1:
Man born of a woman, living for a short time, is filled with many miseries.
2:
Who cometh forth like a flower, and is destroyed, and fleeth as a shadow, and never continueth in the same state.
3:
And dost thou think it meet to open thy eyes upon such an one, and to bring him into judgment with thee?
4:
Who can make him clean that is conceived of unclean seed ? is it not thou who only art?
5:
The days of man are short, and the number of his months is with thee: thou hast appointed his bounds which cannot be passed.
6:
Depart a little from him, that he may rest, until his wished for day come, as that of the hireling.
7:
A tree hath hope: if it be cut, it groweth green again, and the boughs thereof sprout.
8:
If its root be old in the earth, and its stock be dead in the dust:
9:
At the scent of water, it shall spring, and bring forth leaves, as when it was first planted.
10:
But man when he shall be dead, and stripped and consumed, I pray you where is he?
11:
As if the waters should depart out of the sea, and an emptied river should be dried up:
12:
So man when he is fallen asleep shall not rise again; till the heavens be broken, he shall not awake, nor rise up out of his sleep.
13:
Who will grant me this, that thou mayest protect me in hell, and hide me till thy wrath pass, and appoint me a. time when thou wilt remember me?
14:
Shall man that is dead, thinkest thou, live again? all the days in which I am now in warfare, I expect until my change come.
15:
Thou shalt call me, and I will answer thee: to the work of thy hands thou shalt reach out thy right hand.
16:
Thou indeed hast numbered my steps, but spare my sins.
17:
Thou hast sealed up my offences as it were in a bag, but hast cured my iniquity.
18:
A mountain falling cometh to nought, and a rock is removed out of its place.
19:
Waters wear away the stones, and with inundation the ground by little and little is washed away: so in like manner thou shalt destroy man.
20:
Thou hast strengthened him for a little while, that he may pass away for ever: thou shalt change his face, and shalt send him away.
21:
Whether his children come to honour or dishonour, he shall not understand.
22:
But yet his flesh, while he shall live, shall have pain, and his soul shall mourn over him.