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¹ Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.² He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.³ And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?⁴ Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.⁵ Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months is with thee, and thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;⁶ Look away from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.

⁷ For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.⁸ Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;⁹ Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and put forth boughs like a plant.¹⁰ But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?¹¹ As the waters fail from the sea, and the river decayeth and drieth up;¹² So man lieth down and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be roused out of their sleep.¹³ Oh that thou wouldest hide me in Sheol, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!¹⁴ If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my warfare would I wait, till my release should come.¹⁵ Thou shouldest call, and I would answer thee: thou wouldest have a desire to the work of thine hands.

¹⁶ But now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?¹⁷ My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou fastenest up mine iniquity.¹⁸ And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of its place;¹⁹ The waters wear the stones; the overflowings thereof wash away the dust of the earth: and thou destroyest the hope of man.²⁰ Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth; thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.²¹ His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.²² But his flesh upon him hath pain, and his soul within him mourneth.