2And he goeth out, and is defouled as a flower; and he fleeth away as a shadow, and dwelleth never perfectly in that same state. (And he goeth out, and withereth like a flower; and then he fleeth away like a shadow, and never again dwelleth in that same state.)

3And guessest thou (it a) worthy thing to open thine eyes upon such a man; and to bring him into doom with thee? (And thinkest thou that it is worthwhile to look upon such a person; and to bring him into court, or unto judgement, with thee?)

4Who may make a man clean (who is) conceived of unclean seed? Whether not thou, Lord, that art alone? (Who can make someone clean who is conceived of unclean seed? No one.)

5The days of a man be short, and the number of his months be with thee; thou hast set, either ordained, his terms, which may not be (over)passed.

6Therefore go thou away from him a little, that he have rest; till his meed coveted come, and his day is as the day of an hired man. (And so go thou away from him for a little while, so that he can have some rest; until his desired reward come, and his day is like the day of a hired man.)

7A tree hath hope, if it is cut down; and again it waxeth green, and his branches spread forth. (A tree hath hope, that if it is cut down, it shall grow green again, and its branches shall spread forth.)

8If the root thereof is eld in the earth, and the stock thereof is nigh dead in (the) dust; (Yea, though its roots be old in the earth, and its stump is all but dead in the ground;)

9it shall burgeon (again) at the odour of water, and it shall make hair, that is, leaves and branches/or take root, as when it was planted first (like when it was first planted).

10But when a man is dead, and made naked, and wasted; I pray (thee), where is he?

11As if waters go away from the sea, and as a river made void of waters wax dry, (Like when waters go away from the sea, or a river made void, or empty, of water groweth dry,)

12so a man, when he hath slept, that is, died, he shall not rise again, till heaven be broken, or made new; he shall not wake, neither he shall rise altogether from his sleep. (so a man, when he hath slept, or died, shall not rise again, until the heavens be broken apart; he shall not awake, nor shall he ever rise again from his sleep.)

13Who giveth this to me, that thou defend me in hell, and that thou hide me, till thy great vengeance pass; and that thou set to me a time, in which thou have mind on me? (I wish, that thou would hide me in Sheol, yea, that thou would hide me until thy great vengeance pass; and then that thou would set a time for me, in which thou would remember me!)

14Guessest thou, whether a dead man shall live again? Now in all the days, in which I hold knighthood, I abide, till my changing come. (Thinkest thou, that someone dead shall live again? Then in all the days, in which I travail, or labour, I shall wait, for my changing to come.)

15Thou shalt call me, and I shall answer thee; thou shalt (ad)dress the right half, that is, bless, to the work of thine hands (thou shalt direct thy right hand, that is, thou shalt bless the work of thy hands).

16Soothly thou hast numbered my steps; but spare thou my sins (but please do not count up my sins).

17Thou hast sealed as in a bag my trespasses, but thou hast cured my wickedness. (Thou hast sealed up my trespasses in a bag, and thou hast cured my wickedness.)

18An hill falling droppeth down, and a rock of stone is borne over from his place. (A falling hill floweth downward, and a stone is carried over from its place.)

19Waters make stones hollow, and the earth is wasted little and little by (the) washing away of (the) water; and thou shalt lose men in like manner (and thou shalt destroy people’s hopes in like manner).

20Thou madest a man strong (for) a little, that he should pass [into] without end; thou shalt change his face, and shalt send him out. (Thou makest a man strong for a little while, and then he passeth away forevermore; thou changeth his face, and then sendeth him away from thee.)

21Whether his sons be noble, either unnoble, he shall not understand (he shall never know).

22Nevertheless his flesh, while he liveth, shall have sorrow, and his soul shall mourn (thinking) upon himself.