| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Human beings born by women are short-lived and full of trouble. | 1Man born of woman is short of days and full of trouble. |
| 2He springs up like a flower and then withers. Like a shadow, he disappears and doesn't last. | 2He blossoms like a flower, then withers; he flees like a shadow and does not last. |
| 3Indeed, have you opened your eyes on one like this— to bring me into a legal fight with you? | 3Do You really take notice of one like this? Will You bring me into judgment against You? |
| 4Who can produce a clean thing from an unclean thing? No one! | 4Who can produce something pure from what is impure? 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 and the number of his months depends on You, and since You have set limits he cannot pass, |
| 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 rest so that he can enjoy his day like a hired hand. |
| 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. | 7There is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its shoots will not die. |
| 8Even if its roots have grown ancient in the earth, and its stump begins to rot in the ground, | 8If its roots grow old in the ground and its stump starts to die in the soil, |
| 9the presence of water will make it to bud so that it sprouts new branches like a young plant. | 9the smell of water makes it thrive and produce twigs like a sapling. |
| 10"But when a person dies and wastes away, when a person breathes his last, where will he be? | 10But a man dies and fades away; he breathes his last--where is he? |
| 11As water disappears from the sea, or water evaporates from a river, | 11As water disappears from the sea and a river becomes parched and dry, |
| 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 never to rise again. They will not wake up until the heavens are no more; they will not stir 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. | 13If only You would hide me in Sheol and conceal me until Your anger passes. If only You would appoint a time for me 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. | 14When a man dies, will he come back to life? If so, I would wait all the days of my struggle until my relief comes. |
| 15You'll call and I'll answer you; you'll long for your creatures that your hands have made. | 15You would call, and I would answer You. You would long for the work of Your hands. |
| 16Then you'll certainly count every step I took, but you won't keep an inventory of my sin. | 16For then You would count my steps but would not take note of my sin. |
| 17My transgressions would be sealed up in a bag; you would cover over my sins. | 17My rebellion would be sealed up in a bag, and You would cover over my iniquity. |
| 18"Mountains fall and crumble; rocks are dislodged from their places. | 18But as a mountain collapses and crumbles and a rock is dislodged 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 from the land, so You destroy a man's hope. |
| 20You overpower him once and for all, and then he departs; you change his appearance and then send him away. | 20You completely overpower him, and he passes on; 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 receive honor, he does not know it; if they become insignificant, he is unaware of it. |
| 22He feels only his own pain, and grieves only for himself." | 22He feels only the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself. |
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