| NET Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1"Man, born of woman, lives but a few days, and they are full of trouble. | 1Man born of woman is short of days and full of trouble. |
| 2He grows up like a flower and then withers away; he flees like a shadow, and does not remain. | 2He blossoms like a flower, then withers; he flees like a shadow and does not last. |
| 3Do you fix your eye on such a one? And do you bring me before you for judgment? | 3Do You really take notice of one like this? Will You bring me into judgment against You? |
| 4Who can make a clean thing come from an unclean? No one! | 4Who can produce something pure from what is impure? No one! |
| 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. | 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 let him desist, until he fulfills his time like a hired man. | 6look away from him and let him rest so that he can enjoy his day like a hired hand. |
| 7"But there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail. | 7There is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its shoots will not die. |
| 8Although its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump begins to die in the soil, | 8If its roots grow old in the ground and its stump starts to die in the soil, |
| 9at the scent of water it will flourish and put forth shoots like a new plant. | 9the smell of water makes it thrive and produce twigs like a sapling. |
| 10But man dies and is powerless; he expires--and where is he? | 10But a man dies and fades away; he breathes his last--where is he? |
| 11As water disappears from the sea, or a river drains away and dries up, | 11As water disappears from the sea and a river becomes parched and dry, |
| 12so man lies down and does not rise; until the heavens are no more, they will not awake nor 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"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! | 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 man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait until my release comes. | 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 will call and I--I will answer you; you will long for the creature you have made. | 15You would call, and I would answer You. You would long for the work of Your hands. |
| 16"Surely now you count my steps; then you would not mark my sin. | 16For then You would count my steps but would not take note of my sin. |
| 17My offenses would be sealed up in a bag; you would cover over my sin. | 17My rebellion would be sealed up in a bag, and You would cover over my iniquity. |
| 18But as a mountain falls away and crumbles, and as a rock will be removed from its place, | 18But as a mountain collapses and crumbles and a rock is dislodged from its place, |
| 19as water wears away stones, and torrents wash away the soil, so you destroy man's hope. | 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 for all, and he departs; you change his appearance and send him away. | 20You completely overpower him, and he passes on; You change his appearance and send him away. |
| 21If his sons are honored, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he does not see it. | 21If his sons receive honor, he does not know it; if they become insignificant, he is unaware of it. |
| 22Only his flesh has pain for himself, and he mourns for himself." | 22He feels only the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself. |
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