1 As for man, the son of woman, his days are short and full of trouble.
2 He comes out like a flower, and is cut down: he goes in flight like a shade, and is never seen again.
3 Is it on such a one as this that your eyes are fixed, with the purpose of judging him?
4 If only a clean thing might come out of an unclean! But it is not possible.
5 If his days are ordered, and you have knowledge of the number of his months, having given him a fixed limit past which he may not go;
6 Let your eyes be turned away from him, and take your hand from him, so that he may have pleasure at the end of his day, like a servant working for payment.
7 For there is hope of a tree; if it is cut down, it will come to life again, and its branches will not come to an end.
8 Though its root may be old in the earth, and its cut-off end may be dead in the dust;
9 Still, at the smell of water, it will make buds, and put out branches like a young plant.
10 But man comes to his death and is gone: he gives up his spirit, and where is he?
11 The waters go from a pool, and a river becomes waste and dry;
12 So man goes down to his last resting-place and comes not again: till the heavens come to an end, they will not be awake or come out of their sleep.
13 If only you would keep me safe in the underworld, putting me in a secret place till your wrath is past, giving me a fixed time when I might come to your memory again!
14 If death takes a man, will he come to life again? All the days of my trouble I would be waiting, till the time came for me to be free.
15 At the sound of your voice I would give an answer, and you would have a desire for the work of your hands.
16 For now my steps are numbered by you, and my sin is not overlooked.
17 My wrongdoing is corded up in a bag, and my sin is shut up safe.
18 But truly a mountain falling comes to dust, and a rock is moved from its place;
19 The stones are crushed small by the force of the waters; the dust of the earth is washed away by their overflowing: and so you put an end to the hope of man.
20 You overcome him for ever, and he is gone; his face is changed in death, and you send him away.
21 His sons come to honour, and he has no knowledge of it; they are made low, but he is not conscious of it.
22 Only his flesh still has pain, and his soul is sad.
1 "妇人所生的日子短少， 满有搅扰；
2 他生长如花， 又遭割下； 他飞去如影， 并不停留。
3 这样的人你还睁眼看他， 又把他带到你跟前受审吗？
4 谁能使洁净出于污秽呢？无人有此本事。
5 人的日子既然被限定， 他的月数亦在乎你， 你也定下他的界限， 使他不能越过。
6 就求你转眼不看他， 使他得歇息， 直等到他像雇工一样享受他的日子。
7 树木常有希望， 树木若被砍下， 也会再发芽， 嫩枝仍生长不息。
8 虽然树根衰老在地里， 树干也枯死在土中，
9 一有水气， 就会萌芽， 又生长枝条如新栽的树一样。
10 人死了， 就化为乌有； 人一气绝就不在了。
11 海洋中的水消失， 江河枯竭干涸，
12 人也是这样一躺下去， 就不再起来， 直到天都没有了还不醒过来， 也不能从睡眠中被唤醒。
13 但愿你把我藏在阴间， 把我隐藏， 直到你的怒气过去； 愿你为我定一个期限， 好记念我。
14 人若死了， 怎能再活呢？我要在我一切劳苦的日子等待， 等到我得释放的时候来到。
15 你一呼叫， 我就回答你， 你必渴慕你手所作的。
16 但现在你数点我的脚步， 必不再鉴察我的罪过，
17 我的过犯被你封在囊中， 我的罪孽你以灰泥遮盖了。
18 山崩下坠， 岩石挪开原处；
19 流水磨蚀石头， 水的泛溢冲去地上的尘土， 你也这样灭绝人的指望。
20 你永远胜过人， 人就去世， 你改变他的容貌， 把他遣走。
21 他的儿女得尊荣， 他并不晓得， 他们降为卑， 他也不觉得，
22 只觉自己身上的痛苦， 为自己悲哀。"