I'll answer you; you'll long for your creatures that your hands have made. | 15You will call and I--I will answer you; you will long for the creature you have made. |
| 16Then you'll certainly count every step I took, but you won't keep an inventory of my sin. | 16"Surely now you count my steps; then you would not mark my sin. |
| 17My transgressions would be sealed up in a bag; you would cover over my sins. | 17My offenses would be sealed up in a bag; you would cover over my sin. |
| 18"Mountains fall and crumble; rocks are dislodged from their places. | 18But as a mountain falls away and crumbles, and as a rock will be removed from its place, |
| 19Water wears away stones; floods wash away topsoil from the land— but you destroy the hope of human beings just like that! | 19as water wears away stones, and torrents wash away the soil, so you destroy man's hope. |
| 20You overpower him once and for all, and then he departs; you change his appearance and then send him away. | 20You overpower him once for all, and he departs; you change his appearance and send him away. |
| 21"If his children are honored, he doesn't know it; if they become insignificant, he never perceives it. | 21If his sons are honored, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he does not see it. |
| 22He feels only his own pain, and grieves only for himself." | 22Only his flesh has pain for himself, and he mourns for himself." |
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