Read the Bible

¹ "A human being born of a woman
is short of days and full of troubles.^[a]
2 Like a flower he comes up, and he withers away;
and he flees like a^[b] shadow, but^[c] he does not last.
³ Even on such a one you fix your eyes,
and you bring me into judgment with you.
⁴ "Who can bring a clean thing from an unclean thing?
No one!^[d]
5 If his days are determined, the number of his months is with you;
you have appointed his boundaries, and he cannot cross them.
⁶ Look away from him, and let him desist
until he enjoys his days like a laborer.
⁷ "Indeed, there is hope for a tree:
if it is cut down, then^[e] it will sprout again,
and its new shoots will not cease;
⁸ though its root grows old in the earth,
and its stump dies in the dust,
⁹ at^[f] the scent of water it will bud,
and it will put forth branches like a young plant.
¹⁰ "But^[g] a man dies, and he dwindles away;
thus^[h] a human being passes away, and where is he?^[i]
11 As water disappears from a lake,
and a river withers away and dries up,^[j]
12 so^[k] a man lies down, and he does not arise.
Until the heavens are no more,^[l] they will not awaken,
and they will not be roused out of their sleep.
¹³ "O that^[m] you would conceal me in Sheol,
that you would hide me until your wrath is past,^[n]
that you would appoint a set time for me and remember me.
¹⁴ If a man dies, will he live again?
All the days of my compulsory service I will wait,
until the coming of my relief.
¹⁵ You would call, and I myself^[o] would answer you;
you would long for the work of your hand.
¹⁶ For then^[p] you would count my steps,
but you would not keep watch over my sin.
¹⁷ My transgression would be sealed in a bag,
and you would cover over my guilt.
¹⁸ "But^[q] a mountain falls; it crumbles away,
and a rock moves away from its place.
¹⁹ Water wears away stones;
its torrents wash away the soil of the earth;
so^[r] you destroy the hope of human beings.
²⁰ You overpower him forever, and he passes away;
you change his countenance,^[s] then^[t] you send him away.
²¹ His children may come to honor, but^[u] he does not know it;
or^[v] they may become lowly, but^[w] he does not realize it.^[x]
22 He feels only the pain of his own body,^[y]
and his inner self^[z] mourns for him."^[aa]