 1 Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. 2 He comes forth like a flower, and withers. He also flees as a shadow, and does not stand. 3 You open your eyes on such a one, and bring me into judgment with you. 4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one. 5 For his days are fixed, the number of his months is with you, and you have set his bounds so that he cannot pass; 6 look away from him, so that he may rest until he finish his day as a hired hand. 7 For there is hope of a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and its tender branch will not cease. 8 Though its root becomes old in the earth and its stump dies in the dust, 9 yet at the scent of water it will bud and bring forth branches like a plant. 10 But man dies and is cut off. Man expires and where is he? 11 As the waters fail from the sea and a river falls away and dries up, 12 so also man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens are no more, they will not be awakened out of their sleep. 13 Who will grant that you would hide me in the grave, that you would keep me secret until your wrath is past, that you would set a fixed time and remember me? 14 If a man die, will he revive? I will wait all the days of my warfare until my change comes. 15 You will call and I will answer you. You will have a desire to the work of your hands. 16 For now you number my steps. Do you not watch over my sin? 17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag and you cover over my iniquity. 18 Surely a falling mountain crumbles away, and the rock moves out of its place. 19 The waters wear away the stones. The outpouring of it washes the dust of the earth. You cause the hope of man to perish. 20 You overpower him forever and he passes. You change his face and send him away. 21 His sons come to honor and he does not know it. They fall, but he does not mark it. 22 But his flesh is pained within him and his soul mourns over him.
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